Inertial migration of sedimenting particles in a suspension flow through a Hele-Shaw cell

Within the framework of the model of two interpenetrating continua, a horizontal laminar dilute-suspension flow in a vertical Hele-Shaw cell is investigated. Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions, an asymptotic model of the transverse migration of sedimenting particles is constructed. The particle migration in the horizontal section of the cell is caused by an inertial lateral force induced by the particle sedimentation and the shear flow of the carrier phase. A characteristic longitudinal length scale is determined, on which the particles migrate across the slot through a distance of the order of the slot half-width. The evolution of the particle number concentration and velocity fields along the channel is studied using the full Lagrangian method. Depending on the particle inertia parameter, different particle migration regimes (with and without crossing of the channel central plane by the particles) are detected. A critical value of the particle inertia parameter corresponding to the change in migration regime is found analytically. The possibility of intersection of the particle trajectories and the formation of singularities in the particle number concentration is demonstrated.     

A stochastic description of wall sources in a turbulent field. Part 3: Effect of gravitational settling on the concentration profiles

A stochastic method, which uses a modified Langevin equation to represent the fluid turbulence seen by the particles, is used to determine the fully-developed concentration profiles that exist for the turbulent flow of a dilute suspension of spheres in a horizontal channel. Particles with a wide range of inertial time constants and settling velocities are studied. The validity of using the Boussinesq approximation to represent turbulent mixing is explored.     

A geometric approach for predicting vertical stationary profiles of weakly inertial advecting-diffusing particles in closed incompressible flows

Mixing of weakly inertial particles in closed flows is often addressed by considering individual particles as passive advecting-diffusing tracers, subjected to an additional settling velocity resulting from body forces (e.g. gravity). We show that the qualitative and quantitative features of the vertical particle distribution (i.e. the horizontal cross-sectional averages of particle concentration) can be predicted from the structure of the flow resulting from the superposition of the stirring field and the settling velocity. The prediction is based upon the observation that the resulting flow can be divided into two nonoverlapping regions, namely trajectories that are confined within the mixing space (recirculation loops), and trajectories that cross the mixing space. The spatial extent of these regions is exploited to define an effective vertical convective velocity entering the one-dimensional lumped model. Model two-dimensional flows possessing different flow patterns are used to illustrate the proposed estimate for effective velocity. A CFD-computed three-dimensional turbulent flow inside a baffled stirred vessel is used as a benchmark test to assess the model performance in typical industrial flows.     

Determination of Hydrogen–Water Relative Permeability and Capillary Pressure in Sandstone: Application to Underground Hydrogen Injection in Sedimentary Formations

This paper presents fundamental analysis and micromechanical understanding of dense slurry behavior during settling in narrow smooth and rough slots. Particularly, this study seeks to contribute toward better understanding of dynamics of particle–particle and particle–wall interactions in viscous fluids using simple experiments. The findings of this study are applicable in a wide variety of problems, for example sediment transport, flow and transport of slurry in pipes, and industrial applications. However, the results interpretation focuses on better understanding of proppant flow and transport in narrow fractures. A sequence of experiments image frames captured by video camera is analyzed with particle image velocimetry (GeoPIV). The measurements include vertical velocities and displacement vectors of singular and agglomerated particles and larger area of formed slurry. Results present novel insights into the formation and effects of agglomerates on general slurry settling, and are supplemented with a comparison with previously published theoretical and empirical relationships. This work also emphasizes a role of particle–particle interactions in promoting agglomeration in viscous fluid. Particularly, a thin layer of viscous fluid between approaching particles dissipates particle kinetic energy due to lubrication effect. Lubrication effect is more pronounced when particles are constrained between two narrow walls and interact frequently with each other. Fluid tends to flow around agglomerated particles, and agglomerates remain stable for prolonged time periods gravitationally moving downward. The relative amount and size of agglomerated affects general settling of the slurry. It was found that fluid viscosity due to lubrication effect promotes agglomeration, and therefore, the overall slurry settling relatively increases at higher fluid viscosities. The results of the presented work have impact on various industrial and engineering processes, such as proppant flow and transport in hydraulic fractures, sand production in oil reservoirs, piping failure of dams and scour of foundation bridges.     

The effect of sphere–wall interactions on particle motion in a viscoelastic suspension of FENE dumbbells

A new method for simulating the motion of particles in viscoelastic Boger fluids is extended to problems with bounded geometries. Viscoelasticity is incorporated into the Stokesian dynamics method by modeling a viscoelastic fluid as a suspension of finite-extension nonlinear-elastic (FENE) dumbbells. Wall–particle and wall–bead interactions are included by using the image system method of Blake; particle–particle and particle–bead interactions are also modified by the presence of the wall. The method of incorporating sphere–wall interactions is verified by doing calculations for several problems involving particle–wall interactions in Newtonian fluids. The method is then used to study particle–wall interactions in viscoelastic dumbbell suspensions by examining several problems of interest: the sedimentation of a spherical particle near vertical and tilted walls; the sedimentation of a nonspherical particle between two flat plates; and the migration of a neutrally buoyant sphere in plane Poiseuille flow. We find that a single sphere falling near a wall moves toward the wall and exhibits anomalous rotation. When the wall is tilted by an amount less than a few degrees, the sphere still moves toward the wall, but tilting the wall greater than an angle of approximately 1.5° results in the sphere falling away from the wall. A nonspherical particle settling in a channel exhibits an oscillatory motion, but ultimately becomes centered in the channel with its long axis parallel to gravity. Finally, it is shown that a neutrally buoyant sphere in plane Poiseuille flow migrates to the channel center in wide channels, but migrates to the walls when the sphere is sufficiently large relative to the channel width.     

The lateral migration of solid particles in a laminar flow near a plane

The lateral inertial migration of a solid spherical particle suspended in a laminar flow over a vertical wall is considered theoretically. Formulae for the migration velocity are obtained for both neutrally buoyant and non-neutrally buoyant particles and also for the case of zero flow over the wall. Situations in which the particle is either free to rotate or prevented from rotating are considered. Such results are found to agree qualitatively with known experimental data.     

Dynamics of dual-particles settling under gravity

As a first step towards understanding particle–particle interaction in fluid flows, the motion of two spherical particles settling in close proximity under gravity in Newtonian fluids was investigated experimentally for particle Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.01 to 2000. It was observed that particles repel each other for Re>0.1 and that the separation distance of settling particles is Reynolds number dependent. At lower Reynolds numbers, i.e. for Re<0.1, particles settling under gravity do not separate.The orientation preference of two spherical particles was found to be Reynolds number dependent. At higher Reynolds numbers, the line connecting the centres of the two particles is always horizontal, regardless of the way the two particles are launched. At lower Reynolds numbers, however, the particle centreline tends to tilt to an arbitrary angle, even of the two particles are launched in the horizontal plane. Because of the tilt, a side migration of the two particles was found to exist. A linear theory was developed to estimate the side migration velocity. It was found that the maximum side migration velocity is approximately 6% of the vertical settling velocity, in good agreement with the experimental results.Counter-rotating spinning of the two particles was observed and measured in the range of Re=0–10. Using the linear model, it is possible to estimate the influence of the tilt angle on the rate of rotation at low Reynolds numbers. Dual particles settle faster than a single particle at small Reynolds numbers but not at higher Reynolds numbers, because of particle separation. The variation of particle settling velocity with Reynolds number is presented. An equation which can be used to estimate the influence of tilt angle on particle settling velocity at low Reynolds number is also derived.     

The sedimentation of polydisperse suspensions in vessels having inclined walls

A theory is presented for describing the sedimentation of polydisperse suspensions in two-dimensional channels having walls that are inclined to the vertical. The theory assumes that the flow is laminar and that the suspension consists of spherical beads having small particle Reynolds numbers. The suspension may consist of either $\text{N}$ distinct species of particles or of a continuum of particle sizes and densities. For the sake of simplicity, the analysis is mostly confined to the case in which the hindered settling velocity of each particle is given by its Stokes settling velocity multiplied by a function of the total local solids concentration. Under these conditions, results are developed that are useful for the design of either batch or continuous settling devices. Experimental observations were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the present theory.     

Dynamic simulation of sedimentation of solid particles in an Oldroyd-B fluid

In this paper we present a two-dimensional numerical study of the viscoelastic effects on the sedimentation of particles in the presence of solid walls or another particle. The Navier-Stokes equations coupled with an Oldroyd-B model are solved using a finite-element method with the EVSS formalism, and the particles are moved according to their equations of motion. In a vertical channel filled with a viscoelastic fluid, a particle settling very close to one side wall experiences a repulsion from the wall; a particle farther away from the wall is attracted toward it. Thus a settling particle will approach an eccentric equilibrium position, which depends on the Reynolds and Deborah numbers. Two particles settling one on top of the other attract and form a doublet if their initial separation is not too large. Two particles settling side by side approach each other and the doublet also rotates till the line of centers is aligned with the direction of sedimentation. The particle-particle interactions are in qualitative agreement with experimental observations, while the wall repulsion has not been documented in experiments. The driving force for lateral migrations is shown to correlate with the pressure distribution on the particle's surface. As a rule, viscoelasticity affects the motion of particles by modifying the pressure distribution on their surface. The direct contribution of viscoelastic normal stresses to the force and torque is not important.     

Structure of inertial-admixture accumulation zones in a tornado-like flow

The motion of a dispersed inertial admixture in a steady-state axisymmetric 3D viscous incompressible flow formed by a semi-infinite vortex filament interacting with an orthogonally located substrate surface is considered. The carrier-phase parameters are found from the numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations under the assumption of flow self-similarity of a known type [1]. Different phase force interaction schemes corresponding to different ratios of the phase densities are considered. For calculating the dispersed-phase continuum parameters, a full Lagrangian approach is used, which makes it possible to calculate the dispersed-phase concentration in particle accumulation zones and regions of intersecting particle trajectories. On the basis of parametric calculations, it is found that in the case of heavy particles (whose density is greater than that of the carrier phase) a “cup-shaped” particle accumulation surface visualizing a high-vorticity region is formed. The dependence of this surface shape on the governing parameters is investigated. It is shown that for different phase density ratios the dispersed-phase concentration fields are qualitatively different.     

Inertial-microfluidic radial migration in solid/liquid two-phase flow through a microcapillary: Particle equilibrium position

Although equilibrium of spherical particles under radial migration has been extensively investigated, mostly in macroscale flows with characteristic lengths on the order of centimeters, it is not fully characterized at relatively small Reynolds numbers, 1 ≤ Re ≤ 100. This paper experimentally studies “inertial microfluidic” radial migration of spherical particles in circular Poiseuille flow through a microcapillary. Microparticle tracking experiments are performed to obtain the spatial distribution of the particles by adopting a depth-resolved measurement technique. Through the analysis of the radial distribution of particles, inertial microfluidic circular Poiseuille flow is shown to induce a strong radial migration of particles at substantially small Re, which is quite in contrast to the pipe flows at large Re previously reported. This particle migration phenomenon is so prominent that particle equilibrium positions are formed even at small Re. However, it turns out that there exists a certain critical Re below which particle equilibrium position is almost fixed, but above which it seems to drift toward the channel wall.     

The flow structure of dilute gas-particle suspensions behind a shock wave moving along a flat surface

The asymptotic and numerical investigations of shock-induced boundary layers in gas-particle mixtures are presented.The Saffman lift force acting on a particle in a shear flow istaken into account.It is shown that particle migration across the boundary layer leads tointersections of particle trajectories.The corresponding modification of dusty gas model isproposed in this paper.The equations of two-phase sidewall boundary layer behind a shock wave moving at aconstant speed are obtained by using the method of matched asymptotic expansions.Themethod of the calculation of particle phase parameters in Lagrangian coordinates isdescribed in detail.Some numerical results for the case of small particle concentration aregiven.     

The effect of particle concentration inhomogeneities on the steady flow of electro- and magneto-rheological materials

The yield stresses of electro-rheological (ER) and magneto-rheological (MR) suspensions increase by orders of magnitude when electric or magnetic fields are applied across them. In the absence of the field, the materials are essentially Newtonian fluids. When ER or MR materials flow through thin laminar ducts, the effect of the finite yield stress concentrates the material deformation gradients in the immediate vicinity of the duct walls. High shear rates in this region introduce drag and lift forces on the suspended particles, the net effect of which moves the particles away from the walls. Electro- or magneto-static image forces at the walls oppose this lift. The ensuing local changes in the particulate volume fraction gives rise to a local inhomogeneity in material properties adjacent to the walls.Four models for the material property inhomogeneities are presented in this paper. Three of these models admit analytical expressions for the relationship between pressure gradient and volumetric flow rate, but presume a piecewise constant particle concentration. The fourth model presumes a smooth relationship between the volume fraction and the shear rate, but requires a numerical solution. Results are presented in terms of the ratio of pressure gradients that can be produced by applying and removing the field.Experimental data collected for a variety of quasi-steady ER flows shows that the analytical solution corresponding to a flow of uniform particle concentration provides an upper bound to the pressure gradients. Each of the four models for inhomogeneous flow provides a lower bound over a sub-domain of the flow conditions. By combining these models heuristically, a single expression for the lower bound on the pressure gradients of ER and MR flows is presented.     

Particle deposition in channels with permeablewalls

The filling of a channel with solid particles is considered in connection with the problem of preserving the geometry of a slot produced by hydraulic fracturing in a petroleum reservoir. The channel walls are permeable for the fluid. In the study, an experimental model of the channel (slot) in a permeable porous medium is used, on the periphery of which a constant pressure is sustained. The conditions of particle deposition on the permeable channel walls are determined. It is shown that in the case considered the initial stage of the particle deposition is independent of the viscosity and velocity of the fluid and is determined by the particle size and the specific permeability of the channel walls. It is found that the particles moving in the fluid stop at a certain distance and fill the fracture closely, forming a slug which loses stability as the pressure difference on its edges increases. The loss of the stability of the slug is accompanied by the appearance of a wavy channel, devoid of the particles and propagating in the flow direction.     

The distribution of solid particles suspended in a turbulent flow: A stochastic approach

Basic fluid mechanics and stochastic theories are applied to show that the concentration distribution of suspended solid particles in a direction normal to the mean streamlines of a two-dimensional turbulent flow is greatly influenced by the lift force exerted on them in the vicinity of the wall. Analytic solution shows that, when the direction of the mean flow is horizontal, the probability density functionp (y, t) for random displacements of the particles will have a maximum value at a point from the wall where the perpendicular component of the lift force precisely balances particle gravity. Interpretation of experimental observations is presented using this theory.     

Experimental Study on the Pore Structure Fractals and Seepage Characteristics of a Coal Sample Around a Borehole in Coal Seam Water Infusion

In this study, a two-dimensional fully coupled computational model is developed for simulation of proppant settlement in hydro-fractures with the use of the extended finite element framework. The porous domain is governed by the well-known \((\mathbf{u}-p)\) formulation, which consists of the momentum balance equation of the bulk, in conjunction with the momentum balance and continuity equations of the pore fluid. The hydro-fracture inflow is modeled as a 1D flow on the basis of the Darcy law, in which fracture permeability is incorporated by means of the cubic law. Contact constraints are elaborated to eliminate the overlap of fracture edges and the leak-off flow. Proppant settlement is conducted on the basis of Stokes’ law for particle terminal velocity, in which the effects of fracture walls, concentration, viscosity and bridging are incorporated into the model. A fixed-point algorithm is introduced to achieve the optimum combination for the proppant injection. Using the extended finite element method, the strong discontinuity in the displacement field due to crack body, as well as the weak discontinuity in the pressure field due to leakage, is included in the model with the use of the Heaviside and modified level set enrichment functions, respectively. The robustness and versatility of the proposed numerical algorithm in determining the optimum proppant injection is examined through several numerical simulations.     

Large eddy simulation of a confined square cavity with natural convection based on compressible flow equations

Large eddy simulation of natural convection in a confined square cavity is described. The use of a complex compressible code with an artificial acoustic stiffness correction method, allows the use of higher time steps for a faster time and statistical convergence. We consider a broadly studied experimental case, consisting of a natural convective flow in a confined square cavity, with vertical walls heated at different rates (active walls), set at Ra = 1.58 × 10⁹. Turbulent boundary layers developing on the active walls and a vertical stable stratification characterize the mean flow. It is shown here that the results of this study match the experimental results reported in literature; for instance, mean velocity results. Although results for rms velocity fluctuations are barely over-predicted, the peak region is properly represented, while the greatest disagreements are found in the turbulent heat flow rate (velocity–temperature correlations). Turbulent structures were identified using different visualization methods and statistical studies. The authors found that the boundary layers on the active walls almost reach the fully turbulent regime, tending toward the laminar regime along the horizontal walls.