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Three-phase flow of flashing non-Newtonian coal slurry-gas mixtures through a conduit

Conference · · Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5806841
To develop design procedures for predictin pressure drops in conduits carrying three-phase flashing flows, a model has been developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) that is based on the current state of the art. This model has been tailored to consider coal liquids with gases and solids present. The investigation has examimed the fluid dynamics in the let-down valve area of a coal liquefaction plant by assuming a one-dimensional steady-state model. The coal liquids are modeled as a mixture of pseudocomponents in an approach similar to that used by the petroleum industry. Boiling points are chosen to characterize pseudocomponent fractions. Previous studies at ORNL have shown that, for a mixture of hydrogen gas, methane, and a coal-derived liquid, empirical correlations by Wilson and coworkers best predict critical pressures, temperatures, and acentric factors for the pseudocomponents. These properties are needed to perform flash calculations that use the Redlich-Kwong-Soave equation of state and a modified Grayson-Streed method. Reasonable agreement was found between experimental results and the theoretical flash calculations. Energy and mass balances used in the flash calculations interact with a momentum balance to obtain the pressure drop and gas-to-slurry ratio for each interval of length along the flow path. Since there is a possibility of choked flow at each interval of flow length, a calculation of critical flow velocity is also made.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
5806841
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/12020-1; CONF-8206187-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States) Journal Volume: 404
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English