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Blockage of the Deep-Sea Mining Pump Transporting Large Particles with Different Sphericity

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Abstract

The present study aims to plumb blockage of the deep-sea mining pump transporting large particles with different shapes. A numerical work was performed through combining the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique and the discrete element method (DEM). Six particle shapes with sphericity ranging from 0.67 to 1.0 were selected. A velocity triangle is built with the absolute, relative, and circumferential velocities of particles. Velocity triangles with absolute velocity angles ranging from 90° to 180° prevail in the first-stage impeller. With declining sphericity, more particles follow the velocity triangle with absolute velocity angles ranging from 0° to 90°, which weakens the ability of particles to pass through the flow passage. Furthermore, the forces acting on the particles traveling in the impeller passage are analyzed. Large particles, especially non-spherical ones, suffer from high centrifugal force and therefore move along the suction surface of the impeller blades. Non-spherical particles undergo great drag force as a result of large surface area. The distribution of drag force angles is featured by two peaks, and one vanishes due to blockage. As particle sphericity declines, both magnitude and angle of the pressure gradient force decrease. Variation of the drag force and the pressure gradient force causes clockwise deflection of the centripetal force, resulting in deflection and elongation of particle trajectory, which increases the possibility of blockage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

    Shuang Teng, Can Kang & Ming-hui Li

  2. Zibo Product Quality Testing Research Institute, Zibo, 255063, China

    Jin-yu Qiao

  3. Shanghai Marine Equipment Research Institute, Shanghai, 200031, China

    Ke-jin Ding

Authors
  1. Shuang Teng
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  2. Can Kang
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  3. Ming-hui Li
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  4. Jin-yu Qiao
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  5. Ke-jin Ding
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Correspondence to Can Kang.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Foundation item: This study was financially supported by the Science and Technology Plan Project of State Administration for Market Regulation of China (Grant No. 2021MK060), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2021YFC2801600), the Postgraduate Research and Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. KYCX20_3082), and the Science and Technology Innovation Project from China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited.

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Teng, S., Kang, C., Li, Mh. et al. Blockage of the Deep-Sea Mining Pump Transporting Large Particles with Different Sphericity. China Ocean Eng 37, 343–352 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13344-023-0028-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13344-023-0028-0

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