The study consisted in the development of a model that allows predicting the most efficient configuration and the lowest fuel consumption in the dredging systems driven by internal combustion Diesel engines. This type of models will make it easier for operators to obtain the best combination for greater energy efficiency in the process, taking into consideration the limitations associated with it, under the respective operating conditions. Multiphase CFD simulations were carried out using OpenFOAM® software, through which results were obtained with deviations of less than 5% compared to experimental validation.
ABSTRACT: In the dredging industry, centrifugal pumps are the cornerstone of performance and productivity in operation. However, these characteristics are affected because the dredge operators are unaware of the response of the pump efficiency under operating conditions, as well as the fuel consumed by the engine that drives it. Experimental tests are discarded as a solution to this situation, due to its high cost and time requirements, presenting an opportunity for numerical analysis through compitational fluid dynamics (CFD). In this paper, a Eulerian model based on the kinetic theory of granular flux is used to represent the multiphasic phenomenon. The turbulent standard k-e model, along with a standard wall treatment with a dispersed approach was used to describe he turbulent flow. Experimental data obtained from operation includes depth of the fluid. The comparison between the data acquired and the CFD results allowed to correlate the operating conditions with the fuel consumption of the engine and the efficiency of the pump additionally. The prediction capacity of this correlation was experimentally validated, obtaining deviations lower than 5%.
The original article is published in the journal International Review of Mechanical Engineering (IREME) Vol. 13 No.1 (2019): Praise Worthy Prize.