Flow field characteristics of an agitator system of a large diameter slurry-water shield machine.

A numerical model was established for calculation in this study on the basis of the standard k-epsilon turbulence model and the discrete phase model of the Euler-Lagrange equation. Results of the particle image velocimetry experiment were used to verify the reliability of the numerical model. The effects of the rotation speeds, slurry densities, and impeller structures on the flow field characteristics, including velocity distribution, ballast fluidity, and power loss, were also investigated. The results indicate that the increase of rotation speed has little influence on the flow field near the wall and bottom of the agitator, and the agitator performs well when the speed is set between 30 rpm and 40 rpm. The increase of the slurry density will increase the pressure loss between the inlet and the outlet, and it will also increase the load of the agitator. Hence, the slurry density must be less than 1400 kg/m3. The baffle can improve the velocity distribution of the flow field and the slag discharge capacity of the agitator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]