Flow field around Coandă effect-based polymetallic-nodule collector
Insights from three-dimensional numerical simulations
Lalit Kumar (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)
Sebastiaan Mulders (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)
Said Alhaddad (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
Recent advancements have demonstrated that collectors based on the Coandă effect can effectively harvest polymetallic nodules from the seabed. However, the hydrodynamics of the flow around such collectors, particularly the mechanisms of ambient water entrainment, remain insufficiently explored. To address this gap, we performed three-dimensional numerical simulations to investigate the flow characteristics surrounding a Coandă effect-based collector, focusing on the effects of main jet velocity, secondary jet velocity, radius of curvature, and bottom clearance. The results show that increasing the main jet velocity enhances flow attachment and strengthens the pressure gradients beneath the collector, thereby increasing the entrainment of ambient water into the collection duct. Similarly, higher secondary jet velocities improve flow attachment and raise the collection duct flow rate but also lead to greater sideways water spillage. Furthermore, a larger radius of curvature reduces sideways spillage, consequently promoting greater ambient water entrainment beneath the collector. Likewise, increasing the bottom clearance enhances ambient water entrainment. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the operational parameters of Coandă effect-based collectors to maximize collection efficiency while minimizing water spillage.
help_outline