CFD analysis of erosion in plugged tees series: Effect of Pipe diameter, particle size and fluid density (C2026-00317)

Hafiz Ahmad, Jun Zhang, Siamack Shirazi, Soroor Karimi

Erosion in industrial piping systems poses a significant challenge across the oil and gas, chemical processing, and power generation sectors, where flows degrade components. This wear phenomenon is especially pronounced in plugged tee, due to complex flow patterns. The resulting erosion compromises structural integrity, increases maintenance costs, and safety risks.
This study presents a systematic computational investigation of erosion dynamics in plugged tees to characterize gas-solid flow behavior. Three key parameters are examined: (1) pipe diameters (2", 4", 8") to assess geometric scaling effects on erosion hotspots, (2) particle sizes (25 µm, 75 µm, 300 µm), representing a range from fine abrasives to coarse particles, and (3) gas velocities spanning low (ambient pressure), moderate, and high-pressure regimes. Additionally, Chen's 1-inch plugged tee experimental data is validated with CFD simulations.
These findings support data-driven design improvements, such as optimized tee orientation, application of hardened coatings, and incorporation of flow diverters to extend component lifespan. The study also provides a benchmark for calibrating CFD models used in predicting erosion in plugged tees. Moreover, detailed flow and particle information extracted from the CFD simulations will facilitate the future development of mechanistic models to generalize erosion dynamics in plugged tees under gas-sand flow conditions.