JOURNAL ARTICLE

Computational fluid dynamics investigation of bitumen residues in oil sands tailings transport in an industrial horizontal pipe.

  • Published In: Physics of Fluids, 2023, v. 35, n. 1. P. 1 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Sontti, Somasekhara Goud; Sadeghi, Mohsen; Zhou, Kaiyu; Zheng, Enzu; Zhang, Xuehua 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on the development and validation of a three-dimensional Eulerian–Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to investigate the transport behavior of complex multiphase slurry flows containing solid particles, bitumen droplets, and gas bubbles in industrial-scale oil sand tailings pipelines. The model incorporates non-Newtonian carrier fluid behavior and granular kinetic theory, and is validated against six sets of industrial field data, showing good agreement in velocity profiles and pressure drops with errors below 6% and 10%, respectively. Sensitivity analyses identify optimal drag models and particle size combinations (75 and 700 μm solids; 400 μm bitumen droplets) for accurate predictions. Parametric studies reveal that bitumen droplet size, bitumen fraction, bubble size, and bubble fraction significantly influence bitumen distribution and recovery, with an optimum bubble size of 500 μm and increased bubble fraction enhancing bitumen recovery up to 80% in the upper pipe cross-section. The findings provide insights for improved design and operation of slurry transport systems aimed at efficient bitumen recovery and environmental protection.

Additional Information

  • Source:Physics of Fluids. 2023/01, Vol. 35, Issue 1, p1
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Geology
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:1070-6631
  • DOI:10.1063/5.0132129
  • Accession Number:162236107
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