Mahmoud A. El‐Emam, Eman Yasser, Weidong Shi, Ling Zhou
Slurry centrifugal pumps are widely used for hydraulic transportation of solid–liquid mixtures over short and medium distances, where moderate head and discharge are sufficient. Their performance characteristics and susceptibility to wear in critical components remain key factors in pump design and operational reliability. This study integrates numerical modeling and experimental validation to investigate the evolution of wear and multiphase flow dynamics, with a focus on particle–fluid interactions and their role in material degradation. Advanced coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Element Method (CFD–DEM) frameworks are employed to quantify the influence of one-way and two-way coupling strategies on erosion prediction and slurry flow behavior within pump components. To address computational challenges associated with large particle assemblies, a Coarse-Grained DEM (CGDEM) approach is implemented and validated, offering a more efficient means of resolving particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions at scale. Experimental validation using brown fused alumina particles under controlled slurry flow conditions confirms that two-way coupling more accurately captures the feedback of particles on the carrier fluid, intensifying erosion at impeller blades and volute regions. While CGDEM slightly overpredicts erosion magnitudes due to parcel dynamics, it delivers substantial computational savings and preserves fidelity in localizing high-wear zones. Results highlight how particle size, concentration, and interaction mechanisms govern wear progression and pump performance, underscoring the critical role of particle characteristics in erosion modeling. The validated CFD–CGDEM framework provides a scalable tool for analyzing erosion in industrial pump systems, paving the way for new directions in incorporating particle morphology, polydispersity, and complex operating conditions into predictive models.