Rheological study and numerical analysis of high concentration iron ore slurry pipeline transportation

Abstract

Steel making plants require around 3 times of minerals quantity as raw materials (fuel minerals also) to produce 1 ton of steel. Globally steel plants produce around 1800 million tons of steel per annum. This requires around 5.4 billion tons of minerals, which leads to generation of very high levels of emissions pollutants during surface transportation by road, rail and sea ways. To reduce the emission of pollutants in steel industry, hydraulic transportation technology is the solution for bulk movement of minerals through long distance underground slurry pipelines. This technology can move minerals over 33 million tons per annum for a distance of over 500 kms below the ground. The eco-friendly nature of this mineral’s movement has reduced Carbon, SOX, NOX, SPM emission levels by over 90% comparing to surface movement methods. It has also reduced energy consumption more than 90%. The movement of minerals through underground slurry pipelines contribute significantly for minerals conservation of our planet. The overall costs also reduced by over 70% through this technology for moving bulk quantities of minerals. The present study focused on rheological characteristics for hydraulic transportation of high concentration of iron ore slurry through pipeline using beneficiated iron ore from Odisha. The iron ores available in Odisha is different mineralogical characteristics in comparison with other ores available in India as well as global. Based on the rheological studies, available empirical mathematical model has been modified with respect to mineralogy of ore to predict viscosity of the slurry at different concentration.