On the interaction between two fixed spherical particles

The variation of the drag (C_D) and lift coefficients (C_L) of two fixed solid spherical particles placed at different positions relative each other is studied. Simulations are carried out for particle Reynolds numbers of 50, 100 and 200 and the particle position is defined by the angle between the line connecting the centers of the particles and the free-stream direction (α) and the separation distance (d₀) between the particles. The flow around the particles is simulated using two different methods; the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM), using two different computational codes, and a conventional finite difference approach, where the Volume of Solid Method (VOS) is used to represent the particles. Comparisons with available numerical and experimental data show that both methods can be used to accurately resolve the flow field around particles and calculate the forces the particles are subjected to. Independent of the Reynolds number, the largest change in drag, as compared to the single particle case, occurs for particles placed in tandem formation. Compared to a single particle, the drag reduction for the secondary particle in tandem arrangement is as high as 60%, 70% and 80% for Re = 50, 100 and 200, respectively. The development of the recirculation zone is found to have a significant influence on the drag force. Depending on the flow situation in-between the particles for various particle arrangements, attraction and repulsion forces are detected due to low and high pressure regions, respectively. The results show that the inter-particle forces are not negligible even under very dilute conditions.     

Agglomeration of inertial particles in a random rotating symmetric straining flow

This paper is concerned with the development and validation of a simple Lagrangian model for particle agglomeration in a turbulent flow involving the collision of particles in a sequence of correlated straining and vortical structures which simulate the Kolmogorov small scales of motion of the turbulence responsible for particle pair dispersion and collision. In this particular study we consider the collision rate of monodisperse spherical particles in a symmetric (pure) straining flow which is randomly rotated to create an isotropic flow. The model is similar to the classical model of Saffman and Turner (S&T) (1956) for the collision (agglomeration) of tracer particles suspended in a turbulent flow. However unlike S&T, the straining flow is not frozen in time persisting only for timescales ∼Kolmogorov timescale. Furthermore, we consider the collision of inertial particles as well as tracer particles, and study their behavior not only at the collision boundary but also in its vicinity. In the simulation, particles are injected continuously at the boundaries of the straining flow, the size of the straining region being typical of the Kolmogorov length scale η_K of the turbulence. For steady state conditions, we calculate the flux of particles colliding with a test particle at the centre of the straining flow and consider its dependence on the inertia of the colliding particles (characterized by the particle Stokes number, St). The model replicates the segregation and accumulation observed in DNS and in particular the maximum segregation for St ∼ 1 (where St is the ratio of the particle response time to the Kolmogorov timescale). We also calculate the contributions of the various turbulent forces in the momentum balance equation for satellite particles and show for instance that for small Stokes number, there is a balance between turbulent diffusion and turbophoresis (gradient of kinetic stresses) which in turn is responsible for the build-up of concentration at the collision boundary. As found in previous studies, for the case of inertialess tracer particles, the collision rate turns out to be significantly smaller than the S&T prediction due to a lowering of the concentration at the collision boundary compared to the fully mixed value. The increase in collision rate for St ∼ 0.5 is shown to be a combination of particle segregation (build-up of concentration near the collision boundary) and the decorrelation of the relative velocity between the local fluid and a colliding particle. The difference from the S&T value for the agglomeration kernel is shown to be a consequence of the choice of perfectly absorbing boundary conditions at collision and the influence of the time scale of the turbulence (eddy lifetime). We draw the analogy between turbulent agglomeration and particle deposition in a fully developed turbulent boundary layer.     

Direct numerical simulation of particle dispersion in a turbulent jet considering inter-particle collisions

To investigate the behaviour of inter-particle collision and its effects on particle dispersion, direct numerical simulation of a three-dimensional two-phase turbulent jet was conducted. The finite volume method and the fractional-step projection algorithm were used to solve the governing equations of the gas phase fluid and the Lagrangian method was applied to trace the particles. The deterministic hard-sphere model was used to describe the inter-particle collision. In order to allow an analysis of inter-particle collisions independent of the effect of particles on the flow, two-way coupling was neglected. The inter-particle collision occurs frequently in the local regions with higher particle concentration of the flow field. Under the influence of the local accumulation and the turbulent transport effects, the variation of the average inter-particle collision number with the Stokes number takes on a complex non-linear relationship. The particle distribution is more uniform as a result of inter-particle collisions, and the lateral and the spanwise dispersion of the particles considering inter-particle collision also increase. Furthermore, for the case of particles with the Rosin–Rammler distribution (the medial particle size is set d₅₀ = 36.7 μm), the collision number is significantly larger than that of the particles at the Stokes number of 10, and their effects on calculated results are also more significant.     

Direct numerical simulation of a particle-laden low Reynolds number turbulent round jet

Direct numerical simulation method is used for the investigating of particle-laden turbulent flows in a spatially evolution of low Reynolds number axisymmetric jet, and the Eulerian–Lagrangian point-particle approach is employed in the simulation. The simulation uses an explicit coupling scheme between particles and the fluid, which considers two-way coupling between the particle and the fluid. The DNS results are compared well with experimental data with equal Reynolds number (R_e = 1700). Our objects are: (i) to investigate the correlation between the particle number density and the fluctuating of fluid streamwise velocity; (ii) to examine whether the three-dimensional vortex structures in the particle-laden jet are the same as that in the free-air jet and how the particles modulate the thee-dimensional vortex structures and turbulence properties with different Stokes number particles; (iii) to discover the particle circumferential dispersion with different Stokes number particles. Our findings: (i) all the particles, regardless of their particle size, tend to preferentially accumulate in the region with large-than-mean fluid streamwise velocity; (ii) the small Stokes number particles take an important part in the modulation of three-dimensional vortex structures, but for the intermediate and larger sized particles, this modulation effect seems not so apparent; (iii) the particle circumferential dispersion is more effective for the smaller and intermediate sized particles, especially for the intermediate sized particles.     

Drag law for monodisperse gas–solid systems using particle-resolved direct numerical simulation of flow past fixed assemblies of spheres

Gas–solid momentum transfer is a fundamental problem that is characterized by the dependence of normalized average fluid–particle force F on solid volume fraction ? and the Reynolds number based on the mean slip velocity Re_m. In this work we report particle-resolved direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of interphase momentum transfer in flow past fixed random assemblies of monodisperse spheres with finite fluid inertia using a continuum Navier–Stokes solver. This solver is based on a new formulation we refer to as the Particle-resolved Uncontaminated-fluid Reconcilable Immersed Boundary Method (PUReIBM). The principal advantage of this formulation is that the fluid stress at the particle surface is calculated directly from the flow solution (velocity and pressure fields), which when integrated over the surfaces of all particles yields the average fluid–particle force. We demonstrate that PUReIBM is a consistent numerical method to study gas–solid flow because it results in a force density on particle surfaces that is reconcilable with the averaged two-fluid theory. The numerical convergence and accuracy of PUReIBM are established through a comprehensive suite of validation tests. The normalized average fluid–particle force F is obtained as a function of solid volume fraction ? (0.1 ? ? ? 0.5) and mean flow Reynolds number Re_m (0.01 ? Re_m ? 300) for random assemblies of monodisperse spheres. These results extend previously reported results of  and  to a wider range of ?, Re_m, and are more accurate than those reported by Beetstra et al. (2007). Differences between the drag values obtained from PUReIBM and the drag correlation of Beetstra et al. (2007) are as high as 30% for Re_m in the range 100–300. We take advantage of PUReIBM’s ability to directly calculate the relative contributions of pressure and viscous stress to the total fluid–particle force, which is useful in developing drag correlations. Using a scaling argument, Hill et al. (2001b) proposed that the viscous contribution is independent of Re_m but the pressure contribution is linear in Re_m (for Re_m > 50). However, from PUReIBM simulations we find that the viscous contribution is not independent of the mean flow Reynolds number, although the pressure contribution does indeed vary linearly with Re_m in accord with the analysis of Hill et al. (2001b). An improved correlation for F in terms of ? and Re_m is proposed that corrects the existing correlations in Re_m range 100–300. Since this drag correlation has been inferred from simulations of fixed particle assemblies, it does not include the effect of mobility of the particles. However, the fixed-bed simulation approach is a good approximation for high Stokes number particles, which are encountered in most gas–solid flows. This improved drag correlation can be used in CFD simulations of fluidized beds that solve the average two-fluid equations where the accuracy of the drag law affects the prediction of overall flow behavior.     

The influences of jet precession on near field particle distributions

The effects of jet precession on the mean and fluctuating components of the distributions of 20 μm spherical particles in the first 10 nozzle diameters downstream from a simulated pulverised fuel burner have been investigated experimentally. Precessing jets are a class of oscillating flow with application in the combustion of pulverised fuels, especially in rotary kilns. The particle distributions have been determined using planar nephelometry, a laser-based instantaneous concentration technique. The influence of the momentum ratio of precessing jet to co-annular jet flow on the distribution of particles is assessed. Mean and fluctuating components of centreline particle distributions, half-widths and radial profiles are presented. It is found that small amounts of jet precession result in an elongation and narrowing of the overall particle distributions. Further increases of precessing jet momentum leads to a wider distribution of particles.     

Two-phase flow laden with spherical particles in a microcapillary

Solid–liquid two-phase flow in a finite Reynolds number range (2 < Re < 12), transporting neutrally-buoyant microspheres with diameters of 6, 10, and 16 μm through a 260-μm microcapillary, is investigated. A standard microparticle-tracking velocimetry (μ-PTV) that consists of a double-pulsed Nd:YAG laser, an epi-fluorescent microscope, and a cooled-CCD camera is used to examine the flow. The solid particles are visualized in view of their spatial distributions. We observe a strong radial migration of the particles across the flow streamlines at substantially small Re. The degree of particle migration is presented in terms of probability density function. Some applications based on this radial migration phenomena are discussed in conjunction with particle separation/concentration in microfluidic devices, where the spatial distribution of particles is of great importance. In doing so, we propose a particle-trajectory function to empirically construct the spatial distribution of solid particles, which is well correlated with our experimental data. It is believed that this function provides a simple method for estimating the spatial distribution of particles undergoing radial migration in solid–liquid two-phase flows.     

Temporal stability of a particle-laden jet

The temporal instability of a particle-laden jet was investigated numerically which took into consideration the parametric effects of jet parameter, B, jet Reynolds number, Re_j, particle mass loading, Z and Stokes number, St. The linear stability theory was used to derive the instability equations of a viscous particle-laden jet flow. The single-phase instability of a top-hat jet was then calculated and compared with the available analytical theories. The numerical results agree well with the analytical results for both the axisymmetric (n = 0) and first azimuthal (n = 1) modes. The results show that the first azimuthal mode disturbance is usually more unstable than that of the axisymmetric mode. But the axisymmetric mode disturbance can be more unstable when Z is high enough (i.e., Z ? 0.1). The higher B and Re_j are, the more unstable the particle-laden jet will be. The existence of particles enhances the flow stability. With the increasing of Z, the jet flow will grow more stable. The inviscid single-phase jet is the most unstable. The wave amplification, c_i first decreases with the increasing of St and then increases afterwards. There exist certain values of St, at which the jet is the most stable.     

Fluid forces on a very low Reynolds number airfoil and their prediction

This paper presents the measurements of mean and fluctuating forces on an NACA0012 airfoil over a large range of angle (α) of attack (0-90°) and low to small chord Reynolds numbers (Re_c), 5.3 × 10³-5.1 × 10⁴, which is of both fundamental and practical importance. The forces, measured using a load cell, display good agreement with the estimate from the LDA-measured cross-flow distributions of velocities in the wake based on the momentum conservation. The dependence of the forces on both α and Re_c is determined and discussed in detail. It has been found that the stall of an airfoil, characterized by a drop in the lift force and a jump in the drag force, occurs at Re_c ? 1.05 × 10⁴ but is absent at Re_c = 5.3 × 10³. A theoretical analysis is developed to predict and explain the observed dependence of the mean lift and drag on α.     

Rolling/sliding of a particle on a flat wall in a linear shear flow at finite Re

Recently Lee and Balachandar proposed analytically-based expressions for drag and lift coefficients for a spherical particle moving on a flat wall in a linear shear flow at finite Reynolds number. In order to evaluate the accuracy of these expressions, we have conducted direct numerical simulations of a rolling particle for shear Reynolds number up to 100. We assume that the particle rolls on a horizontal flat wall with a small gap separating the particle from the wall (L = 0.505) and thus avoiding the logarithmic singularity. The influence of the shear Reynolds number and the translational velocity of the particle on the hydrodynamic forces of the particle was investigated under both transient and the final drag-free and torque-free steady state. It is observed that the quasi-steady drag and lift expressions of Lee and Balachandar provide good approximation for the terminal state of the particle motion ranging from perfect sliding to perfect rolling. With regards to transient particle motion in a wall-bounded shear flow it is observed that the above validated quasi-steady drag and lift forces must be supplemented with appropriate wall-corrected added-mass and history forces in order to accurately predict the time-dependent approach to the terminal steady state. Quantitative comparison with the actual particle motion computed in the numerical simulations shows that the theoretical models quite effective in predicting rolling/sliding motion of a particle in a wall-bounded shear flow at moderate Re.     

Numerical modeling of a two-dimensional vertical turbulent two-phase jet

The results of numerically modeling two-dimensional two-phase flow of the “gas-solid particles” type in a vertical turbulent jet are presented for three cases of its configuration, namely, descending, ascending, and without account of gravity. Both flow phases are modeled on the basis of the Navier-Stokes equations averaged within the framework of the Reynolds approximation and closed by an extended k-? turbulence model. The averaged two-phase flow parameters (particle and gas velocities, particle concentration, turbulent kinetic energy, and its dissipation) are described using the model of mutually-penetrating continua. The model developed allows for both the direct effect of turbulence on the motion of disperse-phase particles and the inverse effect of the particles on turbulence leading to either an increase or a decrease in the turbulent kinetic energy of the gas. The model takes account for gravity, viscous drag, and the Saffman lift. The system of equations is solved using a difference method. The calculated results are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data which confirms the effect of solid particles on the mean and turbulent characteristics of gas jets.     

Hybrid RANS/LES of flow and heat transfer in round impinging jets

Fluid flow and convective heat transfer predictions are presented of round impinging jets for several combinations of nozzle-plate distances H/D = 2, 6 and 13.5 (where D is the nozzle diameter) and Reynolds numbers Re = 5000, 23,000 and 70,000 with the newest version of the k-ω model of Wilcox (2008) and three hybrid RANS/LES models. In the RANS mode of the hybrid RANS/LES models, the k-ω model is recovered. Three formulations are considered to activate the LES mode. The first model is similar to the hybrid models of Davidson and Peng (2003) and Kok et al. (2004). The turbulent length scale is replaced by the grid size in the destruction term of the k-equation and in the definition of the RANS eddy viscosity. As grid size, a maximum measure of the hexahedral grid cell is used. The second model has the same k-equation, but the eddy viscosity is the minimum of the k-ω eddy viscosity and the Smagorinsky eddy viscosity, following a proposal by Batten et al. (2004). The Smagorinsky eddy viscosity is formed with the cube root of the cell volume. The third model has, again, the same k-equation, but has an eddy viscosity which is an intermediate between the eddy viscosities of the first and second models. This is reached by using the cube root of the cell volume in the eddy viscosity formula of the first model.The simulation results are compared with experimental data for the high Reynolds number cases Re = 23,000 and Re = 70,000 and LES data for the low-Reynolds number case Re = 5000. The Reynolds numbers are defined with the nozzle diameter and the bulk velocity at nozzle outlet. At low nozzle-plate distance (the impingement plate is in the core of the jet), turbulent kinetic energy is overpredicted by RANS in the stagnation flow region. This leads to overprediction of the heat transfer rate along the impingement plate in the impact zone. At high nozzle-plate distance (the impingement plate is in the mixed-out region of the jet), the turbulence mixing is underpredicted by RANS in the shear layer of the jet which gives a too high length of the jet core. This also results in overprediction of the heat transfer rate in the impingement zone caused by too big temperature gradients at impingement.All hybrid RANS/LES models are able to correct the heat transfer overprediction of the RANS model. For good predictions at low nozzle-plate distance, it is necessary to sufficiently resolve the formation and development of the near-wall vortices in the jet impingement region. At high nozzle-plate distance, the essence is to capture the evolution and breakup of the flow unsteadiness in the shear layer of the jet, so that accurate mean and fluctuating velocity profiles are obtained in the impingement region. Although the models have a quite different theoretical justification and generate a quite different eddy viscosity in some flow regions, their overall results are very comparable. The reason is that in zones that are crucial for the results, the models behave similarly.     

Active manipulation of a particle-laden jet

The interaction of a particle-laden jet (_ReUe=6600)$({\mathit{Re}}_{U_{\text{e}}}=6600)$ with a single synthetic jet or a continuous control jet located upstream of the main jet exit (i.e., within the main jet nozzle) was examined experimentally using PIV and PTV. A reduction technique was used to calculate 3-D flow fields from multiple 2-D measurement planes to study the complex 3-D interactions. The synthetic jet was shown to influence the particles both directly and indirectly through the manipulation of the carrier fluid’s drag force on the particles. The synthetic jet impulse directly vectors the particles away from the synthetic jet, while the formation of large vortical structures indirectly affects the particles, spreading throughout the measurement domain. By comparison, a continuous control jet only vectors the particles away from itself. The lowest Stokes number particles respond similarly to the carrier fluid, while higher Stokes number particles are less responsive to the control and only follow the strong vortical structures (i.e., higher circulation), which suggests that the preferential concentration concept depends on both the Stokes number as well as the strength of the coherent structures.     

Particle statistics in a gas–solid coaxial strongly swirling flow: A direct numerical simulation

A direct numerical simulation of a strongly coaxial swirling particle-laden flow is conducted with reference to a previous experiment. The carrier phase is simulated as a coaxial swirling flow through a short nozzle injecting into a large container. The particle phase is carried by the primary jet, and simulated in the Lagrangian approach. The drag force, slip-shear force and slip-rotation force experienced by particles are calculated. A partial validation of the results is followed. The results are analyzed in Eulerian approach focusing on the statistical behavior of particle motion. The relative importance of the drag, slip-shear and slip-rotation forces under different Stokes numbers is indicated quantitatively. The particle velocity profiles, fluctuations, Reynolds stress, and turbulence intensity are demonstrated and analyzed respectively. An important “choke” behavior for large particles within the mainstream is found and interpreted. Additionally, the patterns of particle distribution and the helical structures of particle motion under different Stokes numbers are demonstrated qualitatively and analyzed quantitatively.     

Effect of suspended CuO nanoparticles on mass transfer to a rotating disc electrode

The effect of suspended CuO nanoparticles on the mass transfer to a rotating disc electrode was investigated experimentally, using the electrochemical limiting diffusion current technique. The particle volume fraction was from 0.39% to 1.94%. The rotating speed ranged from 100 to 1000 rpm, which yielded the Reynolds number between 10 and 110, based on the electrochemically active disc radius. The results showed that the addition of the suspended particles increased the limiting current and the plot of log I vs. log ω resulted in linear lines, of which slopes decreased with increasing particle volume fraction. The ratio of Sh/Sh_o ranged from 1 to 1.5. The Sherwood number correlation as function of the Reynolds number and the particle volume fraction was also given.     

CFD-DEM simulation of spouting of corn-shaped particles

Three dimensionally coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) were used to investigate the flow of corn-shaped particles in a cylindrical spouted bed with a conical base. The particle motion was modeled by the DEM, and the gas motion by the k-? two-equation turbulent model. A two-way coupling numerical iterative scheme was used to incorporate the effects of gas–particle interactions in terms of momentum exchange. The corn-shaped particles were constructed by a multi-sphere method. Drag force, contact force, Saffman lift force, Magnus lift force, and gravitational force acting on each individual particle were considered in establishing the mathematical modeling. Calculations were carried out in a cylindrical spouted bed with an inside diameter of 200 mm, a height of 700 mm, and a conical base of 60°. Comparison of simulations with experiments showed the availability of the multi-sphere method in simulating spouting action with corn-shaped particles, but it depended strongly on the number and the arrangement of the spherical elements. Gas–solid flow patterns, pressure drop, particle velocity and particle concentration at various spouting gas velocity were discussed. The results showed that particle velocity reaches a maximum at the axis and then decreases gradually along the radial direction in the whole bed. Particle concentration increases along the radial direction in the spout region but decreases in the fountain region, while it is nearly constant in the annulus region. Increasing spouting gas velocity leads to larger pressure drop, remarkably increased speed of particle moving upward or downward, but decreased particle concentration.     

Slow Motion of a Porous Cylindrical Shell in a concentric cylindrical cavity

This paper concerns the Slow Motion of a Porous Cylindrical Shell in a concentric cylindrical cavity using particle-in-cell method. The Brinkman’s equation in the porous region and the Stokes equation for clear fluid in their stream function formulations are used. The hydrodynamic drag force acting on each porous cylindrical particle in a cell and permeability of membrane built up by cylindrical particles with a porous shell are evaluated. Four known boundary conditions on the hypothetical surface are considered and compared: Happel’s, Kuwabara’s, Kvashnin’s and Cunningham’s (Mehta-Morse’s condition). Some previous results for hydrodynamic drag force and dimensionless hydrodynamic permeability have been verified. Variation of the drag coefficient and dimensionless hydrodynamic permeability with permeability parameter σ, particle volume fraction γ has been studied and some new results are reported. The flow patterns through the regions have been analyzed by stream lines. Effect of particle volume fraction γ and permeability parameter σ on flow pattern is also discussed. In our opinion, these results will have significant contributions in studying, Stokes flow through cylindrical swarms.     

Periodic structure of the dispersed phase in a forced jet and their effects on the particle dispersion

This paper presents an experimental study on an acoustically forced particle-laden jet. The acoustic disturbances cause a train of strong periodical vortex due to the selected frequency and its high excitation level. The jet Reynolds number is not small (Re = 11,900) and the particle Stokes number is about one, responding partly to the forcing. The flow was tested using a Phase Doppler Anemometer (PDA). The paper includes measurements of both gas and dispersed phase over the whole forcing cycle. An external post-processing (developed by the authors) carefully corrects the bias inherent to the operation principles of the PDA in all supplied averages (including the phase-averaged values). This post-processing gives also some variables which were defined ad-hoc to characterize the periodic structure of the flow. Such information is never given in the previous literature. This work continues a previous study done by the authors.Measurements detect three axial zones. The strong periodic gas vortices control the flow in the area close to the nozzle exit. They generate highly concentrated clusters of particles as well as tongue-shaped structures of radially ejected particles (or radial streaks). Downstream, the gas vortices vanish and inertia plays a central role in the development of the dispersed phase. The particle clustering ends here. Finally, all periodic motion disappears and flow degenerates into an unforced two-phase jet. Radially, the inertial zone of the particulate phase covers the outermost layers. The influence of the particle size is also discussed.The radial dispersion of particles across certain section is quantified by means of a suitably defined parameter. This dispersion radius was measured at the end of the area disturbed by forcing for both the forced and unforced jet. Thus, the comparison assesses the total effect of forcing on the transversal dispersion. The dispersion of the whole size distribution and of each particle size is quantified. Results show that forcing enhances the dispersion and it is controlled mainly by the periodic streaks while turbulence has a secondary role. The streak shape is accurately computed from the measurements and its extension has been successfully related with the particle's history and it size by means of a suitably defined Stokes number.Finally, this study supplies a set of high quality data useful to validate inherently unsteady numerical models. As stated by other authors, there is a lack of periodic well-characterized experiments for validation purposes which mimic the interaction between the particles and the large scales of turbulence.     

Influence of a counter rotating vortex pair on the stability of a jet in a cross flow: an experimental study by flow visualizations

 The loss of stability of a flow resulting from the interaction of a transverse jet and a crossflow has been studied experimentally by means of several nonintrusive optical methods (Laser-Induced Fluorescence, Particle Streak Velocimetry). In particular, flow visualizations have allowed measurement of the characteristic velocity of rotation of a counter-rotating vortex pair, which is the prevailing system of this complex flow. It is shown that the elliptical geometry of the cross sections of these vortex structures can cause the loss of stability of the jet according to the theory of Landman and Saffman (1987). The unstable jet state is characterized by the generation of transverse unsteady rotating structures on the jet boundaries. These transverse eddies are clearly identifiable and their regularity of occurrence is satisfactorily explained by the theory of Landman and Saffman. Therefore, this study shows for the first time that the longitudinal structures must be taken into account in the mechanism of stability arising from the meeting of a jet and a cross stream. Received: 7 May 1997/Accepted: 20 March 1998