A parametric study of the pipeline hammer phenomenon in plastic Bingham slurry flows using the finite element method

TL;DR

This paper investigates the transient pipeline hammer phenomenon in plastic Bingham slurry flows using finite element methods, revealing how yield stress influences pressure dynamics and flow resistance, with implications for industrial safety.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed parametric analysis of pipeline hammer effects in Bingham fluids using FEM, highlighting the impact of yield stress and valve closure times.

Findings

Yield stress increases flow resistance and pressure peak attenuation.

Bingham rheology dampens pressure peaks more effectively than Newtonian fluids.

Advanced FEM schemes are essential for accurate non-Newtonian shockwave modeling.

Abstract

We conduct a numerical study of the transient phenomenon in pipelines transporting plastic Bingham slurry flows, using a lowest-order finite element method (FEM). While most pipeline hammer studies focus on Newtonian fluids, the transient dynamics in Bingham fluids remains elusive and poorly afforded, despite their significant industrial impact, particularly in mining. A detailed parametric study assesses the effects of the slurry yield stress and the valve closure times on both pressure and velocity distributions along the pipeline, using an adaptive friction model to account for turbulent slurries. Results reveal that yield stress enhances flow resistance and accelerates pressure peak attenuation, underscoring the damping role of Bingham rheology compared to Newtonian flows. These insights emphasize the need for advanced FEM-based schemes in non-Newtonian shockwave modeling, with implications for industrial pipeline design and operational safety.