Abstract
Abstract The study of the flow characteristics of the solid-fluid two phase flow in the cutter suction dredger is very important for exploring the slurry formation mechanism and optimizing the operational parameters. In this study, standard k-ε model and Multiple Reference Frame are applied to numerically simulate flow field in and around the cutting system, then with the steady convergent result of the simulation as the initial condition, Discrete Phase Mode is used to solve the particle motion equation by fully coupling the continuous phase and the particles. The influence of suction flow velocity and cutter’s rotating speed on particles suction are analyzed, and effectively suctioned particles numbers are also quantitatively studied. The simulation result shows that the DPM model is able to simulate the movement of particles in and around the cutter suction dredger’s cutting system, in the fluid flow filed velocity vector and pressure distribution on different planes show different characteristics, and under higher suction velocity and lower cutter rotating speed more particles are suctioned into the suction inlet. The results can help better understand flow characteristics of solid-fluid 2-phase-flow of cutter suction dredger’s cutting system, and provide theoretical support for relative system design and operational parameters optimization.
Highlights
[1] Flow characteristics of the solid-fluid 2-phase-flow in and around the cutting system of the cutter suction dredger(CSD) depend on several factors including the soil property, the dredger’s structural and operational parameters composed of cutter rotational speed, swing speed and pump rotational speed and so on
Investigation on flow characteristics of this solid-fluid 2-phase-flow will be significant for slurry formation mechanism exploring and operational parameters optimization
For CSD’s cutting system, in most working conditions operational parameters are hard to precisely compute and adjust, so the dredger operators are most likely to rely on their experience, the dredger’s working efficiency depends on the dredger operator’s experience and hardly keeps stable and high
Summary
Cutter suction dredger is increasingly widely used worldwide for its wide dredging depth range, good soil adaptability and high working efficiency, and it can continuously complete cutting, discharging and slurry treatment processes one time. [1] Flow characteristics of the solid-fluid 2-phase-flow in and around the cutting system of the cutter suction dredger(CSD) depend on several factors including the soil property, the dredger’s structural and operational parameters composed of cutter rotational speed, swing speed and pump rotational speed and so on. Standard k-ε, MRF and DPM models are applied to simulate the solid-fluid 2-phase-flow of CSD’s cutting system, and influence of suction velocities and cutter rotating speeds on suctioned particles is analyzed. The simulation is carried out based on the standard k-ε model in steady state with typical operational parameters (cutter rotating speed is 30rpm, suction velocity of the suction inlet is 2.0m/s and swing speed is 0.2m/s). On the planes of h=0.70m and h=1.6m, the suction effect is more weakened in turn, and affected by the hub occupation and smaller cutter opening, fluid particles have axial velocity, but the movement trend to the suction inlet is not obvious.
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