2. Theory
The design procedure for slurry flow pipelines comprises of determination of the pipeline diameter such
that the total annual cost is minimum. In a slurry transport pipeline, the total cost is the sum of pumping
energy cost and the cost of pipes.
Following assumptions are made towards developing a model for the cost of pumping energy and cost
of pipe:
• Particles are uniformly graded.
• Durand’s equation [7] for a uniformly graded solid-liquid mixture is reasonably accurate for the
prediction of head loss calculations.
• The friction factor can be obtained with reasonable accuracy by Wood’s equation [8].