Numerical simulation of hydrate slurry flow characteristics in vertical pipes based on population balance theory

Solid fluidised mining uses mechanical means to break down hydrates in the seabed. Then the hydrates will be mixed with seawater and transported to secondary crushing and other pre-treatments. Finally, the hydrates will enter the vertical lift pipe and be sent to the platform or mining ship. Therefore, the study of the flow characteristics of hydrate slurry in vertical pipes is of great significance for hydrate mining. To study the effect of different working conditions on the flow characteristics of hydrate slurry in vertical pipes, the flow characteristics of hydrate slurry in vertical pipes were simulated using the population balance theory based on hydrate particle aggregation dynamics. This paper focuses on the simulation of the flow characteristics of hydrate slurry with different initial particle sizes, concentrations and velocities, and according to the simulation results, the flow characteristics of hydrate slurry such as pressure drop, concentration distribution, and hydrate particle size distribution are analysed. The results of this study can provide referenced for the flow characteristics of hydrate slurry in hydrate mining. [Received: October 6, 2018; Accepted: March 29, 2019]