Simulation of long-distance and large-lift pipeline transportation of ultra-fine tailings paste

This study addresses the long-distance and large-lift pipeline transportation of ultra-fine tailings paste by restoring the actual filling pipeline of the mine. We conducted numerical simulation using Fluent software to analyze the effect of speed and mass concentration on the paste pipeline transportation and elbow position. Results show that the paste filling slurry exhibited explicit velocity gradient in the radial direction, and the resistance loss of paste pipeline rose with increasing slurry flow rate. Comparatively, mass concentration exerted a major impact on pipeline resistance: as the concentration of filling slurry increased by 1%, resistance loss increased by 12%-15% on average; as the concentration exceeded 73%, resistance loss increased sharply, causing concentrated local pressure at the elbow and serious wearing of the pipeline. Therefore, for long-distance and large-lift pipeline transportation of ultrafine tailings paste, the suitable flow rate is 1.5-1.6 m/s, and the mass concentration should not exceed 73%. The reliability of these findings was confirmed through on-site industrial experiments and actual resistance monitoring.