Improved model for the prediction of pressure drop and velocity field in multi-sized particulate slurry flow through horizontal pipes

In the present paper modified models for the prediction of pressure drop and velocity field in the flow of multi-sized particulate slurries through circular pipes have been presented. The two layer model for pressure drop prediction proposed by SHOOK and his co-workers has been modified by incorporating easily measurable parameters like static settled concentration and weighted mean diameter of the solids. Further, a more scientific criterion for identifying the uniformly distributed fraction of solids has been proposed. With these modifications in the flow of slurries having wide particle size distribution the computed pressure gradient is used as one of the input parameters to predict the velocity field across the pipe cross-section, using the approach of ROCO and SHOOK. This model also has been modified for making it applicable to multi-sized particulate slurries to give excellent agreement with the experimental data on slurries of the solid materials having widely varying properties.