LDV MEASUREMENTS OF SOLID-LIQUID SLURRY FLOW USING REFRACTIVE INDEX MATCHING TECHNIQUE

ABSTRACT

A refractive index matched facility for studying solid-liquid slurry flow was developed. The refractive index matching of the solid and liquid facilitates the use of non-intrusive—laser velocimetry to measure solid and liquid velocities for slurries with solid concentrations as high as 50 percent by volume. Silica gel and sodium iodide solution in water were used us the refractive index matched solid and liquid respectively. Tests were conducted on solid liquid slurry with 5 percent solid concentration by volume in the Reynolds number range of 700 to 8000. The Reynolds number ranges for the four flow regimes, stationary bed, saltation, heterogeneous and homogeneous flow were identified. It was shown that signal processing technique utilizing histograms and signal amplitude discrimination can be used to discriminate between liquid and solid velocities. The details of the facility and the results of the tests conducted on the slurry are discussed in this paper.