Physicochemical Mechanics of Rheology of Coal-Water Slurries
The costs of preparation and burning of coal slurries, in particular, coal-water fuel (CWF), considerably exceed the cost of coal utilization according to the conventional technology. CWF technology projects suggest that additional expenditures will be compensated for by the profitability of their pipeline transport in the laminar regime. The energy consumption for the preparation and pipeline and tanker transportations is determined to a considerable extent by the viscosity and stability of these slurries. Thus, the rheology of slurries has become a subject of comprehensive experimental study. The results of theoretical investigation of the rheology of concentrated slurries are reported. The theory adequately describes all of the experimental data relevant to the issue.