Research on reflux in deep-sea mining pump based on DEM-CFD

Abstract

The complex circumstances of deep-sea mining result in unexpected accidents. When a pump abruptly stops working during mining in deep seas, several tons of minerals need to be refluxed. The commonly used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method cannot simulate the required reflux because the volume of particles is neglected. However, this parameter can be calculated using Discrete Element Method-computational fluid dynamics (DEM-CFD). Using this method, the movement of particles and the location of the blockage becomes evident. In this study, DEM-CFD was used to simulate the reflux of nodules of diameter d?≤?10, d?≤?20, and d?≤?50?mm with a volume concentration of 8%. The results indicated that particles of diameter d?≤?50?mm cannot be refluxed and they are likely to accumulate at the junction of the impeller and vanes. Thus, the diameter of the particles needs to be controlled for effective functioning of the lifting pumps, and prevent deep-sea mining accidents.     

砂性土细颗粒起动临界水力坡降计算方法

地下水渗流作用下内部不稳定砂性土将发生潜蚀现象,潜蚀作用引起的土体渗透破坏会对土工建筑物或地基造成不良影响。考虑土体有效应力和细颗粒应力折减,建立渗流场中细颗粒受力模型,根据极限受力平衡状态得到潜蚀过程中砂性土细颗粒起动临界水力坡降计算公式,并通过DEM-CFD耦合方法以及现有试验数据进行验证。结果表明：砂性土中细颗粒以滚动方式起动,起动临界水力坡降受渗流水流、土体特性以及颗粒自身特性共同影响;砂性土表层细颗粒起动临界水力坡降受埋深影响较大,埋深1 cm的细颗粒最高、最低起动临界水力坡降相差10.169%,埋深10 cm时差异减少至1.061%。该计算方法与数值模拟和渗流试验结果的最大标准误差分别为6.038%、11.211%,可以较为准确地预测砂性土细颗粒起动临界水力坡降。     

隧道突涌水机制与渗透破坏灾变过程模拟研究

针对岩体渐进破坏和充填体渗透失稳两种典型突涌水灾害,阐述了动力扰动、开挖卸荷与高水压三者联合作用下岩体渐进破裂机制,以及高渗透压作用下充填体“变强度-变渗透性-变黏度”的渗透破坏机制。针对渗透破坏突涌水的变黏度机制,采用DEM-CFD耦合计算方法,开展了流体黏度对渗透破坏机制影响的定性模拟研究,分析了流体黏度对平均接触力、流量（流速）、孔隙率、颗粒运移过程、运移轨迹以及临界水力梯度的影响规律。结果表明,低黏度条件下的临界水力梯度比高黏度条件下的要小,换言之,低黏度条件下充填体更容易发生渗透破坏;平均接触力对水力梯度临界值的响应最为敏感,而流量难以准确反映该信息。从渗透破坏突涌水的变黏度机制这单一角度出发（不考虑渗透性增大的影响）,随着黏性介质流入水体,流体黏度会增大,但流动速度会降低,两者共同作用下反而阻碍了渗透破坏过程的发展。最后,采用DEM-CFD计算方法,对工程尺度突涌水过程进行了模拟,再现了突涌水优势通道的形成与扩展过程,并指出了实现突涌水灾变机制模拟所需解决的参数选取与定量分析难题。     

Research on rotating speed’s influence on performance of Deep-Sea lifting motor pump based on DEM-CFD

Abstract

Metal minerals in deep sea are considered to be the most important mineral resources in the 21st century. With the development of science and technology, deep-sea mining has gained more and more attention, and the pipeline lifting method is the most promising for mining. It is particularly important to use the pump as a key component in the pipeline upgrading. In this paper, the DEM–CFD method is used to study the solid–liquid two-phase fluid flow in the Deep-Sea lifting motor pump. Data about the distribution of pressure on the suction surface and pressure surface as well as the distribution of particles in the pump under different rotation speed can be obtained. Tests verify the efficiency and head of the pump by numerical simulation. It provides a theoretical method for the study of solid–liquid two-phase fluid flow in deep-sea mining.     

Modelling hydraulic and capillary-driven two-phase fluid flow in unsaturated concretes at the meso-scale with a unique coupled DEM-CFD technique

The goal of the research was to demonstrate the impact of thin porous interfacial transition zones (ITZs) between aggregates and cement matrix on fluid flow in unsaturated concrete caused by hydraulic/capillary pressure. To demonstrate this impact, a novel coupled approach to simulate the two-phase (water and moist air) flow of hydraulically and capillary-driven fluid in unsaturated concrete was developed. By merging the discrete element method (DEM) with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) under isothermal settings, the process was numerically studied at the meso-scale in two-dimensional conditions. A flow network was used to describe fluid behaviour in a continuous domain between particles. Small concrete specimens of a simplified particle mesostructure were subjected to fully coupled hydro-mechanical simulation tests. A simple uniaxial compression test was used to calibrate the pure DEM represented by bonded spheres, while a permeability and sorptivity test for an assembly of spheres was used to calibrate the pure CFD. For simplified specimens of the pure cement matrix, cement matrix with aggregate, and cement matrix with aggregate and ITZ of a given thickness, DEM/CFD simulations were performed sequentially. The numerical results of permeability and sorptivity were directly compared to the data found in the literature. A satisfactory agreement was achieved. Porous ITZs in concrete were found to reduce sorption by slowing the capillary-driven fluid flow, and to speed the full saturation of pores when sufficiently high hydraulic water pressures were dominant.