Effect of Shape on Inertial Particle Dynamics in a Channel Flow

Particle dynamics in a channel flow are investigated using large eddy simulation and a Lagrangian particle tracking technique. Following validation of single-phase flow predictions against DNS results, fluid velocities are subsequently used to study the behaviour of particles of differing shape assuming one-way coupling between the fluid and the particles. The influence of shape- and orientation-dependent drag and lift forces on both the translational and rotational motion of the particles is accounted for to ensure accurate representation of the flow dynamics of non-spherical particles. The size of the particles studied was obtained based on an equivalent-volume sphere, and differing shapes were modelled using super-quadratic ellipsoid forms by varying their aspect ratio, with their orientation predicted using the incidence angle between the particle relative velocity and the particle principal axis. Results are presented for spherical, needle- and platelet-like particles at a number of different boundary layer locations along the wall-normal direction within the channel. The time evolution and probability density function of selected particle translational and rotational properties show a clear distinction between the behaviour of the various particles types, and indicate the significance of particle shape when modelling many practically relevant flows.     

On hindered settling of particles of different sizes

The flow of a non-dilute fluid suspension is considered in which the dispersed phase consists of particles or droplets of different sizes. A phenomenological two-phase flow theory is formulated for both continuous and discrete distributions of particle sizes and illustrated by considering the batch settling of such a mixture. The volume fractions and particle distribution functions are determined, as well as the composition of the sedimentary layer.     

Sedimentation of bidisperse suspensions

The average settling velocity of a suspension of identical particles through otherwise quiescent fluid is smaller than the settling velocity of a single particle in an unbounded fluid. When a suspension settles out to form a deposit, this hindered settling effect may lead to complicated sedimentation behaviour, even if the initial suspension is uniformly distributed. This study analyses the bulk sedimentation of bidisperse suspensions and calculates the evolution of the volume fraction of each species from an initially vertically uniform state through to the final steady state where both species have fully settled out of suspension and have formed a deposit. These calculations are analytical and employ the method of characteristics to reveal how both particle species evolve. The profiles often include ‘shocks’, across which discontinuous changes in volume fraction occur. Rarefaction fans may also be found across which the gradients of volume fraction are discontinuous. These new analytical solutions reveal the evolving composition of the suspension and the deposit and may be compared to experimental observations. They also provide test cases that can be used to verify recent numerical techniques for computing the bulk sedimentation behaviour of polydisperse suspensions.     

Using the DEM-CFD method to predict Brownian particle deposition in a constricted tube

Modelling of the agglomeration and deposition on a constricted tube collector of colloidal size particles immersed in a liquid is investigated using the discrete element method （DEM）. The ability of this method to represent surface interactions allows the simulation of agglomeration and deposition at the particle scale. The numerical model adopts a mechanistic approach to represent the forces involved in colloidal suspensions by including near-wall drag retardation, surface interaction and Brownian forces. The model is implemented using the commercially available DEM package EDEM 2.3~, so that results can be repli- cated in a standard and user-friendly framework. The effects of various particle-to-collector size ratios, inlet fluid flow-rates and particle concentrations are examined and it is found that deposition efficiency is strongly dependent on the inter-relation of these parameters. Particle deposition and re-suspension mechanisms have been identified and analyzed thanks to EDEM＇s post processing capability. One-way coupling with computational fluid dynamics （CFD） is considered and results are compared with a two- way coupling between EDEM 2.3 and FLUENT 12.1. It is found that two-way coupling requires circa 500% more time than one-way coupling for similar results.     

明渠湍流边界层中颗粒的运动与分布

利用直接数值模拟、点球浸入边界法和颗粒离散元法相结合的方法, 模拟了颗粒在明渠湍流边界层中的运动, 并对颗粒的瞬时位置进行了Voronoi 分析, 定量研究了颗粒在湍流边界层中的运动和分布规律. 研究发现:颗粒的输运对湍流的统计特征有影响, 其运动与近壁区湍流拟序结构密切相关, 在"喷发"结构作用下被带离壁面, 在"扫掠" 结构和自身重力作用下回到壁面; 在湍流边界层中, 颗粒倾向于聚集在低流速带, 呈条带状分布;颗粒在大部分时间处于"簇"状态, 偶尔跳跃到"空" 状态, 但能够很快回到邻近低速区域.      

Using the DEM-CFD method to predict Brownian particle deposition in a constricted tube

Modelling of the agglomeration and deposition on a constricted tube collector of colloidal size particles immersed in a liquid is investigated using the discrete element method (DEM). The ability of this method to represent surface interactions allows the simulation of agglomeration and deposition at the particle scale. The numerical model adopts a mechanistic approach to represent the forces involved in colloidal suspensions by including near-wall drag retardation, surface interaction and Brownian forces. The model is implemented using the commercially available DEM package EDEM 2.3^®, so that results can be replicated in a standard and user-friendly framework. The effects of various particle-to-collector size ratios, inlet fluid flow-rates and particle concentrations are examined and it is found that deposition efficiency is strongly dependent on the inter-relation of these parameters. Particle deposition and re-suspension mechanisms have been identified and analyzed thanks to EDEM's post processing capability. One-way coupling with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is considered and results are compared with a two-way coupling between EDEM 2.3^® and FLUENT 12.1^®. It is found that two-way coupling requires circa 500% more time than one-way coupling for similar results.     

Toward application of conformal decomposition finite elements to non‐colloidal particle suspensions

Particle suspensions play an important role in many engineering applications, yet their behavior in a number of respects remains poorly understood. In conjunction with careful experiments, modeling and simulation of these systems can provide key insight into their complex behavior. However, these two‐phase systems pose the challenge of simultaneously, accurately, and efficiently capturing the complex geometric structure, kinematics, and dynamics of the particulate discrete phase and the discontinuities it introduces into the variables (e.g., velocity, pressure, density) of the continuous phase. To this end, a new conformal decomposition finite element method (CDFEM) is introduced for solid particles in a viscous fluid. The method is verified in several simple test problems that are representative of aspects of particle suspension behavior. In all cases, we find the CDFEM to perform accurately and efficiently leading to the conclusion that it forms a prime candidate for application to the full direct numerical simulation of particle suspensions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical continuous model for the hydrodynamics of fluid particle systems

In order to understand the hydrodynamic interactions that can appear in a fluid particle motion, an original method based on the equations governing the motion of two immiscible fluids has been developed. These momentum equations are solved for both the fluid and solid phases. The solid phase is assumed to be a fluid phase with physical properties, such as its behaviour can be assimilated to that of pseudo‐rigid particles. The only unknowns are the velocity and the pressure defined in both phases. The unsteady two‐dimensional momentum equations are solved by using a staggered finite volume formulation and a projection method. The transport of each particle is solved by using a second‐order explicit scheme. The physical model and the numerical method are presented, and the method is validated through experimental measurements and numerical results concerning the flow around a circular cylinder. Good agreement is observed in most cases. The method is then applied to study the trajectory of one settling particle initially off‐centred between two parallel walls and the corresponding wake effects. Different particle trajectories related to particulate Reynolds numbers are presented and commented. A two‐body interaction problem is investigated too. This method allows the simulation of the transport of particles in a dilute suspension in reasonable time. One of the important features of this method is the computational cost that scales linearly with the number of particles. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fully resolved simulations of viscoelastic suspensions by an efficient immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method

An efficient immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM) is proposed for fully resolved simulations of suspended solid particles in viscoelastic flows. Stress LBM based on Giesekus and Oldroyd-B constitutive equation are used to model the viscoelastic stress tensor. A boundary thickening-based direct forcing IB method is adopted to solve the particle–fluid interactions with high accuracy for non-slip boundary conditions. A universal law is proposed to determine the diffusivity constant in a viscoelastic LBM model to balance the numerical accuracy and stability over a wide range of computational parameters. An asynchronous calculation strategy is adopted to further improve the computing efficiency. The method was firstly applicated to the simulation of sedimentation of a single particle and a pair of particles after good validations in cases of the flow past a fixed cylinder and particle migration in a Couette flow against FEM and FVM methods. The determination of the asynchronous calculation strategy and the effect of viscoelastic stress distribution on the settling behaviors of one and two particles are revealed. Subsequently, 504 particles settling in a closed cavity was simulated and the phenomenon that the viscoelastic stress stabilizing the Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities was observed. At last, simulations of a dense flow involving 11001 particles, the largest number of particles to date, were performed to investigate the instability behavior induced by elastic effect under hydrodynamic interactions in a viscoelastic fluid. The elasticity-induced ordering of the particle structures and fluid bubble structures in this dense flow is revealed for the first time. These simulations demonstrate the capability and prospects of the present method for aid in understanding the complex behaviors of viscoelastic particle suspensions.     

Kinetic theory of colloidal suspensions: morphology, rheology, and migration

Smoluchowski kinetic equation governing the time evolution of the pair correlation function of rigid sphericalparticles suspended in a Newtonian fluid is extended to include particle migration. The extended kinetic equation takes into account three types of forces acting on the suspended particles: a direct force generated by an interparticle potential, hydrodynamic force mediated by the host fluid, and the Faxén-type forces bringing about the across-the-streamline particle migration. For suspensions subjected to externally imposed flows, the kinetic equation is solved numerically by the proper generalized decomposition method. The imposed flow investigated inthe numerical illustrations is the Poiseuille flow. Numerical solutions provide the morphology (the pair correlation function), the rheology (the stress tensor), and the particle migration.     

Filtration in a Porous Granular Medium: 1. Simulation of Pore-Scale Particle Deposition and Clogging

This paper presents a numerical model for simulating the pore-scale transport and infiltration of dilute suspensions of particles in a granular porous medium under the action of hydrodynamic and gravitational forces. The formulation solves the Stokes’ flow equations for an incompressible fluid using a fixed grid, multigrid finite difference method and an embedded boundary technique for modeling particle–fluid coupling. The analyses simulate a constant flux of the fluid suspension through a cylindrical model pore. Randomly generated particles are collected within the model pore, initially through contact and attachment at the grain surface (pore wall) and later through mounding close to the pore inlet. Simple correlations have been derived from extensive numerical simulations in order to estimate the volume of filtered particles that accumulate in the pore and the differential pressure needed to maintain a constant flux through the pore. The results show that particle collection efficiency is correlated with the Stokes’ settling velocity and indirectly through the attachment probability with the particle–grain surface roughness. The differential pressure is correlated directly with the maximum mound height and indirectly with particle size and settling velocity that affect mound packing density. Simple modification factors are introduced to account for pore length and dip angle. These parameters are used to characterize pore-scale infiltration processes within larger scale network models of particle transport in granular porous media in a companion paper. Articlenote: Currently at GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., 1 Edgewater Drive, Norwood, MA 02062, U.S.A.     

Überlegungen zur Scherviskosität von Suspensionen aufgrund einer Dimensionsanalyse

Dimensional analysis of the motion of solid particles suspended in a fluid phase shows that the macroscopic relative shear viscosity of suspensions generally depends not only on the volume concentration and particle shape but also on two Reynolds numbers and a dimensionless sedimentation number. These dimensionless numbers are formed using parameters characterizing the structure and motion of the suspension at the microscopic level. The analysis was based on the assumptions that the dispersed particles are rigid and sufficiently large that Brownian motion may be neglected, that the continuous fluid phase is Newtonian and that the interactions between particles and between particles and fluid phase are only hydrodynamic. The Reynolds numbers describe the influence of the inertial forces at the microscopic level, and the sedimentation number the influence of gravity. The dimensionless numbers can be neglected if their values are much smaller than one. For each of the dimensionless numbers both the shear rate and the particle size influence the shear viscosity. Thus sedimentation number is large for low shear rates, whereas the Reynolds numbers are large for high shear rates. The viscosity function for one suspension can be transformed into the viscosity function for another suspension with geometrically similar particles but of a different size. The scale-up rules are derived from the requirement that the relevant dimensionless numbers must be constant. The influence of non-hydrodynamic effects at the microscopic level on the shear viscosity can be detected by deviations from the derived scale-up rules.     

颗粒群碰撞搜索及CFD-DEM耦合分域 求解的推进算法研究

在采用计算流体力学-离散元耦合方法(computational fluiddynamics-discrete element method, CFD-DEM)进行固液两相耦合分析时, 颗粒计算时间步的选取直接影响到耦合计算精度和计算效率. 为此, 本文选取每个目标颗粒为研究对象, 引入插值函数计算时间步的运动位移, 构建可变空间搜索网格; 通过筛选可能碰撞颗粒建立搜索列表, 采用逆向搜索方式判断碰撞颗粒, 从而提出一种改进的DEM方法(modified discreteelement method, MDEM). 该算法在颗粒群与流体耦合计算中, 颗粒计算初始时间步选取不受颗粒碰撞时间限制, 通过自动调整和修正实现大步长, 由颗粒和流体耦合条件实时更新流体计算时间步, 使颗粒计算时间步选取过小导致计算效率低、选取过大导致颗粒碰撞漏判的问题得以解决, 为颗粒与流体耦合的数值模拟提供了行之有效的计算方法. 通过两个颗粒和多个颗粒的数值模拟, 得到的颗粒间碰撞力、碰撞位置及次数, 与理论计算结果的相对误差均低于2%, 与传统的DEM碰撞搜索算法相比, 在选取的3种计算时间步均不会影响计算精度, 且有较高的计算效率. 通过多个颗粒与流体的耦合数值模拟, 采用传统的CFD-DEM方法, 只有颗粒计算时间步选取10$^{-6}$ s或更小才能得到精确解, 而采用本文方法取10$^{-4}$ s也能够得到精确解, 避免了颗粒碰撞随时间步增大而出现的漏判问题, 且计算耗时降低了16.7%.      

含液颗粒材料液固耦合分析的离散颗粒模型及特征线SPH法

对含液颗粒材料流固耦合分析建议了一个基于离散颗粒模型与特征线SPH法的显式拉格朗日-欧拉无网格方案。在已有的用以模拟固体颗粒集合体的离散颗粒模型[1]基础上,将颗粒间间隙内的流体模型化为连续介质,对其提出并推导了基于特征线的SPH法。数值例题显示了所建议方案在模拟颗粒材料与间隙流相互作用的能力和性能以及间隙流体对颗粒结构承载能力及变形的影响。     

Accounting for finite-size effects in simulations of disperse particle-laden flows

A numerical formulation for Eulerian–Lagrangian simulations of particle-laden flows in complex geometries is developed. The formulation accounts for the finite-size of the dispersed phase. Similar to the commonly used point-particle formulation, the dispersed particles are treated as point-sources, and the forces acting on the particles are modeled through drag and lift correlations. In addition to the inter-phase momentum exchange, the presence of particles affects the fluid phase continuity and momentum equations through the displaced fluid volume. Three flow configurations are considered in order to study the effect of finite particle size on the overall flowfield: (a) gravitational settling, (b) fluidization by a gaseous jet, and (c) fluidization by lift in a channel. The finite-size formulation is compared to point-particle representations, which do not account for the effect of finite-size. It is shown that the fluid displaced by the particles plays an important role in predicting the correct behavior of particle motion. The results suggest that the standard point-particle approach should be modified to account for finite particle size, in simulations of particle-laden flows.     

Numerical study of the sedimentation of spheroidal particles

The gravity-driven motion of rigid particles in a viscous fluid is relevant in many natural and industrial processes, yet this has mainly been investigated for spherical particles. We therefore consider the sedimentation of non-spherical (spheroidal) isolated and particle pairs in a viscous fluid via numerical simulations using the Immersed Boundary Method. The simulations performed here show that the critical Galileo number for the onset of secondary motions decreases as the spheroid aspect ratio departs from 1. Above this critical threshold, oblate particles perform a zigzagging motion whereas prolate particles rotate around the vertical axis while having their broad side facing the falling direction. Instabilities of the vortices in the wake follow when farther increasing the Galileo number. We also study the drafting-kissing-tumbling associated with the settling of particle pairs. We find that the interaction time increases significantly for non-spherical particles and, more interestingly, spheroidal particles are attracted from larger lateral displacements. This has important implications for the estimation of collision kernels and can result in increasing clustering in suspensions of sedimenting spheroids.     

Validation of fluid–particle interaction force relationships in binary-solid suspensions

In this work several relationships governing solid–fluid dynamic interaction forces were validated against experimental data for a single particle settling in a suspension of other smaller particles. It was observed that force relationships based on Lattice-Boltzmann simulations did not perform as well as other interaction types tested. Nonetheless, it is apparent that, in the case of a suspension of different particle types, it is important that the correct choice is made as to how the contribution to the overall fluid–particle interaction force is split between buoyancy and drag. Experimental evidence clearly suggests that the “generalized” Archimedes’ principle (where the foreign particle is considered to displace the whole suspension and not just the fluid) provides the best result.     

Dynamic coupling of fluid and structural mechanics for simulating particle motion and interaction in high speed compressible gas particle laden flow

In this work, structural finite element analyses of particles moving and interacting within high speed compressible flow are directly coupled to computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer analyses to provide more detailed and improved simulations of particle laden flow under these operating conditions. For a given solid material model, stresses and displacements throughout the solid body are determined with the particle–particle contact following an element to element local spring force model and local fluid induced forces directly calculated from the finite volume flow solution. Plasticity and particle deformation common in such a flow regime can be incorporated in a more rigorous manner than typical discrete element models where structural conditions are not directly modeled. Using the developed techniques, simulations of normal collisions between two 1 mm radius particles with initial particle velocities of 50–150 m/s are conducted with different levels of pressure driven gas flow moving normal to the initial particle motion for elastic and elastic–plastic with strain hardening based solid material models. In this manner, the relationships between the collision velocity, the material behavior models, and the fluid flow and the particle motion and deformation can be investigated. The elastic–plastic material behavior results in post collision velocities 16–50% of their pre-collision values while the elastic-based particle collisions nearly regained their initial velocity upon rebound. The elastic–plastic material models produce contact forces less than half of those for elastic collisions, longer contact times, and greater particle deformation. Fluid flow forces affect the particle motion even at high collision speeds regardless of the solid material behavior model. With the elastic models, the collision force varied little with the strength of the gas flow driver. For the elastic–plastic models, the larger particle deformation and the resulting increasingly asymmetric loading lead to growing differences in the collision force magnitudes and directions as the gas flow strength increased. The coupled finite volume flow and finite element structural analyses provide a capability to capture the interdependencies between the interaction of the particles, the particle deformation, the fluid flow and the particle motion.