Flow Model of Slurry with Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Flow

Abstract

Erythritol slurry is a promising heat transport medium in the mid/low-temperature range. The pressure drop of an erythritol slurry flowing in a horizontal circular tube was measured, and a fluid model for estimating the pressure drop was studied. The Bingham model was found to be effective as a simple model that does not consider the flow pattern. A composite model, which can be applied to various slurries by considering the flow pattern, is also discussed. In the composite model, we focused on the distribution in the solid fraction in the pipe, which occurs at low flow velocities, and quantitatively determined the flow pattern of the erythritol slurry, by applying a line approximation to the relationship between shear stress and shear rate. Furthermore, it was shown that the power law model is suitable for homogeneous flows, while the separation model is suitable for heterogeneous flows.