Numerical assessment of slurry erosion in pipelines using orifice plates with varied geometries and configurations

Orifice meters are extensively used in pipeline systems for measuring the flow rate of liquids and slurries due to their simplicity, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Despite their advantages, orifice meters are subject to uncertainties that can affect measurement accuracy. This study presents a computational analysis of slurry erosion wear using three-dimensional models of various orifice plate geometries. The Eulerian–Lagrangian approach was employed for the multiphase flow analysis, while the standard k –ε turbulence model was used to simulate the turbulent behavior of the carrier fluid. The objective is to investigate erosion behavior in both the pipeline and the orifice plate under slurry flow conditions. The analysis identifies critical erosion zones and evaluates how geometric variations influence erosion wear. Among all the geometries analyzed, the lowest erosion wear rates, 2.49 × 10 −9 at 1 m/s to 3.80 × 10 −6 at 5 m/s, were consistently observed for the orifice plate with a beta ratio of 0.62. These findings can support improved design and maintenance strategies in slurry transportation systems.