Need help calculating the resistance in gravity-driven pipelines?
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Currently, the length of the gravity-fed pipeline is 5 m, the inner diameter of the stainless steel pipe is 50 mm. The medium is a slurry with a viscosity of 1000 CP and a density of 1200 kg/m3. The height difference for gravity feeding is 2 m, and at present the flow rate of the slurry exiting the pipeline is very low. Could the 4.9m pipe at the front be changed to one with an inner diameter of 80mm, with an outlet diameter of 50mm, in order to reduce pipeline resistance and increase the flow rate at the outlet? ?
The flow rate can be increased by enlarging the diameter of the pipe at the front. If the viscosity of your medium is too high and flow occurs naturally, increasing the pipe diameter by just one level results in only a limited increase in flow rate
What you say is probably correct, but we don’t dare to increase the pipe diameter anymore. The medium we use contains 20% solids, and a low flow rate can easily lead to sedimentation. The viscosity is too high, the solid content is also high, and filtration is difficult; no pump works well in these conditions, which is why considering gravity flow was necessary.
Although I don’t understand these things, I was wondering: isn’t the flow rate higher when the pipes are installed at an angle?
Can’t it be purged using compressed air or nitrogen at appropriate pressure?
The pipe diameter is indeed a bit small; it is recommended to check again for any air blockage issues