Particle collisions in a turbulent flow

An equation for the two-point probability density function of the two-particle the coordinate and velocity distribution is obtained. A closed system of equations for the first and second two-point moments of the velocity fluctuations of a pair of particles with allowance for the turbulent flow inhomogeneity is given. Boundary conditions for the equations of the particle concentration and the intensity of the relative random velocity during particle collision are obtained. A unified formula describing the interparticle collision process as a result of turbulent motion and the average relative particle velocity slip is obtained for the kernel of the coagulation equation. The effect of the average velocity slip of the particles and the carrier phase on the parameters of motion of the dispersed admixture and its coagulation is investigated on the basis of a two-point two-time velocity fluctuation autocorrelation function with two time and space scales representing the energy-bearing and small-scale motion of the fluid phase.Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 2, pp. 104–116, March–April, 1996.     

The velocity fluctuation spectrum of a gas with particles in the case of uniform isotropic turbulence

In the present paper, an analysis of the influence of particles on the fluctuation spectrum of a gas is based on equations for the two-point moments of the velocity component fluctuations of the solid and carrier phases. For an approximation of the terms describing the transfer of fluctuation energy through the spectrum, we use Heisenberg's hypothesis [8], modified to take into account the influence of the particles on the rate of redistribution of turbulent energy between vortices of different dimensions.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 69–74, January–February, 1987.     

The simulation of turbulent particle‐laden channel flow by the Lattice Boltzmann method

We perform direct numerical simulation of three‐dimensional turbulent flows in a rectangular channel, with a lattice Boltzmann method, efficiently implemented on heavily parallel general purpose graphical processor units. After validating the method for a single fluid, for standard boundary layer problems, we study changes in mean and turbulent properties of particle‐laden flows, as a function of particle size and concentration. The problem of physical interest for this application is the effect of water droplets on the turbulent properties of a high‐speed air flow, near a solid surface. To do so, we use a Lagrangian tracking approach for a large number of rigid spherical point particles, whose motion is forced by drag forces caused by the fluid flow; particle effects on the latter are in turn represented by distributed volume forces in the lattice Boltzmann method. Results suggest that, while mean flow properties are only slightly affected, unless a very large concentration of particles is used, the turbulent vortices present near the boundary are significantly damped and broken down by the turbulent motion of the heavy particles, and both turbulent Reynolds stresses and the production of turbulent kinetic energy are decreased because of the particle effects. We also find that the streamwise component of turbulent velocity fluctuations is increased, while the spanwise and wall‐normal components are decreased, as compared with the single fluid channel case. Additionally, the streamwise velocity of the carrier (air) phase is slightly reduced in the logarithmic boundary layer near the solid walls. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of gas-particle turbulent pipe flow with allowance for collisions with the wall and particle rotation

A model of gas-particle turbulent pipe flow which takes into account phase velocity slip, particle interaction with the wall and rotation of the particles is proposed. Allowance for the Magnus force makes it possible to describe the intense transverse skipping motion of the particles and to obtain good agreement between the calculation results and the experimental data over a broad range of flow conditions. The model is based on the use of the transport equations for the averaged flow parameters and the correlation moments describing the turbulent transfer of the momentum and angular momentum of the dispersed phase.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 56–64, January–February, 1990.     

Statistical models for predicting the effect of bidisperse particle collisions on particle velocities and stresses in homogeneous anisotropic turbulent flows

The purpose of this paper is to present and compare two statistical models for predicting the effect of collisions on particle velocities and stresses in bidisperse turbulent flows. These models start from a kinetic equation for the probability density function (PDF) of the particle velocity distribution in a homogeneous anisotropic turbulent flow. The kinetic equation describes simultaneously particle–turbulence and particle–particle interactions. The paper is focused on deriving the collision terms in the governing equations of the PDF moments. One of the collision models is based on a Grad-like expansion for the PDF of the velocity distributions of two particles. The other model stems from a Grad-like expansion for the joint fluid–particle PDF. The validity of these models is explored by comparing with Lagrangian simulations of particle tracking in uniformly sheared and isotropic turbulent flows generated by LES. Notwithstanding the fact that the fluid turbulence may be isotropic, the particle velocity fluctuations are anisotropic due to the impact of gravitational settling. Comparisons of the model predictions and the numerical simulations show encouraging agreement.     

Semiempirical theory of turbulence of inhomogeneous flows with body forces

A closed system of equations for the second moments, determining the turbulent transfer in inhomogeneous flows with body forces, is obtained in the local equilibrium approximation. Taking diffusion and convective transfer into account does not present difficulties, since the expressions obtained for the terms containing the fluctuations of the body forces and transfer terms are preserved. The effect of the external forces is considered for two cases: turbulent motion in a stratified medium and conducting flows in a longitudinal magnetic field. In the latter case the external forces are divergenceless and they therefore do not affect the pressure fluctuations. A single-scale model, in which the transverse scale is taken as the scale in the boundary layer, is considered.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSS, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 3, pp. 33–40, May–June, 1985.     

An analytical approach for the closure equations of gas–solid flows with inter-particle collisions

This work examines the effect of inter-particle collisions on the motion of solid particles in two-phase turbulent pipe and channel flows. Two mechanisms for the particle–particle collisions are considered, with and without friction sliding. Based on these collision mechanisms, the correlations of the various velocity components of colliding particles are obtained analytically by using an averaging procedure. This takes into account three collision coordinates, two angles and the distance between the centers of colliding particles. The various stress tensor components are obtained and then introduced in the mass, linear momentum and angular momentum equations of the dispersed phase. The current approach applies to particle–particle collisions that result from both the average velocity difference and the turbulent velocity fluctuations. In order to close the governing equations of the dispersed phase, the pseudo-viscosity coefficients are defined and determined by the time of duration of the inter-particle collision process. The model is general enough to apply to both polydisperse and monodisperse particulate systems and has been validated by comparisons with experimental data.     

Comparison of the RANS and PDF methods for air-particle flows

Two simulation methods, namely Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations, and Probability Distribution Function (PDF) are currently widely used for the modeling of multiphase flows. These two approaches are supplemented with appropriate closure equations that take into account all the pertinent forces and interaction effects on the solid particles, such as: particle–turbulence interactions; turbulence modulation; particle–particle interactions; particle–wall interactions; gravitation, drag and lift forces. The two methods have been used in order to simulate the turbulent particulate flow in upward pipes. The flow domain in all cases was a cylindrical pipe and the computations were carried for upward pipe flow. Monodisperse as well as polydisperse mixtures of particles have been considered. In general, the average velocity results obtained from the two methods are in close agreement, because the methods predict well the average velocity distribution of the carrier fluid as well as the solids. Thus, the differences in the average axial velocities predicted by the methods are not substantial. Differences in the turbulence intensity are more significant. A comparison of the numerical results obtained shows the relative importance of retaining the diffusion terms in both the axial and radial directions in the RANS method. Also the comparisons of the results show the relative effect of the lift forces in the distribution of solid particles.     

The influence of the drag force due to the interstitial gas on granular flows down a chute

Fully-developed steady flow of granular material down an inclined chute has been a subject of much research interest, but the effect of the interstitial gas has usually been ignored. In this paper, new expressions for the drag force and energy dissipation caused by the interstitial gas (ignoring the turbulent fluctuations of the gas phase) are derived and used to modify the governing equations derived from the kinetic theory approach for granular–gas mixture flows, where particles are relatively massive so that velocity fluctuations are caused by collisions rather than the gas flow. This new model is applied to fully-developed, steady mixture flows down an inclined chute and the results are compared with other simulations. Our results show that the effect of the interstitial gas plays a significant role in modifying the characteristics of fully developed flow. Although the effect of the interstitial gas is less pronounced for large particles than small ones, the flowfields with large particles are still very different from granular flows which do not incorporate any interactions with the interstitial gas.     

Interactions of particles and microbubbles with turbulence

Dilute, dispersed two-phase flows arise in many contexts ranging from solid particles or droplets in gas flows to bubbles in liquids. Many of the flows of interest are turbulent, which presents a complex problem to analyze or to determine the dominant physical processes contributing to the observed phenomena. Advances in experimental techniques have made it possible to measure directly turbulent and particle velocity fluctuations in dilute systems. This has provided a counterpart to advances in computational and analytical models and a basis on which to test these models. Three specific areas are considered: the fluctuating forces on an individual particle in an unsteady flow, the response of a solid particle to a turbulent air flow, and the corresponding response of a small bubble in turbulent liquid flows. Results from direct numerical simulations are presented for each of these, including the nonuniform distribution of particles generated by local instantaneous features of the flow. The issue of turbulence modulation at low to moderate void fractions is discussed.     

BOUNDARY TREATMENT AND AN EFFICIENT PRESSURE ALGORITHM FOR INTERNAL TURBULENT FLOWS USING THE PDF METHOD

The generalized Langevin model, which is used to model the motion of stochastic particles in the velocity–composition joint probability density function (PDF) method for reacting turbulent flows, has been extended to incorporate solid wall effects. Anisotropy of Reynolds stresses in the near-wall region has been addressed. Numerical experiments have been performed to demonstrate that the forces in the near-wall region of a turbulent flow cause the stochastic particles approachi ng a solid wall to reverse their direction of motion normal to the wall and thereby, leave the near-wall layer. This new boundary treatment has subsequently been implemented in a full-scale problem to prove its validity. The test problem considered here is that of an isothermal, non-reacting turbulent flow in a two-dimensional channel with plug inflow and a fixed back-pressure. An efficient pressure correction method, developed in the spirit of the PISO algorithm, has been implemented. The pressure correction strategy is easy to implement and is completely consistent with the time- marching scheme used for the solution of the Lagrangian momentum equations. The results show remarkable agreement with both k–ϵ and algebraic Reynolds stress model calculations for the primary velocity. The secondary flow velocity and the turbulent moments are in better agreement with the algebraic Reynolds stress model predictions than the k– ϵ predictions. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Steady-state particle distributions in shear flows of colloids and finely dispersed suspensions

On the basis of an analysis of the pseudoturbulent motion of both the suspended particles and the carrier fluid, the normal stress components in the dispersed phase are obtained for the problem of inclined confined flows of finely dispersed suspensions and colloids. These hydrodynamic pulsations are due to the shear and the work done by the average relative flow of the fluid phase on random concentration fluctuations of the disperse system because of the substantial slip of the phases of the suspension under gravity. The momentum conservation equations for the particles are obtained with allowance for the angle of inclination of the flow to the vertical and on the basis of these equations the suspension capacity of the flow as a function of the angle of inclination, particle size, Galileo number and other parameters is illustrated.Ekaterinburg. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 78–84, January–February, 1996.     

Model of particle deposition from turbulent gas-solid flow in channels with absorbent walls

A nonlocal model of particle deposition is developed without resorting to empirical information on the fluctuating motion of the particles. The effects of particle inertia are described by a system of differential equations for the moments of the dispersed phase velocity. The model is tested on examples of flows in channels with smooth walls and with grassy roughness.Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 58–65, January–February, 1992.     

Particle suspension in a simple shear flow

A hydrodynamic model describing the particle distribution over the cross-section of a finely dispersed flow is proposed. The model is constructed on the basis of notions concerning the diffusion of particles induced by their random displacements in the process of relative motion of neighboring layers at constant shear velocity. It is shown that the suspension capacity of the flow is large for small particles due to thermal fluctuations and for relatively large particles due to shear-induced particle pulsations. There are critical particle sizes for which the particles are suspended and transported by the flow less effectively than larger or smaller particles.Ekaterinburg. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 112–121, January–February, 1995.     

Calculation of three-dimensional weakly expanding flow in jets and channels

The results are given of a calculation of laminar flow in a channel of square section and the motion of a turbulent jet from a cruciform nozzle in an ambient flow. To calculate the secondary flows, the field of the transverse velocity is decomposed into irrotational and solenoidal components. The results of the calculation of the flow in the channel are compared with the calculations of other authors and experimental data. To calculate the flow in the turbulent jet, a one-parameter turbulence model is used, and the influence of the inhomogeneity of the distribution of the longitudinal component of the velocity on the components of the Reynolds stress tensor is taken into account. The results of calculation of the flow in the jet behind a cruciform nozzle are compared with experimental data.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 36–44, July–August, 1984.     

Use of a Modified Langevin Equation to Describe Turbulent Dispersion of Fluid Particles in a Channel Flow

A stochastic method to represent the positions and velocities of fluid particles in a nonhomogeneous turbulence was pursued. Spatially varying Lagrangian time scales obtained from direct numerical simulations of turbulent flow in a channel and spatially varying joint Gaussian forcing functions were incorporated into a Langevin equation. The model was tested by comparing calculations of the dispersions and velocities of particles originating from point sources with experiments carried out in a DNS of fully-developed turbulent flows in a channel at Re_τ = 150 and 300. The model captured the dispersions, mean velocities and moments of the velocity fluctuations very well. The use of jointly Gaussian (rather than uncorrelated Gaussian) forcing functions greatly improved the calculation of dispersions and mean velocities in the stream wise direction, as well as turbulence quantities which include stream wise velocity fluctuations. The condition of well-mixedness for the model was verified by considering the behavior of a uniform distribution of sources. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.