Erosion Experiments Research Articles

An Analytical Expression for the Electric Field and Particle Tracing in Modelling of Be Erosion Experiments at the JET ITER‐like Wall

AbstractA new analytical approximation for the electric potential profile in the presence of an oblique magnetic field and the analytical solution for the particle motion just before the impact with a plasma‐facing surface are presented. These approximations are in good agreement with fluid solutions and the corresponding PIC simulations. These expressions were applied to provide effective physical erosion yields for Be, which have in a second step been used in ERO code simulations of spectroscopy at Be limiters of the JET ITER‐like wall. These new analytical expressions lead to an increase of the effective physical sputtering yields of Be by deuteron impact up to 30% in comparison with earlier pure numerical simulations. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Observations and simulations of wave runup during a laboratory dune erosion experiment

XBeach, a process-based numerical model designed to simulate morphologic change during extreme storm events, was calibrated and compared to observations from a large-scale laboratory dune erosion experiment. Wave conditions along the tan, wave runup at the beach, and 3-dimensional position of the dune were measured throughout the experiment. Seiching modes in the tank were simulated and matched the observations once the model was calibrated. Simulated waves were sensitive to γ, the ratio of wave height to water depth, and cf., the coefficient of friction. Simulated runup explained 50–87% of the observed variance in observations. However, the magnitude of simulated wave runup was underestimated throughout the experiment. Errors in simulated runup were composed of a high bias and gain error in mean water level, low bias in the infragravity swash, and low bias and gain errors in incident swash. Observed probability density functions of swash were statistically consistent between times when swash was confined to the foreshore and times when swash interacted with the dune. However, simulated probability density functions of swash were statistically different during the collision regime. Despite the systematic underestimation of wave runup, modeled dune erosion compared well with observations after the sediment transport parameters were calibrated. Modeled dune erosion was sensitive to the critical slope parameters over the wet and dry regions of the beach, the depth of the interface between the wet and dry regions of the beach, and the threshold depth for sediment transport and return flow.

Recurrence plot analysis to estimate the surface erosion on polymeric insulating materials

Polymeric insulators are used for high voltage transmission and distribution systems due to their advantages over traditional ceramic/glass insulators. However, these insulators encounter various stresses in the service condition. CIGRE working group D1.14 has identified twelve important parameters for the evaluation of polymeric outdoor insulation materials. Tracking/erosion is an important parameter for the evaluation for long term performance. In the present work, experiments on polymeric insulators to thermal erosion are conducted, fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to study the surface chemical and morphological changes and surface roughness measurements are done using 2D profilometer. Results obtained from thermal erosion experiments show severe de-polymerization and loss of hydrophobicity. An attempt has been made to evaluate the polymeric insulating materials using recurrence plot (RP) analysis. Recurrence plot analysis of discharge current sequence confirms, a discharge process is prolonged as the number of drops containing contaminants is increased. Quantitative indicators of RP analysis, recurrence rate (RR) and Determinism (DET) are used to evaluate the performance of various polymeric insulating materials used in the study.

Study on the facilities and procedures for meltwater erosion of thawed soil

High erosion rate of seasonal thawed soils by snow- and ice-melting runoff in the high altitude and latitude cold regions has great impacts on ecological systems, industries, agriculture and various manmade infrastructures as well as people's lives. The facilities and procedures are of great importance for the studies on simulating erosion processes of melt-frozen soil. This study focuses on the method and facility for simulating the thawing process of frozen soil. The facility includes soil freezing system, melt-water supply system and experimental flume system for thawed soil erosion. The soil freezing system provides enough space to freeze soil columns in flumes. The water supply system deliveries snow- or ice-melting water flow of constant-rate at 0°C. The soil flumes of 200 or 300cm long, 10cm wide and 12cm high are designed to be assemble and convenient for soil freezing before they are thawed in one-dimensional manner from top to bottom. The one-dimensional thawing process is realized as follows. The frozen soil flume is put on ice boxes and thermally insulated with heat-insulating materials all around to prevent frozen soil from being thawed from sidewalls and bottom. The soil thaws with this system shows that it can meet the requirements of simulating the process of soil thawing from top to bottom. The thawed soil flumes are connected from end to end to form rills of 6–8m long to run the erosion experiments under different designed hydraulic condition. The equipment provides facility, method and operation process for simulating one-dimensional soil thawing to serve research on the effect of thawed soil depth on erosion process.

Experimental investigation of cuttings bed erosion in horizontal wells using water and drag reducing fluids

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms of solid particle removal from bed deposits (i.e. bed erosion) in horizontal wells using water and a drag reducing fluid. The cuttings bed erosion experiments were conducted using a 9m long horizontal flow loop with concentric annular geometry (Outer Pipe ID=95mm, Inner Pipe OD=38mm, ID/OD ratio=0.4). The drag reducing additive was a commercially available partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA). Water and two drag reducing fluids with 0.07% V/V and 0.1% V/V PHPA concentrations were used. Critical velocities for the initiation of cuttings movement with rolling, saltation/dunes, and suspension modes were determined and compared when using water and drag reducing fluids as a carrier fluid. Critical velocities for the initiation of cuttings movement were found to be lower with water than that of drag reducing fluid in all transport modes.

Cavitation Erosion of Sensitized UNS S31803 Duplex Stainless Steels

During processing or use, duplex steels can be subjected to heating at high temperatures that can affect their behavior. This work aims to correlate the influence of the sensitization treatment on the ultrasonic cavitation erosion behavior of a UNS S31803 (X2CrNiMoN22-5-3) duplex stainless steel. Duplex stainless steels, formed as a result of rapid cooling after solution annealing, are sensitized at temperatures of 475 and 850 °C, respectively, leading to hardening and embrittlement due to the spinodal decomposition of the ferrite and the precipitation of secondary phases. The ultrasonic cavitation erosion experiments showed that the sensitization at 850 °C reduced the mean depth of erosion by about 11% and the mean depth of erosion rate by 28%. By contrast, the sensitization at 475 °C deteriorates the cavitation erosion resistance, increasing the erosion parameters by up to 22%, compared to the solution annealed state.

Developing an erodibility triangle for soil textures in semi-arid regions, NW Iran

There is a strong need to develop a simple method for rapid estimation of erodibility using readily available data. In this study, soil erodibility was measured using eleven soil textures at the plot scale (60cm×80cm) on a slope of 9% in a semi-arid region. A total of 110 soil erosion experiments were conducted using ten simulated rainfalls (50mmh−1 for 30min). A regression model was developed based on silt and clay content (R2=0.82, p<0.001) and was applied to estimate erodibility for 231 soils in the textural triangle. Kriging was used to spatial interpolate erodibility using these data to unknown soils on the textural triangle. A soil erodibility triangle was developed using kriging technique and its accuracy was evaluated using seven other soils. The technique showed a 5.4% error and allowed the prediction of soil erodibility in semi-arid areas by using the soil erodibility triangle.

Experiments on the Pickup Flux of Sand at High Flow Velocities

AbstractTwo regimes can be distinguished for the pickup flux of sand. At a Shields parameter of less than about 0.5 (corresponding with flow velocities of 0.5–1 m/s), the erosion process is dominated by the size and density of the grains (grain by grain pickup). At higher flow velocities, the bulk properties of the sand bed start to influence the erosion process. Dilative behavior results in the inflow of water to the sand bed, which reduces the pickup flux (dilatancy-reduced pickup) because of the shearing of layers of sand. A pickup function was recently developed for this regime, incorporating the effect of bulk properties, such as permeability and porosity, on the pickup. This function agrees well with data of previous erosion experiments in which the permeability and porosity of the sand bed were varied. However, these experiments just met the condition for dilatancy-reduced pickup. The flow velocity during these previous experiments was between 1 and 1.5 m/s, while the Shields parameter varied bet...

Selection and characterisation of HVOF cermet coatings for volutes of high capacity pumps of opencast lignite mines

The centrifugal pumps made of grey cast iron deployed in mining conditions encounter severe erosion and corrosion problems causing sudden failures. To combat this, the thermal spray ‘high velocity oxyfuel’ (HVOF) process was selected to provide a cermet coating, namely, WC–Co–Cr–Ni. After design investigation on coatings, erosion and corrosion experiments were conducted and characterisation studies involving microstructure, surface morphology and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis were made. The operating parameters on the different sections of impact volute surface were assessed and accordingly, the coating thickness was designed scientifically for maximum impact loads and minimum corrosion failures. The life of the coated pump casings has been improved up to 12 times by optimising the coating thickness.

Challenges to the representation of suspended sediment transfer using a depth‐averaged flux

AbstractThe sediment saturation recovery process (i.e. the adaptation of suspended sediment concentration [SSC] to local forcing) is the main feature of the non‐equilibrium suspended sediment transport (SST) frequently occurring in fluvial, estuarine and coastal waters. In order to quantitatively describe this phenomenon, a series solution is analytically derived, including the evolution of both vertical SSC profile and near‐bed sediment flux (NBSF), and is verified by net erosion and net deposition experiments, respectively. The results suggest that the sediment saturation recovery process involves vertically varying fluxes that are not represented correctly by depth‐averaging. Consequently, a vertical two‐dimensional (2D) combined scheme is established and applied respectively in to a dredged trench and to a sand wave feature to demonstrate this argument. By analyzing the variations of the calculated depth‐averaged SSC and NBSF we reveal that the equilibrium state presented by the sediment carrying capacity (SCC) form of the NBSF, which is usually applied in depth‐integrated SST models, lags behind the actual dynamic bed equilibrium state. Moreover, the key factor α, the so‐called saturation recovery coefficient within this form, is not only a function of local Rouse number but also is influenced by the local SSC profile. Finally, a three‐dimensional (3D) non‐orthogonal curvilinear body‐fitted SST model is developed and validated in the Yangtze estuary, China, combined with the in situ hourly hydrographic data from August 14–15, 2007 during spring tide in the wet season. Model results confirm that the vertically varying sediment saturation recovery process, the discrepancies between the actual and SCC form of NBSF and non‐constant value of α are significant in actual real geomorphic cases. The quantitative morphological change resulting from variations in environmental conditions may not be correctly represented by uncorrected depth‐integrated SST models if they do not treat the effects of vertical motion on the sediment saturation recovery process. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Artificial Saliva Formulations versus Human Saliva Pretreatment in Dental Erosion Experiments

The aim of this study was to evaluate the erosion-preventive effect of different artificial saliva formulations and human saliva in vitro compared to human saliva in situ. In the in vitro experiment, bovine enamel and dentin specimens were stored in artificial saliva (4 different formulations, each n = 20), deionized water (n = 20) or human saliva (n = 6 enamel and dentin specimens/volunteer) for 120 min. In the in situ experiment, each of the 6 enamel and dentin specimens was worn intraorally by 10 volunteers for 120 min. The specimens were then eroded (HCl, pH 2.6, 60 s). Half of the specimens were subjected to microhardness analysis (enamel) and the determination of calcium release into the acid (enamel and dentin), while the other half were again placed in the respective medium or worn intraorally, respectively, for 120 min before a second erosion was performed. Knoop microhardness of enamel and the calcium release of enamel and dentin into the acid were again determined. Statistical analysis was conducted by two-way repeated-measures ANOVA or two-way ANOVA (α = 0.05). Enamel microhardness was not significantly different between all test groups after the first and the second erosive challenge, respectively. Enamel calcium loss was significantly lower in situ compared to the in vitro experiment, where there was no significant difference between all test groups. Dentin calcium loss was significantly lower than deionized water only after the first and than all except one artificial saliva after the second erosion. Under the conditions of this experiment, the use of artificial saliva formulations and human saliva in vitro does not reflect the intraoral situation in dental erosion experiments adequately.

Runoff- and erosion-driven transport of cattle slurry: linking molecular tracers to hydrological processes

Abstract. The addition of cattle slurry to agricultural land is a widespread practise, but if not correctly managed it can pose a contamination risk to aquatic ecosystems. The transport of inorganic and organic components of cattle slurry to watercourses is a major concern, yet little is known about the physical transport mechanisms and associated fluxes and timings of contamination threats. Therefore, the aim of the study was to ascertain the importance of flow pathway partitioning in the transport (fluxes and timing) of dissolved and particulate slurry-derived compounds with implications for off-site contamination. A series of rainfall–runoff and erosion experiments were carried out using the TRACE (Test Rig for Advancing Connectivity Experiments) experimental hillslope facility. The experiments allowed the quantification of the impact of changing slope gradient and rainfall intensity on nutrient transport from cattle slurry applied to the hillslope, via surface, subsurface, and vertical percolated flow pathways, as well as particulate transport from erosion. The dissolved components were traced using a combination of ammonium (NH4+) and fluorescence analysis, while the particulate fraction was traced using organic biomarkers, 5β-stanols. Results showed that rainfall events which produced flashy hydrological responses, resulting in large quantities of surface runoff, were likely to move sediment and also flush dissolved components of slurry-derived material from the slope, increasing the contamination risk. Rainfall events which produced slower hydrological responses were dominated by vertical percolated flows removing less sediment-associated material, but produced leachate which could contaminate deeper soil layers, and potentially groundwater, over a more prolonged period. Overall, this research provides new insights into the partitioning of slurry-derived material when applied to an unvegetated slope and the transport mechanisms by which contamination risks are created.

A new erosion experiment and numerical simulation of wellhead device in nitrogen drilling

During nitrogen drilling in tight sandstone reservoirs, the multifunctional four-way often suffers severe erosion damage after withstanding the erosion of sand and gas over an extended period of time. Such damage may have serious consequences for its functioning. In this study, an experiment was conducted on the erosion of a wellhead device used in nitrogen drilling. The conditions used in the experiment were also used as inputs for numerical simulation of the erosion pattern. The results obtained from the numerical simulation were then compared to those obtained in the experiment in order to determine the reliability of numerical simulation for analysis of erosion pattern in nitrogen drilling. The results of the simulation, scaled down by a factor of 10, were consistent with the results of the experiment. Further, the relative error between the sets of results was less than 5% (the overall mean error is 1.11%) for gas–solid two-phase erosion and flow models implemented using FLUENT software. The results verify that numerical simulation is reliable and can be used to study the erosion of wellhead equipment in nitrogen drilling. This will be of great significance in alleviating the safety problems associated with well control in nitrogen drilling.

A combined numerical-experiment investigation on the failure of a pressure relief valve in coal liquefaction

In a direct coal liquefaction unit, pressure relief valves locate on the pipeline between the atmospheric and vacuum towers. Failures of the valve components occur frequently owing to the harsh operation conditions. A combined numerical-experiment investigation on the failures of valves is conducted in this paper. The variation of relative erosion rates of WC–Co coating with impact angles, the function of relative particle velocity, and the distribution of particle diameters are obtained from the high-temperature erosion experiments. Furthermore, the erosion mechanism of WC–Co coating under large impact angles is clarified. In the numerical simulation, the evaporation–condensation, particle motion, erosion, and the modified RNG k-ε turbulence models are used to analyze the phase transition and particle erosion in the valves. Results showed that: due to the high pressure drop and convergent–divergent structure of angle valve, the coal-oil slurry flashes as it enters into the valves. The evaporation of liquid oil produces a large amount of vapor oil, and results in a rapid increase in flow velocity. High concentration solid particles, driven by the high-speed stream, tend to erode the inner surface of valves. Severe erosion can be found in the spool of angle valve, downstream bushings at the angle valve and ball valve. The calculation results agree well with actual failure morphologies, verifies the accuracy of the present prediction method.

Experimental and computational study of erosion in elbows due to sand particles in air flow

Severe equipment degradation in production piping can occur for gas–solid flows. Advances in modeling and solid particle erosion simulations are gained through matching computer generated predictions to real-world experimental results. This paper presents a comprehensive approach in modeling and computational study to determine erosion in elbows due to sand particles entrained in air. Firstly, utilizing a particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique, the slip velocity between the gas and sand particles in a direct impact geometry has been measured. Secondly, an erosion equation has been generated based on PIV results and erosion testing of stainless steel in air. Thirdly, erosion patterns are measured in a 76.2mm ID standard elbow for air-sand flows using a state-of-the-art non-invasive Ultrasonic Technology (UT) device. The metal loss is measured at 16 different locations in the elbow using dual element ultrasonic transducers. Erosion experiments in the vertical to horizontal elbow are performed with gas velocities ranging from 11m/s to 27m/s at nearly atmospheric pressure. Two different sand sizes (150 and 300μm sand) were used for performing tests. The shapes of the sand are also different with the 300μm sand being sharper than the 150μm sand. Finally, the new erosion equation has been implemented into a commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code to predict erosion ratios in elbows for a variety of flow conditions and particle sizes. The predicted CFD erosion magnitudes are compared with present and previous UT erosion data in elbows. The comparisons show that CFD predictions are within a factor of two of present and previous UT single-phase erosion data. Four correlations for erosion from literature are also studied and validated in simulations. The correlation developed and validated in this work can be used to predict the bend lifetime for particular operating conditions.

Wettability of ash conditions splash erosion and runoff rates in the post-fire

Although the impact of ash on the hydrological and erosive response of burned soils has been studied in the last years, the effect of ash wettability on particle detachment by splash erosion has been rarely studied. In this research, we have studied the effect of wettable and water-repellent ash on the intensity of splash erosion after a prescribed burn in a Mediterranean shrubland. Runoff rates from wettable and water-repellent ash layers were also studied by rainfall simulation experiments (6mmmin−1 during 10min) at plot scale. Splash erosion experiments showed that the intensity of ash water repellency strongly conditioned the detachment and mobilization of ash and soil particles due to raindrop impacts in the post-fire. Although the intensity of water repellency and the amount of ash decreased through the experimental period, it was observed that splash erosion in originally water-repellent ash areas was about three times higher than in wettable ash areas. Plot-scale rainfall simulation experiments showed that runoff rates were much higher in water-repellent ash areas, where runoff rates increase with decreasing depth of the ash layer. In water-repellent ash areas, thick ash layers store a significant proportion of water that does not infiltrate soil, but contributes to relatively low runoff rates. In contrast, thin water-repellent ash layers are rapidly redistributed by rainfall, and the burned mineral soil surface is exposed. Pore clogging with fine water-repellent ash particles enhances runoff rates. During low or moderate intensity storms, patches of wettable/water-repellent ash arrange in a pattern that produces water infiltration/runoff generation areas, reducing the connectivity of water and sediments through the slope.

Influence of impact speed on water droplet erosion of TiAl compared with Ti6Al4V.

Water Droplet Erosion (WDE) as a material degradation phenomenon has been a concern in power generation industries for decades. Steam turbine blades and the compressor blades of gas turbines that use water injection usually suffer from WDE. The present work focuses on studying erosion resistance of TiAl as a potential alloy for turbine blades compared to Ti6Al4V, a frequently used blade alloy. Their erosion behaviour is investigated at different droplet impact speeds to determine the relation between erosion performance and impact speed. It is found that the relationship is governed by a power law equation, ER ~ Vn, where the speed exponent is 7–9 for Ti6Al4V and 11–13 for TiAl. There is a contrast between the observed speed exponent in this work and the ones reported in the literature for Ti6Al4V. It is attributed to the different erosion setups and impingement conditions such as different droplet sizes. To verify this, the erosion experiments were performed at two different droplet sizes, 464 and 603 μm. TiAl showed superior erosion resistance in all erosion conditions; however, its erosion performance exhibits higher sensitivity to the impact speed compared to Ti6Al4V. It means that aggressive erosion conditions decrease the WDE resistance superiority of TiAl.

Interaction between Raindrops Splash and Sheet Flow in Interrill Erosion of Steep Hillslopes

Interrill erosion by the rainfall is divided into a detachment of soil particles by raindrop splash when raindrops having kinetic energy strike on the surface soil and a sediment transport by sheet flow of surface runoff. Rainfall kinetic energy is widely used as an indicator expressing the potential ability to separate the soil particles from soil mass. In this study, the soil erosion experiments of rainfall simulation were operated to evaluate the effects of rainfall kinetic energy on interrill erosion as using the strip cover to control raindrop impact. The kinetic energy from rainfall simulator was 0.58 times to that of natural rainfall. Surface runoff and subsurface runoff increased and decreased respectively with increase of rainfall intensity. Surface runoff discharge from plots of non-cover was 1.82 times more than that from plots with cover. The rainfall kinetic energy influenced on the starting time of surface and subsurface runoff. Soil erosion quantity greatly varied according to existence of the surface cover that can intercept rainfall energy. Sediment yields by the interaction between raindrop splash and sheet flow increased 3.6∼5.9 times and the increase rates of those decreased with rainfall intensity. As a results from analysis of relationship between stream power and sediment yields, rainfall kinetic energy increased the transport capacity according to increase of surface runoff as well as the detachment of soil particles by raindrop splash.

Landscape evolution in a sandbox

Geomorphology The long-term response of hills and valleys to changes in climate depends on a variety of physical factors. Sweeney et al. performed tabletop erosion experiments as a function of rainfall and uplift: variables that are impossible to precisely control in nature (see the Perspective by

Experimental evidence for hillslope control of landscape scale

Landscape evolution theory suggests that climate sets the scale of landscape dissection by modulating the competition between diffusive processes that sculpt convex hillslopes and advective processes that carve concave valleys. However, the link between the relative dominance of hillslope and valley transport processes and landscape scale is difficult to demonstrate in natural landscapes due to the episodic nature of erosion. Here, we report results from laboratory experiments combining diffusive and advective processes in an eroding landscape. We demonstrate that rainsplash-driven disturbances in our experiments are a robust proxy for hillslope transport, such that increasing hillslope transport efficiency decreases drainage density. Our experimental results demonstrate how the coupling of climate-driven hillslope- and valley-forming processes, such as bioturbation and runoff, dictates the scale of eroding landscapes.