Development of a predictive, laboratory-based tool for slurry pipeline wear

在采矿和矿物加工行业中发生的最昂贵（和不希望的）过程之一是浆液（固体-液体混合物）处理设备的侵蚀/腐蚀性磨损。管道尤其容易受到影响，因为混合速度和固体浓度很高。此外，任何失败都可能导致巨大的经济损失。不幸的是，控制泥浆管道磨损的机制尚未得到很好的理解，过去20年收集的有用磨损数据数量非常有限。在这个项目中，我们将对台架规模的测试进行彻底的基础研究，假设提供类似管道流动的流体动力学（环形磨损测试仪），以确定它们是否真的可以用作预测管道侵蚀/腐蚀的实验室工具。这项研究对目前通过管道运输产品的任何行业都有价值，并有可能帮助防止管道系统故障对环境的影响。这个项目的成果预期将对油砂部门和国际采矿和矿物加工工业产生直接影响。

One of the most expensive (and undesired) processes that occurs in the mining and mineral processing industry is the erosive/corrosive wear of slurry (solids-liquids mixtures) handling equipment. Pipelines, in particular, are susceptible because mixture velocities and solids concentrations are high. Moreover, any failure is likely to result in huge economic losses. Unfortunately, the mechanisms governing slurry pipeline wear are not well understood and the amount of useful wear data collected over the past 20 years is very limited. In this project, we will conduct a thorough, fundamental study of bench scale tests that presume to provide hydrodynamics similar to pipeline flows (Toroid Wear Testers) to determine if they can truly be used as a predictive, laboratory-based tool for slurry pipeline erosion/corrosion. This research is valuable to any industry currently transporting product by pipeline and has the potential to help prevent the environmental impact of pipeline system failure. Results from this project are expected to have an immediate impact in the oil sands sector and in the international mining and mineral processing industry.