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CFD Analysis for Predicting Erosion due to Slurry in Spoolable Pipe Connection

Location
Company Industry
Structure Type
Software Used

United States (USA)
Pipeline & Components Manufacturing
Spoolable Pipe Connection
ANSYS Fluent

Objective

ENA2 conducted a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study to evaluate erosion performance within a 316L stainless steel slurry fitting coated with PEKK and lined with HDPE, used for copper concentrate transport in mineral processing operations. The objective of the analysis was to predict internal flow behavior, particle trajectories, and particle-wall interactions under worst-case slurry operating conditions in order to identify potential erosion zones within the fitting and liner. The study also compared the erosion performance of the PEKK-coated fitting with an uncoated configuration, providing insights into how advanced polymer coatings can significantly enhance erosion resistance and improve the service life of slurry transport components.

Challenges

The existing design of the uncoated 316L stainless steel fitting was predicted to experience a relatively high erosion rate due to intense particle–wall impacts at the inlet taper region. CFD analysis indicated a maximum erosion rate of approximately 0.0777 mm/hr, which could lead to rapid material loss over a short period of operation. Such accelerated wear raised concerns regarding the durability of the fitting and the potential for increased maintenance and unplanned downtime in slurry transport systems.

Solution

To address the high erosion risk identified in the baseline configuration, ENA2 evaluated the application of a PEKK thermoplastic coating on the internal surface of the 316L stainless steel fitting as a protective wear layer. A detailed CFD-based erosion analysis was performed to assess the effectiveness of the coating under worst-case slurry operating conditions. The results demonstrated that the PEKK coating significantly reduced particle-induced wear by absorbing and resisting repeated particle impacts in the critical inlet taper region. Compared with the uncoated steel configuration, the coated design showed an approximately 55-fold reduction in the predicted erosion rate, confirming that the coating strategy can substantially enhance erosion resistance and extend the service life of the slurry transport fitting.

Result

The CFD analysis demonstrated that applying a PEKK protective coating on the 316L stainless steel fitting significantly reduced the erosion rate caused by particle–wall interactions in the slurry flow. The predicted maximum erosion rate decreased from 0.0777 mm/hr in the uncoated steel fitting to 0.0014 mm/hr in the PEKK-coated configuration, representing an approximately 55-fold reduction in material loss. The results confirm that the coating effectively mitigates erosion in the critical inlet taper region, substantially improving the durability and expected service life of the slurry transport fitting under severe operating conditions.

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