Anti-Erosion Protection of Pneumatic Pipeline Elbows by Plate Inserts

2D numerical modeling and physical simulation are carried out for a flow of a granular material in an elbow of a pipeline with a view to reducing erosion wear owing to a novel design solution. Protective plate ribs are installed on the inner surface of the elbow at an angle to lines tangent to the fixing points of the ribs. It is found that the optimal choice of the size, number and arrangement of the ribs can reduce the wear of the elbow in the areas of its maximal loading.