Wall Erosion Research Articles

Reliability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Sewer Pipes under Adverse Environmental Conditions: Case Study for the City of Arlington, Texas

With aging and deterioration of underground sewer utilities, there is an urgent need for a framework to track their reliability over expected lifetime to facilitate asset management decisions like inspection, maintenance, or replacement. This study proposes multilevel, multifailure framework model for reliability evaluation of reinforced concrete sewer pipe (RCSP) considering the effect of adverse environmental factors such as chloride and sulfide induced attacks, uncertainties in different properties, seasonal temperature and humidity variations, and cracking effects. Monte-Carlo simulation with Latin hypercube sampling is chosen for stochastic analysis to reduce the computational burdens and enhance the accuracy. The application of this framework is illustrated for a case study of an RCSP that has been in service for more than 35 years. Based on results, it is shown that at serviceability stage, sulfide wall erosion is redundant relative to other serviceability issues; therefore, it cannot be used solely for serviceability evaluation of RCSP, as previously done in the literature. At the ultimate level, the effect of chloride pitting corrosion dominates and expedites failure rate. It is proven that there is a huge potential for reinforcement brittle failure under the effect of pitting corrosion, which can lead to a catastrophic collapse.

E016 Erosive psoriatic arthritis causing deafness

Abstract Background/Aims Hearing loss from systemic psoriatic disease is rare, and cases reported in the literature have been reported with sensorineural deficits. Conductive hearing loss due to psoriatic arthritis has not been specifically reported in the literature, and this is believed to be the first reported case of erosive psoriatic arthritis causing conductive hearing loss. Presented is an illustrated case of a patient complaining of worsening bilateral hearing loss who underwent investigations under otolaryngology and audiology, and subsequent CT imaging which identified erosion of the temporal bone, posterior to the left temporomandibular joint, resulting in subluxation into the external auditory canal leading to complete occlusion of the canal. Methods 58yo female with psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, and Raynaud’s phenomenon presenting with an 18-month history of hearing loss, worst on the left, but with some improvement on mouth opening. Treatment of her psoriatic arthritis has been with Ixekizumab since July 2021 with good overall disease control. Previous DMARD therapy includes methotrexate, sulfasalazine, and hydroxychloroquine, and previous biologic therapy of adalimumab and secukinumab. She had undergone bilateral reshaping of the mandibular condyle & fossa 20 years ago for presumed degenerative arthropathy that was non-responsive to conservative management; further details of the surgery will be presented. Results Patient was referred to audiology and otolaryngology who noted significant narrowing of both ear canals on examination. Audiological investigations revealed a right sided sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed pattern of hearing loss on the left. The patient proceeded to have skull vault imaging to assess for a structural cause of her left sided hearing loss. The finding of the CT petrous bones revealed soft tissue swelling associated with erosion of the anterior wall of the temporal and mandibular bones, causing subluxation and mass effect into the external auditory canal with no other cause for left-sided hearing loss demonstrated. Interestingly her hearing improved slightly with jaw opening and dynamic MRI may be indicated if surgical intervention is an option. Conclusion Our patient has a mixed hearing loss. The specific cause of the sensorineural component in our patient is not known but sensorineural loss has been reported in patients with psoriatic disease. The pathogenesis of psoriasis associated sensorineural hearing loss remains unclear however emerging evidence may implicate the downregulation of gap junction beta-2 protein encoding connexin 26 an integral cell signalling gap protein. We believe this is the first reported case where conductive hearing loss has resulted from a direct result of psoriatic arthritis from erosive temporomandibular joint disease leading to mass effect on the audio vestibular anatomy. It is a stark reminder of the consequences of erosive disease and the importance of surveillance of temporomandibular joint function in psoriatic arthritis patients given this rare but potential complication. Disclosure A.K. Coulton: None. W.R. Gubbins: None. S. Young-Min: None.

Modeling of aluminum erosion by neutral particles in dedicated EAST experiments using the 3D-GAPS code

To evaluate the erosion effects of charge exchange (CX) neutrals on first wall materials, aluminum (Al) coated samples installed in a cylindrical sleeve were exposed to EAST plasmas with the Material and Plasma Evaluation System (MAPES). The 3D-GAPS code was firstly used to simulate the dedicated experiments with the neutral energy spectrums measured by the Low Energy Neutral Particle Analyzer located at the MAPES. The modeled Al erosion rates with isotropic angular distributions for incident D neutrals are consistent with the measured erosion thicknesses of Al layer by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry before and after the plasma exposure. The effects of neutral reflection coefficients and the heights of cylindrical sleeve on material erosion are also studied. The measured material erosion rate by CX neutrals in EAST verified by the modeling can help to us understand the effects of neutrals on first wall erosion, which is an important erosion process in future fusion reactors.

Modeling grid erosion in the NEXT ion thruster using the CEX2D and CEX3D codes

NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) is a candidate for future deep space missions that offers high efficiency and specific impulse over a large power throttling range. One of the key life-limiting components is the ion accelerator system, which is subject to sputter erosion by low energy discharge plasma ions incident on the upstream screen grid and higher energy charge exchange ions that impact the downstream accelerator grid. The grid erosion codes CEX2D and CEX3D were validated with data from tests of NEXT as well as the NSTAR ion thruster and then used to assess the time to failure in space due to screen grid erosion and electron backstreaming caused by accelerator grid aperture erosion. Screen grid erosion was found to be important only at the lowest throttle levels, and was conservatively estimated to lead to failure after processing over 900 kg of xenon. The first failure mode at high power levels was found to be electron backstreaming due to accelerator grid hole wall erosion, which would occur after processing over 700 kg of propellant.

Transvaginal surgical treatment of stage III-IV cystocele using a light prolene mesh: Safety of use and 5-year follow-up results.

The relevance of the article is due to the spread of the problem of genital prolapse in women. In order to solve this, the purpose of the presented work is to present and evaluate the 5-year experience of using light-weight polypropylene mesh, which is used in the transvaginal surgical treatment of stage III-IV cystocele. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Dnipro State Medical University at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the period from 2010 to 2020. A total of 612 patients with an average age of 64.8 ± 8.2 years (range 47-79) were included in it. Long-term analysis of operative treatment in 374 patients (76.0%) after 60 months showed a high level of satisfaction with the results of the operation 99.2% (371/374). A significant level of elimination of pathological symptoms in the functioning of the pelvic organs and improvement of the quality of life was established, which were assessed using questionnaires: PFDI-20 (76.4-4.3 (p < 0.05)), PFIQ-7 (41-8.4 (p < 0.05)), before the operation and at the final stage of the study. In total, 12 months after the operation, 2.6% (12/467) of the patients were re-operated on due to erosion of the vaginal wall at the site of placement of the MESH-system. The proposed technique for restoring the front wall of the vagina in case of an isolated cystocele of the III-IV degree, without signs of incomplete or complete prolapse of the uterus, showed a recurrence-free result in the indicated segment of the vagina.

CFD–DEM investigation of gas-solid flow and wall erosion of vortex elbows conveying coarse particles

Vortex elbows are generally used to mitigate erosive wear while conveying fine particles. This paper presents a modified vortex elbow designed to handle coarse particles. Gas–solid flows and wall erosion of the modified vortex elbow are studied by the combined approach of discrete element model for particles and computational fluid dynamics for the gas phase. The validity of the model is first examined by comparing the predicted pressure drop and wall erosion with experimental measurements for a standard elbow. Then, via the model, the effects of particle size on the flow characteristics and elbow erosion of the modified vortex elbow are quantified and compared with those of the standard elbow. The results show that the vortex elbow decreases the maximum penetration ratio and total penetration depth for all the particle sizes considered. These effects become more significant for larger particles. The wall erosion is also elucidated using flow characteristics.

Mini-invasive technologies in the treatment of a bronchogenic cyst in a 7-month old child

Introduction. Bronchogenic cysts is a rare congenital malformation of the tracheal tree that develops because of violated differentiation of the foregut on week 5–8 of embryogenesis. This disease is often complicated with respiratory failure due to trachea compression; heart failure may develop as well due to of heart and large main vessels compression. One of the most serious complications is erosion of the vessel wall and massive bleeding from main vessels.Clinical observation. A 7-month-old child with cough and stridor was admitted to the surgical thoracic department of National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health in Moscow. Examination revealed a bronchogenic cyst which caused compression stenosis of the trachea. The patient successfully survived thoracoscopy. This technology promoted adequate visualization of the formation and of the adjacent anatomical structures what allowed to isolate the formation in a precise manner. So, the cyst was completely removed without any pathological immature tissue left. In this particular case, there was a high risk of perforation of the trachea posterior wall at surgery and at early postoperative period. Such complication could require intraoperative conversion with circular resection of the trachea using high-frequency jet ventilation with Twin Stream apparatus, or the patient had to be transferred to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation so as to provide an adequate surgical intervention.Conclusion. In a multidisciplinary medical center, there has been performed a successful surgical treatment of a 7-month-old child with a large bronchogenic cyst that compressed the trachea using minimally invasive modern technologies.

Probabilistic condition assessment of reinforced concrete sanitary sewer pipelines using LiDAR inspection data

Frequent inspections of reinforced concrete sanitary sewer pipelines (RCSSPs) are crucial for performing a proper life cycle management strategy; however, due to the large inventory of SSPs, only limited inspection data is typically available. In this work, a data-driven method for condition assessment of RCSSPs is developed in a probabilistic framework, wherein the pipe wall erosion is evaluated using LiDAR inspection data. Results indicate that the deteriorated inner concrete wall geometry of RCSSPs is best characterized by the half-normal probability density function (PDF). The final product of the proposed condition assessment algorithm is a probabilistic estimate of remaining service life using the inspection LiDAR point cloud data (PCD). The effect of different reliability methods are compared with the proposed methodology. The results are validated using available closed-circuit television (CCTV) images, previous research that employs the same inspection data, and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method. The proposed algorithm provides an automated framework that can be utilized with any PCD associated with non-destructive inspections.

A Review on Life Prediction Methods of Gun Barrel

In large caliber gun system, the high speed, high temperature and high pressure gas produced by propellant combustion will cause serious erosion damage to the inner wall of barrel, which will lead to continuous decline of gun performance and termination of the maximum life of barrel. The theories and methods of gun barrel life prediction mainly involve thermodynamics, chemistry, material and machinery science and so on. This paper mainly introduces the main mechanism of gun erosion and the calculation model of gun erosion which involves the numerical solution in internal ballistic combustion process, the heat transfer and erosion calculation of gun barrel. In view of the accurate calculation of parameters such as the temperature of gunpowder gas can more accurately reflect the erosion of inner wall of gun barrel, this paper summarizes the calculation methods of the temperature, thermal physical property parameters and convective heat transfer coefficient of high temperature and high pressure gas in gun barrel. In order to determine the erosion wear quantity and study the effect of heat input on the erosion process of inner wall of gun, erosion experiments are usually required. At present, the common erosion experiments mainly include the measurement of erosion quantity with semi-closed explosive device and the change of surface characteristics of gun steel target with laser pulse heating. By analyzing the criterion of barrel life, the establishment method of barrel life prediction model is studied deeply, and the main barrel life prediction model is introduced, which is convenient to guide engineering application.

Spontaneous biloma manifesting with massive upper gastrointestinal bleed: case report

Spontaneous biloma is a rare non-traumatic lesion in whi­ch the extrahepatic or intrahepatic bile duct perforates spontaneously with no discernable cause. We present a case of spontaneous biloma in a 68 years old male patient with cholelithiasis and concurrent choledocholithiasis, who presented with acute severe cholangitis. There was no history of abdominal surgery, instrumentation, or trauma in the past. Initial ultrasonography (USG) abdomen showed central intrahepatic dilation, cholelithiasis, and choledocholithiasis. A sizeable hypoechoic lesion with few internal septations was present adjacent to the left lobe of the liver, with USG suspicion of a hydatid cyst. The lesion was abutting and displacing the stomach anteromedially. The patient had an acute renal failure with hemodynamic instability at presentation. The patient was managed with emergency endoscopic drainage under ultrasound guidance and improved after that. On the fourth day, after endoscopic drainage, the patient had a massive upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleed due to erosion and pressure necrosis of the gastric wall due to biloma. The patient was managed successfully with sleeve gastrectomy and de-roofing of the cyst.

Results of surgical correction for cervical elongation with vaginal wall prolapse in patients of reproductive and premenopausal age

BACKGROUND: The problem of cervical elongation is becoming increasingly important due to the rising prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse. In Russia, descent and prolapse of pelvic organs account for 39% of all gynecological pathologies.&#x0D; AIM: This study aimed to compare the immediate and long-term results of surgical treatment for cervical elongation in combination with vaginal wall prolapse in patients of three clinical groups.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 105 patients aged 30 to 55 years with a combination of cervical elongation and vaginal wall prolapse of degrees III were followed up. The patients were divided into three clinical groups based on the implemented surgical techniques, including group 1 (n=36) with Moscow surgery, group 2 (n=35) with modification of the Manchester surgery using synthetic implants, and group 3 (n=34) with Manchester surgery.&#x0D; The patients underwent a comprehensive clinical examination, surgical treatment, and follow-up in the early and long-term postoperative periods (1, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months). The efficacy of surgical treatment was assessed using a questionnaire. During dynamic monitoring, a gynecological examination with a Valsalva maneuver, and transperineal, and transvaginal echography were performed.&#x0D; RESULTS: During the first month after the surgery, patients noted irregular dragging pains in the perineum and/or inguinal region every second. A frequent urge to urinate was reported in 16.7%, 17.1%, and 17.6% of patients in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. A further survey revealed that the surgical treatment results were satisfactory, as it had a positive effect on the quality of life and mood and contributed to an increase in social and sexual activity. According to the physical examination, there were no signs of prolapse recurrence and mesh-associated complications. Erosion of the anterior vaginal wall over the polypropylene endoprosthesis was detected 6 months after the surgery in 3 (8.6%) patients of group 2.&#x0D; Genital prolapse recurrence was diagnosed after 1236 months in 7 (20.6%) patients of group 3. After 36 months, degree I prolapse of the posterior (n=1) and anterior (n=1) walls of the vagina was revealed in patients of groups 1 and 2, respectively.

Study on Erosion Model Optimization and Damage Law of Coiled Tubing

Coiled tubing (CT) is used as a velocity string to transport high-velocity gas in drainage gas recovery technology. Sand particles flowing at high speed can cause serious erosion of the pipe wall. Long-term erosion wear leads to the degradation of the string strength and can even cause local perforation. In order to study the erosion wear problem of CT, a gas–solid erosion experimental device was established for a full-size pipe with different radii of curvature. A 3D laser confocal technique was used to examine and characterize the microscopic erosion morphology of the inner wall of the CT. The CFD erosion model was selected based on the erosion test data of the inner wall of the CT, and the erosion results of the Finnie model show minimal error and good agreement compared with other models. The average value of the error of the maximum erosion rate at different radii of curvature is 8.3%. The effect of the radius of curvature, gas velocity and solid particle size on the maximum erosion rate of the inner wall of the CT was analyzed based on the Finnie model. The results reveal that erosion wear occurs on the inner wall of the CT’s outer bend. As the radius of curvature is reduced, the maximum erosion rate and area increase, and the position of the maximum erosion rate gradually shifts toward the inlet. The maximum erosion rate is positively correlated with the gas flow rate. However, as the particle size increases, the maximum erosion rate shows a trend of first increasing, then decreasing and finally stabilizing, with a critical particle size of 200 μm. This study can provide theoretical guidance and methods for improving the service life of CT. The erosion rate of the tubing in old wells can be reduced by controlling production and employing appropriate sand control methods, while the erosion rate of tubing in new wells can be reduced by adjusting the wellbore trajectory.

The Influence of the Magnetic Field Line Curvature on Wall Erosion near the Hall Thruster Exit Plane

One of the main factors that limit the lifetime of the Hall effect Thrusters (HETs) is the erosion of the acceleration channel caused by the flux of energetic ions. The magnetic field that is curved and convex towards the anode has been widely used in HETs because of its role in reducing the divergence angle of the ion beam and the channel wall erosion. However, the mechanism of the influence of the magnetic field line curvature on the wall erosion is not clear. Therefore, in this paper, a 2D3V numerical model based on the immersed-finite-element and particle-in-cell (IFE-PIC) method is established to simulate the radial-azimuthal plane near the exit of the Hall thruster. The effect of the tilt angle of the magnetic field line on the wall sputtering erosion rate is analyzed. The results show that compared to the case with the electric field E perpendicular to the magnetic field B, the energy of the ions hitting the channel wall is smaller and the wall erosion is weaker when the magnetic field lines are convex to the anode. As the tilt angle of the magnetic field lines increases from 0° to 60°, the erosion rate is reduced by 90%. Conversely, when the magnetic field lines are convex to the exit plane of the channel, the wall erosion is much more serious compared to the case with the orthogonal electric field E and the magnetic field B. As the tilt angle of the magnetic field line changes from 0° to 60°, the erosion rate is enhanced by 171%. The results in this paper are instructive for the design and optimization of the magnetic field of the HETs.

Decrease in volcano jet noise peak frequency as crater expands

Volcanic jet noise is the sound, often &amp;lt;20 Hz and termed infrasound, generated by momentum-driven fluid flow through a volcanic vent. Assuming the self-similarity of jet flows and audible jet noise extends to infrasonic volcanic jet noise, the Strouhal number, St, connects frequency changes to those in jet length (expanded jet diameter) and/or velocity scale (jet velocity). We examine the infrasound signals from the June 2019 eruptions of Raikoke, Kuril Islands and Ulawun, Papua New Guinea volcanoes with changes in crater geometry. We use data from the International Monitoring System infrasound network and pre- and post-eruption satellite data (PlanetScope imaging). We observe a decrease in infrasound peak frequency during the transition to a more intense phase, which remains through the end of both eruptions. With the PlanetScope data, we measured a crater area increase of ∼50 000 m2 at Raikoke and ∼31 000 m2 at Ulawun. We use crater diameter as a proxy for expanded jet diameter. Our analysis suggests that the increases in crater diameter alone cannot account for the decreases in peak frequency for a constant St. This suggests the jet velocity also increased, which fits satellite data, and or the fluid properties (e.g., particle loading, nozzle characteristics, etc.) changed. This is reasonable as the eruptions intensified, which likely involved an increase in jet velocity and erosion of the crater walls. This is the first study to corroborate the decrease in infrasound peak frequency with documented increase in crater area.

Application of the CPFD method to analyze the effects of bed material density on gas-particle hydrodynamics and wall erosion in a CFB boiler

The effect of bed material density on gas-particle hydrodynamics and wall erosion in the world’s first 550 MWe ultra-supercritical (USC) circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler was investigated using computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD). The results showed that the solid fraction in the lower region of the furnace decreased with decreasing bed material density, and the layer thickness increased significantly owing to increased volume; however, the solid fraction at the upper region of the furnace increased gradually. In addition, as the particle density increased, external circulation decreased and internal circulation increased owing to the opening of the integrated recycle heat exchangers (INTREX). An opposite flow occurred during internal circulation at a bed material density of 1400 kg·m−3. As the density increased from 2200 kg·m−3 to 3000 kg·m−3, the furnace wall erosion increased by 4.4%, 15.3%, and 14.3%, while the cyclone erosion gradually decreased by 29.5%, 44.1%, and 55.7% compared to the standard at 1400 kg·m−3. Furthermore, erosion of the loop seal and INTREX exhibited an inflection point at 2600 kg·m−3. This study proposes that 1400 kg·m−3 should be the limiting density because abnormal circulating flow occurs and attention should be paid to furnace erosion above 2600 kg·m−3 and cyclone erosion below 2600 kg·m−3. The results can help determine the optimal particle density conditions for hydrodynamics and erosion behaviors in industrial-scale boilers.

Influence of neutral gas supply position on wall erosion of Hall thruster studied by particle-in-cell simulation

In this work, we have carried out a simulation study on the discharge process of Hall thrusters under the conditions of different neutral gas radial supply positions based on the particle-in-cell (PIC) and Monte Carlo collision (MCC) methods. This paper compares the two-dimensional (2D) distributions of neutral gas, plasma and wall erosion-related parameters under different neutral gas supply positions. The comparison results show that the change of the neutral gas supply position affects the radial distribution uniformity of the neutral gas and plasma in the channel. From the comparison of the density peaks, it can be found that the neutral gas density and the plasma density peak under the upper gas supply condition are relatively low, and the plasma density peak is 22.49% lower than the density peak under the middle gas supply condition. Meanwhile, as the radial position of the gas supply moves from the lower gas supply to the upper gas supply, the position of the ionization zone also gradually moves toward the anode. The results of erosion-related parameter distribution comparison show that the change of gas supply location has an obvious influence on erosion rate and erosion range. In terms of erosion rate, the wall erosion rate is relatively low under the upper gas supply condition, and the peak erosion rates of the inner and outer walls are 33.3% and 29.9% lower than those under the other two conditions. In terms of erosion range, as the gas supply position moves from the lower gas supply position to the upper gas supply position, the erosion range gradually increases from 5 to 7.5 mm.

Experimental Study of External Pipe Wall Erosion due to Water Pipe Leakage

Burst pipes can cause severe pressure drops and water pollution in water distribution networks. Small leaks can develop into pipe bursts over time due to interactions between pipes, water, and soil. This paper presents preliminary experimental results on the erosion of the outer wall of a pipe by solid particles when a leak occurs in a pressurized pipe and causes soil fluidization. A series of experiments were carried out with 50-mm-diameter and 3-mm-wall-thickness polyethylene (PE) pipes with various leak holes buried in silica sand bedding. The experiments investigated the effects of the leak size, shape, and direction on the erosion process. The findings indicated that the size of the leaks had the greatest impact on erosion rate, and erosion rate was nearly completely unaffected by the geometry of the leak hole or leak orientation.

Foreign body in the hypopharynx: late prosthesis extrusion after cervical arthrodesis

This is a case report of a rare airway Foreign Body (FB), the first reported case of an extruded prosthesis of previous cervical spine arthrodesis still attached to the wall of the hypopharynx, obstructing the airway, and requiring immediate removal. A 56-year-old man with a history of previous cervical arthrodesis (C3-C7). He presented anterior displacement of the Cage Device and erosion of the posterior wall of the hypopharynx, with the prosthesis causing partial obstruction of the larynx. After the Neurosurgery and Radiology team determined that there were no risks of cervical spine instability, we were able to remove the device in the operating room using Laryngoscope and McGill forceps with success. After proper evaluation of the case, we were able to remove the foreign body uneventfully. Given the rarity of this complication, we hope this case report can assist in the treatment and management of future cases.

Numerical simulation of solid particle erosion in the gas-liquid flow of key pipe fittings in shale gas fields

Erosion caused by solid particles is one of the important reasons for the failure of shale gas gathering pipelines. However, the erosion laws of right-angle pipe and blind tee were rarely compared in previous studies, and the parameter settings almost did not meet the actual requirements of shale gas exploitation. The aim of this paper is to study the erosion laws of 90° elbow, right-angle pipe and blind tee based on the production parameters of a gas field. CFD-DPM approach integrates the Mixture model, the Discrete Phase Model, and an erosion model is employed to predict solid particle erosion in gas-liquid two-phase flow in the shale gas field. The results show that the maximum erosion rate of pipe wall increases exponentially with the fluid velocity. With the development of mining, the lower the free water content, the more serious the pipe wall erosion. In addition, under the same working conditions, the blind tee is relatively erosion-resistant compared with 90° elbow and right-angle pipe. The shale gas gathering and transmission system can use blind tees to connect pipes and limit fluid velocity, so as to prolong service life and ensure flow safety.

Effect of local erosion on the flow field and separation performance of the cyclone separator

In this work, the effect of the local wall erosion on the performance of the cyclone separator was investigated using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. The Oka erosion model was used to predict of the cyclone erosion. The variation of gas flow field and discrete phase under different wall erosion wear thickness was evaluated by using the validated model. The results reveal that local wall erosion significantly affects the airflow behavior and performance in cyclone separators. With the increase in wall erosion thickness, the pressure drop and the separation efficiency decreases. Meantime, with the increase in local wall erosion, the interaction between secondary flows becomes more closely, the phenomenon of the fine particles escape from the vortex finder becomes more obvious, and the movement track of coarse particles tends to coincide, making it easier to form high concentration ash ring to aggravate wall wear. • The key parts of geometrical structure deformation caused by particle erosion in the cyclone separator were introduced. • The erosion thickness affects the stability of flow field in the cyclone separator was investigated. • The erosion thickness affects the paths of particles with different particle sizes in the cyclone separator was investigated. • The erosion thickness affects the pressure drop and separation efficiency in the cyclone separator was investigated.