Pipeline Slurry Transportation System: An Overview

Abstract

The slurry pipeline system as the means of transportation is reviewed showing the process of transportation starting from the beneficiation of ore at the mine site to the dewatering stage at the process plant. A detailed analysis of the pipeline system for being the most cost-effective method of transportation in comparison with other modes of transportation like trucks, railway networks, barges, belt conveyors, and pneumatic pipeline systems was assessed. The parameters affecting the slurry flow behavior like solid concentration, the velocity of flow, pressure drop, particle size distribution, temperature, pH, different modal distributions, and additives were discussed along with their effects on the rheology. Developing a model that helps in estimating the flow behavior of high-concentration slurry has been a major concern over the years with the increasing need for transporting high-density throughput, and a few models evaluating the effects were developed in the literature and discussed here. To acquire a deeper understanding of the solid-liquid slurry flow, computational fluid dynamics is commonly used as a tool for simulating the parameters governing the motion of the flow. The solid concentration distribution, velocity profile distribution, and pressure drop as the dominant factors for estimating the flow behavior are studied, along with other parameters like skin friction coefficient, shear stress distribution, turbulent viscosity, and contours of different profiles. A comparative study of experimental and simulated results was also reviewed, measuring the randomness of asymmetry between measured and predicted data.