EVALUATION OF HYDRAULIC PARAMETERS OF A SLURRY PIPELINE FOR TRANSPORTING IRON ORE PELLET FEED

Abstract

Brazil, one of the world's largest producers of iron ore, widely uses slurry pipelines to transport this commodity from extractive mines to coastal regions with port access. The primary purpose of the installation is to move ore in aqueous suspension (slurry) through pipelines. Compared to road and rail transport, slurry pipelines offer key advantages, such as low carbon dioxide emissions, reduced energy consumption, and mitigation of environmental pollution. However, the disadvantages include high water consumption and a lack of experimental data to determine the flow profile. The main objective of the study was to determine the hydraulic parameters of the two-phase water/iron ore pellet feed flow with concentrations ranging from 1% to 12% in a 1” transparent PVC pipe. The study was conducted at the Laboratory of Unit Operations of the Santa Cecília University, using an experimental unit composed of a centrifugal pump with a 5 hp motor, a Rushton geometry tank equipped with an axial impeller with two blades inclined at 45°, and four piezometers for reading pressure drop. The tests consisted of pumping slurry at five rotations, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, and 1600 rpm, and measuring the pressure drop in a straight section of approximately 4 meters.

Keywords: Slurry pipeline, Ore transportantion, Iron ore pellet feed, Hydraulic parameters, Pressure drop, Solid distribution