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From Theory to Reality: De-risking a slurry resuspension system in an industrial sump

Clients frequently approach us to tackle de-risking challenges where data is limited. One notable project involved designing a slurry resuspension system for a sump vessel that contained toxic gases, making manual cleaning impossible. During plant upsets, slurry was expected to settle quickly, creating a solid bed that was difficult to remove.

Our client needed a solution using a water jet to re-suspend the slurry for easier pumping. With limited real material for testing, we broke the problem into three parts.

First, we developed an analytical model for jet expansion, considering the balance between the jet’s kinetic energy and the slurry’s yield stress. We noted that in the axial direction, the jet’s impact decays linearly with distance, while in the perpendicular direction, it follows a Gaussian distribution. This model predicted the effective cleaning length.

Next, we designed lab-scale experiments with a small nozzle to validate our model and establish a correction factor.

Finally, we used Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate both the lab-scale and commercial geometries, providing double validation and confirming the accuracy of our models and results.

This project not only demonstrated our ability to tackle complex technical challenges but also provided the client with a reliable and cost-effective solution that ensured operational safety and efficiency.