Prediction of thickness loss in a standard 90° elbow using erosion-coupled dynamic mesh

Abstract Erosion wear is an inevitable problem in particle-laden flows. Generally, the erosive wear is reported as a thickness loss (mm or mm/yr), but in the form of a scar or wear map distribution on the target material surface. Recent advances in CFD techniques now allow the prediction of a time-dependent surface evolution due to the impact of solid particles. With this in mind, an erosion-coupled dynamic mesh approach was employed to predict a realistic surface deformation in a standard 90∘ elbow. Experimental data were used to validate the numerical results. The effects of wall condition, namely, smooth wall, rough wall, and rough wall with particle rotation, on the topology of the deformed surface were investigated. Interestingly, the simulations revealed better performance of the dynamic mesh approach when compared to static mesh cases. Also, it was found that wall roughness and particle rotation significantly influences the shape and magnitude of the surface deformation. The results also showed that particle dynamics in response to the surface deformation might be the key to solve complex erosion-related problems. In such cases, the erosion spots can evolve over time and may be inaccurately assessed when based solely on static mesh erosion calculations.