Maximum Erosion Research Articles

Spatio-temporal analysis of shoreline changes and future forecast using remote sensing, GIS and kalman filter model: A case study of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Shoreline changes embrace alterations due to the physical features and location of the land-water boundary, which can arise from natural or human causes. Natural processes, like sea level fluctuations, erosion, and sediment deposition, impact coasts. Human activities also significantly influence shoreline changes. The study area's shoreline extends 59.80 km from Reduto de Sao Teodosio to Barra de Guaratiba. The study analyzed shoreline changes along a 60 km stretch of the southern coast of Rio de Janeiro (Reduto de Sao Teodosio to Barra de Guaratiba) from 1986 to 2018. This study examines historical shoreline positions, calculating change rates and predicting 2032 and 2042 positions using satellite imagery spanning 1972–2022. The historical shoreline was reconstructed using earlier satellite data. Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) tools (EPR, LRR, NSM) in ArcMap were then used to quantify change rates statistically. The EPR model reports a maximum annual accretion rate of 19.33 m and a maximum erosion rate of −4.91 m, while the LRR model indicates a maximum accretion rate of 21.31 m and a maximum erosion rate of −5.04 m. In contrast, the NSM model calculates a notably higher maximum accretion rate of 945.96 m and a much more substantial maximum erosion rate of −240.34 m. These findings informed the mapping of anticipated 2032 and 2042 shorelines, helping identify areas of gain and loss, highlighting the vulnerability of certain regions. It's important to note that human activities, such as alterations in beach topography, can influence these models. Protective measures, like those in Rio de Janeiro, Barra Da Tijuca, and Recreio Dos Bandeirantes, may affect erosion and accretion patterns. Additionally, coastal development activities, including seawall dredging, can disrupt natural processes. Effective management of shoreline changes is essential to safeguard ecosystems and communities, with strategies encompassing beach nourishment, vegetation restoration, and sustainable coastal development. Resilient, adaptive coastal management balances human needs and environmental protection amid ongoing changes.

Experimental observation on wave propagation and geomorphological evolution in a sandbar-lagoon system

The sandbar-lagoon coast, one of the most productive and valuable ecosystems, has been strongly exposed to severe degradation. Excessive erosions aggravate the fragility of sandbar-lagoon systems. In order to seek adaptable solutions for ecological restoration, it is essential to study the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic characteristics. In this study, a series of flume experiments are conducted to investigate the wave propagation and geomorphological evolution in a typical sandbar-lagoon system. The time-series of swell and infragravity waves are obtained by a simple time-domain separation method, where wave reflection coefficient, skewness and asymmetry are calculated separately. The following conclusions can be drawn. To quantitatively assess the experimental results, a critical parameter ζ is introduced involving the incident wave height, the water depth and the sandbar freeboard. There is a linear relationship between wave attenuation and ζ. Further, a linear dependence on the maximum erosion thickness of foredune is achieved, and the maximum erosion thickness of sandbar increases with the increasing incident wave height by a superb linear correlation. Additionally, the shape transition of foredune scarp is significantly correlated with the dramatic change of the water level rise in the lagoon and the infragravity wave reflection. These findings promote better understanding for the morphodynamics of typical sandbar-lagoon systems and provide fundamental and scientific evidences on further coastal engineering.

Erosion-Corrosion Failure Analysis of a Mild Steel Nozzle Pipe in Water-Sand Flow.

Several leaks appeared in a mild steel (MS) pipe jet nozzle installed in a direct impact test rig after a few months of operation in erosive flow at the Centre for Erosion-Corrosion Research. The locations of perforation leaks were primarily upstream, but severe wall thinning was also noticed adjacent to the exit section. In this paper, a failure analysis was carried out on the leaking of a pipe jet nozzle, and the results are discussed in detail. The investigation carried out includes visual observation, scanning electron microscopy, 3D scanning, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and laser profilometry measurements. In addition, numerical simulations based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the discrete phase model (DPM) were conducted to investigate the root cause of the failure of leaks in the pipe jet nozzle. Further CFD-DPM simulations were performed on three different pipe jet designs for liquid-solid flow conditions, and were compared to find an alternative design to prevent the failure of the pipe jet nozzles. It was found that the increase in turbulence along with multiple impacts of particles on the wall generate leaks and cracks in the pipe jet nozzle. Moreover, the CFD-DPM showed a five-fold reduction in the maximum erosion rate; this was observed in the replacement of failed pipes with the proposed alternative nozzle pipe design featuring a chamfer reducer section. The CFD-DPM analysis of all geometric configurations showed that alteration of reducer section design has the greatest impact on erosive wear mitigation.

Shoreline change pattern analysis of Nagapattinam coastal stretch, Tamilnadu, India using digital shoreline analysis system (DSAS)

We analysed Nagapattinam coastal zones of southeast coast of India, using Multitemporal satellite images for five equal interval of time period (i.e. 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2021). The EPR and LLR methods enumerate the maximum accretion at rates of 22.35, 17.02 m/year and maximum erosion rates of -22.82, -10.84 m/year at the study area coastal stretch. This modification is due to several disasters (like Tsunami, cyclone) and anthropogenic activities (like construction of harbours, excavation of beach sand, industrialisation of garbage dump, urbanisation and discharge of domestic sewage). The Kalman filter model forecasting the shoreline by using statistical analysis shows 242 and 236 m in 2031 and 2041 accretion and erosion of -239 and -226 m in same period. The accretion was mainly observed in Vedaranyam and Thirupoondi and erosion was observed in Tharangambadi, Nagapattinam Poompuhar, Karaikal and Thirumullaivasal region. The outcome of this research ensures to create awareness to protect our shoreline and manage our coastal zones properly with several remedial measures for the future.

Prediction of maximum scour depth in river bends by the Stacking model

Abstract The accurate prediction of maximum erosion depth in riverbeds is crucial for early protection of bank slopes. In this study, K-means clustering analysis was used for outlier identification and feature selection, resulting in Plan 1 with six influential features. Plan 2 included features selected by existing methods. Regression models were built using Support Vector Regression, Random Forest Regression (RF Regression), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting on sample data from Plan 1 and Plan 2. To enhance accuracy, a Stacking method with a feed-forward neural network was introduced as the meta-learner. Model performance was evaluated using root mean squared error, mean absolute error, mean absolute percentage error, and R2 coefficients. The results demonstrate that the performance of the three models in Plan 1 outperformed that of Plan 2, with improvements in R2 values of 0.0025, 0.0423, and 0.0205, respectively. Among the three regression models in Plan 1, RF Regression performs the best with an R2 value of 0.9149 but still lower than the 0.9389 achieved by the Stacking fusion model. Compared to the existing formulas, the Stacking model exhibits superior predictive performance. This study verifies the effectiveness of combining clustering analysis, feature selection, and the Stacking method in predicting maximum scour depth in bends, providing a novel approach for bank protection design.

Simulation research on erosion of downhole tools with groove structure during hydraulic fracturing

Groove structure is the key structure for designing the downhole tools. During the hydraulic fracturing, the flow channel change caused by these groove structure will lead to flow field disturbance, and thus forming the erosion caused by the mixing of solid–liquid two-phase fluid with proppant and fracturing fluid. According to the physical process of hydraulic fracturing, the erosion model of these groove structure is established based on discrete particle model, and the erosion mechanism and characteristic are systemically analyzed. The results indicate that the formation of eddy current disturbance leads to a sharp change in the flow velocity direction, causing proppant particles to impact and wear the downstream surface of the groove structure, resulting in serious erosion. The relationship between the maximum erosion rate and the displacement shows an exponential rising trend, and the larger the displacement, the greater the maximum erosion rate. The maximum erosion rate increases linearly with the increase of proppant particle concentration under different displacements, and the larger the injection displacement, the greater the influence of proppant particle concentration on the maximum erosion rate. This research can provide reference for the anti-erosion design of downhole tools with groove structure.

Wind erosion caused by the change of Chaiwopu lake on the northern foothill of Tianshan Mountain, based on SBAS-InSAR

In arid regions, terminal lakes play a crucial role in maintaining the local ecological environment. However, due to the impact of climate change and human activities, terminal lakes are prone to shrinkage and drying up. The exposed lakebeds became new sources of sand and dust, leading to severe land degradation. This study extracted the water surface area of the Chaiwopu Lake in Urumqi and calculated the fractional vegetation cover (FVC) in the surrounding areas based on Landsat images from 2000 to 2022. The changes in FVC and lake area before and after the implementation of the policies on fallow and groundwater extraction restriction in 2014 were analyzed. Using the SBAS-InSAR method, the surface deformation during the period of minimum lake area from 2014 to 2018 was estimated, and the process of wind erosion and accumulation in the dried lake basin was analyzed. The results showed that from 2011 to 2014, Chaiwopu Lake experienced rapid shrinkage, and the lake almost disappeared. After 2014, the lake rapidly recovered, reaching 70% of its original area by 2021. With the recovery of the lake, the vegetation coverage in the surrounding area has changed from decreasing to increasing. During the period of lake shrinkage, the dried lake basin experienced severe wind erosion, with the maximum erosion rate exceeding 40 mm/year. The sand and dust from the dried lake basin accumulated around the lake under the influence of wind, further accelerating land degradation in the surrounding areas. After 2021, the restored lake and wetland surface covered the once-dry lake basin again, and the largest dust source in the region nearly disappeared. The study results indicated that the restoration of the lake and surrounding vegetation can eliminate the sources of sand and dust and prevent their transportation, effectively preventing land desertification.

A numerical study of the slurry erosion in 90° horizontal elbows

The slurry erosion processes of horizontal elbows are investigated numerically using an Eulerian-Lagrangian method coupled with particle rebound and erosion model. First, a mechanical model for the internal multiphase flow involving slurry erosion in the 90° horizontal elbow is established and the corresponding governing equations are presented. Then, a two-way coupled numerical solution procedure is developed and its accuracy and stability are examined carefully using benchmark pipe flow models with experimental results. Using the validated numerical methods, the effects of flow velocity, fluid density and fluid viscosity on the flow and slurry erosion in the horizontal elbow are analyzed in detail. Finally, a prediction method of erosion rate distribution based on the pipe Froude number, particle Stokes number and the Dean number is proposed. In this method the pipe Froude number is employed to qualify the effect of ununiform distribution of particles, particle Stokes number and Dean number are combined to qualify the effects of inertia force, drag force and secondary flow. Using this approach, the location of the maximum erosion rate in horizontal elbows under different operating conditions can be predicted more conveniently.

Effect of water temperature and induced acoustic pressure on cavitation erosion behaviour of aluminium alloys

Cavitation erosion is a major challenge for marine and fluid machinery systems. This study investigated the erosion performance of two as-cast aluminium alloys exposed to acoustic cavitation in water at temperatures of 10–50 °C and those were then compared with an extruded wrought alloy tested specifically at the temperature of maximum erosion. The results showed that the as-cast A380 alloy displayed exceptional resistance to cavitation erosion, with the lowest mass loss and surface roughness. This finding suggests that the as-cast A380 alloy is a suitable choice for lightweight, high-performance components in applications where cavitation resistance is critical.

Cavitation erosion and corrosion-cavitation synergism behaviour of CoCrFeNiMnTi x high entropy alloy coatings prepared by laser cladding

ABSTRACT Cavitation erosion and corrosion-cavitation synergism behavior of CoCrFeNiMnTi x (x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 in atomic ratio) high entropy alloy coatings were analyzed. The sample with x = 1.0 showed the best cavitation erosion resistance due to the low weight loss and the maximum erosion rate. The protective ability of passivation film also displayed an increased first and then decreased tendency with the increase of Ti content as indicated by corrosion-cavitation synergism determined by open circuit potential method under cavitation erosion and quiescence condition. The sample with x = 1.0 displayed good re-passivation ability of passivation film according to open circuit potential behavior under cavitation erosion and quiescence condition. In general, the sample with x = 1.0 exhibited the highest cavitation erosion, the best self-repairing ability of the passivation film under the corrosion-cavitation synergism condition, which showed a great potential in the application of ocean engineering field as fluid-passing parts.

Research on Erosion Characteristics of the Sleeve-Type Blowdown Valve in the Shale Gas Gathering and Transportation Station

Summary In the shale gas separation and sewage system, the separator removes the sand and sewage in the produced gas and releases the sand-carrying sewage to the blowdown pipeline. As an important throttling component in this system, the sleeve-type blowdown valve is severely eroded during operation. To address the problem, this paper carries out numerical research on the erosion characteristics during the real opening and closing process of the sleeve-type blowdown valve based on the FLUENT fluid simulation software. The change of the erosion at different velocities, sand mass flow, sand size, and shape coefficient is analyzed, and the main factor affecting the erosion characteristics is evaluated. Based on the above research, a novel blowdown valve is proposed, and the erosion characteristics and flow performance before and after improvement are compared. The results show that when the velocity is 8 m/s, the maximum erosion rate after improvement is 4.79×10−5 kg/(m2·s). Compared with the maximum erosion rate before improvement of 1.22×10−2 kg/(m2·s), the erosion inhibition rate reaches 99.6%. Moreover, the pressure loss is obviously reduced after the improvement, and the flow capacity is enhanced. This provides useful guidance for the improvement of blowdown valves and ensures the safe operation of shale gas production.

CFD ANALYSIS OF EROSION RATE IN OIL AND GAS PIPELINE INDUSTRY

Generally, crude oil has been transported via pipelines. But sand particles normally will be deposited on the bottom of pipeline due to the unsteady flow which it can lead to flow concern and erosion deformation of the pipe wall if not well treated. As well, this issue can cause the pipe destruction and burden the maintenance cost if not prevented in the early stage. Thus, this study was simulated to observe and predict the erosion rate at various parameter conditions with presence of solid particles in pipeline surface via COMSOL© Multiphysics 5.4 software. The model of k-ω turbulent and particle tracing were applied where several different potential impacting factors on the formation of erosion were investigated including fluids flow velocity, sand particle size, sand flow rates, pipe orientation and pipe diameter. The result simulation showed the area around the bend pipe had high predictions of erosion deformation where the maximum erosion rate of 732 mg/m2s was observed for 2-inch pipe diameter and 100mm particle size. Besides, it shows the erosion rate increased as the higher mass flow rate and fluid velocity. By applying these erosion models, it could be possible to foresee the maximum point of erosion deformation along the pipelines which can reduce maintenance cost and prevent flow assurance issues.

Cracking and erosion behaviors of sand–clay mixtures stabilized with microbial biopolymer and palm fiber

Drying-induced cracks and precipitation-induced erosion negatively impact the performance of soils in the context of extreme weather events. This study introduces two effective and sustainable materials, microbial biopolymer (MB) and palm fibers (PF), for cracking and erosion control in the sand–clay mixtures. A series of desiccation cracking tests, erosion tests, and SEM tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. The results showed that MB could significantly improve the resistance of the soil to cracking and scouring, and the improvement increased with increasing MB content. The optimum MB content was 0.15 % to achieve the maximum cracking and erosion resistance. For samples with varying sand contents, 0.15 % MB addition reduced the crack ratio, total crack length, and accumulative erosion ratio by 19.55 %–96.91 %, 4.22 %–99.58 %, and 57.88 %–89.53 %, respectively. In addition, PF positively affected the anti-crack and anti-erosion properties of the soil, and the application of 0.60 % PF had the best performance for both improvements. The cracks in the soils were mostly fine and shallow with the addition of 0.60 % PF, and therefore, the accumulative erosion ratio decreased by 44.18 %–62.76 % for samples with varying sand contents. Compared to the untreated soil, the degree of cracking and erosion was less due to the formation of a structure with more macropores and a sand skeleton in the treated samples with higher sand content. MB addition provides strong inter-particle bonding connections and a hydrophilic crust structure to improve the soils' resistance to cracking and erosion, while the fiber reinforcement effect benefits from interfacial friction and spatial restriction effects. This study provides mechanistic interpretations of desiccation cracking and erosion behavior in sand–clay mixtures under different treatments. It may guide the design of low-carbon technologies for geotechnical engineering applications.

Experimental study on the morphodynamic evolution of sandbar-lagoon system with emergent vegetation

A mobile-bed sandbar-lagoon model was employed in a series of flume experiments to investigate the influence of vegetation with different densities over the sandbar on wave attenuation and bed profile evolution. Nineteen flume tests were carried out for the same sandbar-lagoon model under different wave conditions. Extensive analyses were conducted on the profile evolution and the wave parameters along the profile of the sandbar-lagoon system. Based on the weighted vegetation density by the canopy width, a new empirical relationship was established between wave attenuation and vegetation density, water depth and sandbar freeboard. It was found that wave attenuation increases with the sandbar freeboard and the weighted vegetation density, and decreases with incident wave height. The collision (s-shaped scarp) and overwash (upward concave scarp) types of fore-dune morphological evolution were observed in the experiments. The maximum erosion thickness of dune follows a quadratic polynomial relationship with vegetation density, indicating that too sparse vegetation cover may lead to more erosion. It follows that an optimal vegetation density may lead to the least wave reflection due to the quadratic polynomial relationship. However, when the maximum erosion thickness of fore-dune is small, the quadratic polynomial relationship become linear. Furthermore, the experimental results indicate that wave height, water depth, sandbar freeboard and vegetation density are all important contributing factors to the morphodynamic evolution of sandbar-lagoon system with emergent vegetation. These relationships promote the development of wave-vegetation-sediment mechanics and provide a scientific guide to carry out coastal ecological restoration projects especially in the sandbar-lagoon system.

Physico–mechanical and durability performances of compressed earth blocks incorporating quackgrass straw: An alternative to fired clay

In developing countries such as Benin, the use of clay soils to produce fired clay bricks can be confronted with the problems of availability of the energy required for firing. The present study assesses the possibility to use these clay resources to produce compressed earth blocks (CEB) as alternative to fired clay. CEBs were produced by physically stabilizing a highly clayey soil with 0/5 granite dust, followed by chemical stabilization with 8wt% cement and the incorporation of 0 to 1.5wt% quackgrass straw. This resulted in dimensional stability of CEB, despite a slight swelling of 16.33 mm/m upon immersion observed only on CEB containing 1 and 1.5wt% straw. The coefficients of resistance to abrasion are well improved above the standardized minimum threshold of 2cm2/g, i.e. 29.7 to 7.72cm2/g for straw contents of 0 to 1.5%. Moreover, the maximum erosion depth of the CEB of 32.6mm/h, is well below the limit of 120mm/h, despite using a water pressure 10times higher than the standard pressure of 50kPa. These results testify to the durability of stabilized CEB. However, the dry and wet compressive strength decreased from 5.1 to 2.84MPa and from 3 to 1.02MPa, respectively, with the straw content of 0 to 1%. This does not hinder the use of these CEB for sustainable building construction, as the values of their compressive strength in dry and wet conditions were respectively above the required values of 2MPa and 1MPa.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Trail Repair Works Based on Three-Dimensional Monitoring around Mount Kurodake, Daisetsuzan National Park, Japan

Many mountainous, protected areas, such as national parks worldwide, face trail erosion; stakeholders have made significant efforts to manage eroded trails. However, their effectiveness has not been evaluated. This study aimed to (1) create digital elevation models of an eroded trail using structure-from-motion and multi-view-stereo photogrammetry in Daisetsuzan National Park, northern Japan; (2) conduct a six-year monitoring of the trails repaired by volunteers to reveal trail surface changes; and (3) discuss the effectiveness of the repair works. Palm-fiber bags were used on the trail section to stop the movement of the eroded soil. The results of the three-dimensional analysis identified a certain effectiveness of the repair work during 2017–2022. However, the effectiveness lasted for only approximately three years and was not permanent. Therefore, regular maintenance is necessary to ensure trail sustainability. In addition, the soil erosion rate calculated using the maximum erosion depth has increased from 0.52 mm y−1 (1923–1990) to 44.4 mm y−1 (2013–2022), suggesting the need for frequent observations. Trail maintenance through a combination of monitoring and repair work is vital, and the role of hikers/trekkers is becoming increasingly important.

Assessment of River Regime of Chenab River in Post-Chiniot Dam Project Scenario

Dams and reservoirs trap most sediments, and clear water can cause downstream riverbed degradation or aggradation. As a result, the river adjusts its dynamics and channel geometry to regain equilibrium between sediment supply and transport capacity. This study aimed to assess the river regime of the Chenab River in the post-Chiniot Dam Project scenario using a one-dimensional numerical model. After calibration and validation using historic flows and river surveys, simulations were carried out for 5, 10, and 30 years. The sediment model was validated with Brune’s curve, which showed a Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency value of 0.734. The results showed that the river experienced continuous degradation of sediments for the first 16 years and showed a maximum erosion of 8 m at 680 m downstream of the dam. The reach experienced aggradation at 15 km downstream of the dam for the first 10 years and then became stable and showed a maximum deposition of 0.9 m. The ratio of sediments passed through the dam to sediments transported out of reach varied from 0.833 to 0.921, showing that the river reach would continue to attain equilibrium even after 30 years of reservoir operation. The study would be helpful for the prediction of possible future changes in the Chenab River.

Study on Erosion Behavior of Laser Wire Feeding Cladding High-Manganese Steel Coatings.

High-manganese steel (HMnS) coating was prepared using laser wire feeding cladding technology. Erosion damage behavior and erosion rate of both the HMnS coating and the HMnS substrate were investigated at room temperature using an erosion testing machine. SEM/EDS, XRD, EPMA, and microhardness analyses were used to characterize the cross sections of the coating and matrix, as well as the morphology, phase composition, and microhardness of the eroded surface. The phase composition, orientation characteristics, and grain size of the eroded surfaces of both the coating and substrate were examined by using the EBSD technique. The erosion mechanism under different erosion angles was revealed. By analyzing the plastic deformation behavior of the subsurface of the HMnS coating, the impact hardening mechanism of the high-manganese steel coating during the erosion process was investigated. The results demonstrated that the HMnS coating, prepared through laser wire feeding cladding, exhibited excellent metallurgical bonding with the substrate, featuring a dense microstructure without any cracks. The erosion rate of the coatings was lower than that of the substrate at different erosion angles, with the maximum erosion rate occurring at 35° and 50°. The damage to the coating and substrate under low-angle erosion was primarily attributed to the micro-cutting of erosion particles and a minor amount of hammering. At the 90° angle, the dominant factor was hammering. After erosion, the microhardness of both the coating and substrate sublayer increased to 380HV0.3 and 359HV0.3, respectively. Dendrite segregation, refined grains, low-angle grain boundaries, and localized dislocations, generated by laser wire feeding cladding, contributed to the deformation process of HMnS. These factors collectively enhance the hardening behavior of HMnS coatings, thereby providing excellent erosion resistance.

Numerical Study of Resistance Loss and Erosive Wear during Pipe Transport of Paste Slurry

Cemented paste backfill (CPB) as a solid waste treatment technology that prepares tailings as aggregate into a highly concentrated slurry to be transported to the underground mining area, is now widely used in mines. However, the pipeline resistance loss and erosion wear during CPB slurry transportation considering the coupling effect of inlet velocities, viscosities, and particle sizes have not yet been well evaluated and analyzed. Hence, the CFD-based three-dimensional network simulation of CPB slurry flow in an L-shaped pipe at different combinations of the three parameters was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The results showed that the pipe resistance loss was most affected by the inlet velocity and viscosity, with the minimum pipe resistance loss occurring at an inlet velocity of 1.5 m/s, a viscosity of 2.0 Pa·s, and a particle size of 150 μm. In particular, pipe erosion wear was severest at the bend and was positively correlated with inlet velocity and particle size, and negatively correlated with slurry viscosity, with maximum pipe erosion wear occurring at an inlet velocity of 3.5 m/s, a viscosity of 3.0 Pa·s, and a particle size of 2000 μm. The findings would be important for the design of the CPB pipeline transportation, which will improve the safety and economic level of a mine.

Erosion prediction due to micron-sized particles in the multiphase flow of T and Y pipes of oil and gas fields

The industrial pipeline components in the hydrocarbon and mineral processing plants may suffer erosion-induced damage and easily causes pipeline failure. This paper investigates a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-Discrete particle (DP) modeling based on erosion prediction assessment of Tee (T) and Wye (Y) pipe configurations for gas-sand and water-sand flow conditions. The erosion under vertical-horizontal orientation was comprehensively investigated for 90° T-pipe, 45° Y-pipe, 30° Y-pipe, and 15° Y-pipe for different particle sizes. Finnie model is employed to evaluate the erosion rate and validated using qualitative and quantitative experimental results for the 90° T-pipe. Results manifest that the erosive wear is strongly influenced by the geometric configuration and erodent size. Particle trajectories show that particles in a 90° T-pipe tend to impact the junction of the pipe and rebound 2 to 3 times, which leads to a maximum erosion zone. The movement path of sand in the T-pipe is different from those of the Y-pipe, and one particle rebound is observed in the Y-pipe. Furthermore, the maximum erosive wear rate in the 15° Y-pipe is 3.36 times smaller than that of the 90° T-pipe.