Effect of swirl vanes angle on erosion behaviour of AISI 316 pipe bend

Erosion wear is one of the major problems in thermal power plant components involving coal ash transportation viz., pipe line, pipe bends, valves, slurry pumps casing and impeller due to high velocity ash slurry flows, which reduces the life of the components and increases the expenditure incurred of the plant. In the current study the effect of induced swirl on erosion wear due to different swirl vanes of inclination angles 7.5°, 11.25°, 15° and 30° has been investigated at a pipe bend. The erosion wear on a pipe bend without a swirl vane for particle size of 150 mm has been calculated for velocities of 10 m/s, 20 m/s and 30 m/s with erodent flow rates of 0.2 kg/s and 0.3 kg/s and compared against erosion rates when a swirl vane is placed upstream of the bend. The optimal distance of placing the vane has been found out by placing the vanes at a distance of 280 mm, 320 mm and 360 mm from inlet of the pipe. It is found that erosion wear decreases for all of the cases except when a 30° vane was introduced for a flow velocity of 30 m/s and 7.5° vane when placed at a distance of 360 mm from the inlet, is found to be the most effective for erosion reduction.