Modeling and numerical analysis of the solid particle erosion in curved ducts

This paper presents a modeling and computational study on particle erosion in curved ducts. It is found that the average erosion rates per impact range from 4.2×10-7 to 9.5×10-3 mm3/g under current conditions. For each doubled inlet velocity, the increases of erosion rates per impact are 2-14 times. The erosion rate per impact varies with particle diameter with "√" shape through bends, which is similar to the particle deposition behavior in duct flows. The erosion rate curves per injected particle show the shapes of a 90-degree anticlockwise rotated "S" and a wide open "V," respectively, for three larger and smaller inlet velocities. The average erosion rates per injected particle are 1.4-18.9 times those rates per impact due to huge amounts of impacting, especially for those depositing particles. It is obvious that the erosion rate distribution per impact is similar to a "fingerprint" with five clear stripes and a lower "cloud" along the bend deflection angle for the three largest particles; yet, for other smaller particles, the erosion rate distributions are much like an entire "cloud."