Three-dimensional numerical investigation of solid particle erosion in gate valves

Gate valves, which are widely applied in pneumatic conveying systems, are vulnerable to erosion by particles. It is thus important to investigate the erosion in gate valves from the perspective of fluid analysis, and then to predict and improve their lifetimes. The effects of valve geometry and gas–solid flow conditions on valve erosion are investigated. Since a gate valve usually operates fully open to let fluid pass through, the geometry is simplified as a cavity. As gate valves are always placed horizontally in industrial situations, investigated cavities are placed horizontally, and the erosion damage to the bottom half of the aft wall (surface T), which is most likely to be eroded, is studied. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based two-way Eulerian–Lagrangian procedue is used to predict the erosion severity. The simulation procedure is validated by comparing the CFD results with those obtained from experiments of a pipe and an elbow, and also with the erosion region of a damaged valve. For conven...