Erosion Characteristics and Flashing Flow of High-differential-pressure Control Valves: A Numerical Study using an Erosion-Coupled Dynamic Mesh

Abstract

To address the issue of erosion in the control valves of blackwater flash systems in the coal chemical industry, this study investigates the dynamic erosion characteristics of one such control valve. Computational fluid dynamics is employed to compare the results obtained with a static mesh and an erosion-coupled dynamic mesh, and the valve erosion is investigated by analyzing the erosion rate, the particle impact velocity, trajectories and angle. Moreover, the relationship between the deformation caused by erosion and the dispersion of the flash vapor phase in the valve is studied, focusing on the flow resistance coefficient. The results indicate that over a period of 9 × 10⁶ s, the impact velocity and subsequent collisions of particles reduce, and the impact angle decreases with the accumulated deformation of the valve core. Notably, the valve core is influenced primarily by the cutting that results from low impact angles, leading to a substantial decrease in the overall erosion rate of the valve, amounting to a reduction of 56.4%. The region facing the flow is at significant risk of erosion, and as the opening decreases, the erosion zone extends gradually to the annular region of the valve core and valve head, leading to increased erosion deformation. Furthermore, as the flow resistance coefficient decreases, so does the vapor volume fraction inside the valve. This study provides a theoretical basis for predicting faults and developing online monitoring solutions for high-differential-pressure control valves in blackwater flashing systems.