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Flow of Bingham plastic slurries in pipes and between parallel plates. [Includes effect of Hedstrom number; pipes and parallel plates]

Conference · · Soc. Pet. Eng. J.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6500788

The method of Caldwell and Babbitt for determining Bingham plastic rheological constants from engineering pipe flow data has been erroneously used in many previous applications. A reanalysis of extensive pipe flow data from the literature is performed. Critical Reynolds numbers corresponding to the laminar-turbulent transition calculated from these data are found to agree with theoretically calculated values for the entire flow range studied. Similar agreement is found for the authors' own data for flow of 10 slurries between parallel plates. The Bingham plastic model is shown to be a reliable representation of the flow of non-Newtonian slurries provided it is properly applied. If the Hedstrom number He = rho D/sup 2/ tau/sub o//eta/sup 2/ > 10/sup 4/, then the linear approximation method of Caldwell and Babbitt is invalid for pipe flow data obtained in systems of ordinary engineering interest, and the complete nonlinear form of the pipe flow Bingham plastic equation must be used in determining rheological parameters.

Research Organization:
Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT
OSTI ID:
6500788
Journal Information:
Soc. Pet. Eng. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. J.; (United States) Vol. 7:4; ISSN SPTJA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English