Internal structure of settling slurry flows

Mechanisms governing solids transport and friction in flows of settling slurries are closely related to the internal structure of the slurry flows (i.e. to the distributions of solids velocity and concentration across the flows). Modeling capabilities for velocity- and concentration profiles in heterogeneous slurry flows has always been rather limited due particularly to the absence of suitable measuring techniques for an observation of the internal structure of heterogeneous flows. The first objective of the proposed project is to propose and apply a suitable methodology in order to collect an experimental database containing velocity- and concentration profiles from own tests and from the literature. The second objective of the project is to analyze the collected data and based on their analysis to propose models for distributions of solids velocity and concentration in stratified flows of settling slurries. The research results find their application in the hydraulic transport of solids, in sanitary engineering (two-phase flows through sewer systems), and in river engineering (sediment transport).