Erosive Wear Mitigation Using 3D-Printed Twisted Tape Insert Under Liquid-Solid Flow

This study examines whether twisted tape inserts in a pipe system can reduce pipe erosion under a liquid-solid flow regime. Three different twisted tape configurations were designed using 3D printing technology: tapes with one twist, four twists, and four twists with perforations. Experiments were performed using a PVC pipe with a carbon steel plate as the material under investigation. Slurries of water and silica sand were prepared with varying sand concentrations-1%, 3%, and 5%-to induce different erosion rates. The experimental results were backed by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) using the discrete phase model (DPM) to predict particle flow and erosion attributes. Erosion trends were also tested through mass loss and paint loss tests. The analysis outcomes demonstrated that the one-twist, four-twist, and perforated four-twist tapes reduced the erosion rate by 18%, 39%, and 45%, respectively. Among the different configurations, the four-twist tape with holes reduced erosion the most. These results suggest that twisted tape inserts can control erosion, thereby increasing the service life of pipes that handle abrasive flows.