Unsteady Flow of Solid-Liquid Suspensions

Basic energy and momentum relationships are used to obtain analytical expressions for pressure and flow variations in suspended solid-liquid flow. The suspended flow occurs in a pressurized conduit system and transients are introduced into the system by rapidly closing a terminal valve. Pressure wave magnitudes and wave stapes generated by this action are investigated. Expressions are obtained describing the momentum exchange resulting from viscous action between the phases that occurs behind the wave front. Experimental results are obtained for several solid-liquid suspensions. The suspending liquid utilized is water and solid rubber, plastic, and sand particles with widely varied properties are used for the solid phase. Pressure wave magnitudes and wave shapes resulting from rapid closure of a terminal valve are recorded. Good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results is obtained.