CFD simulation of particle suspension in a stirred tank

Particle suspension characteristics are predicted computationally in a stirred tank driven by a Smith turbine. In order to verify the hydrodynamic model and numerical method, the predicted power number and flow pattern are compared with designed values and simulated results from the literature, respectively. The effects of particle density, particle diameter, liquid viscosity and initial solid loading on particle suspension behavior are investigated by using the Eulerian–Eulerian two-fluid model and the standard k–? turbulence model. The results indicate that solid concentration distribution depends on the flow field in the stirred tank. Higher particle density or larger particle size results in less homogenous distribution of solid particles in the tank. Increasing initial solid loading has an adverse impact on the homogeneous suspension of solid particles in a low-viscosity liquid, whilst more uniform particle distribution is found in a high-viscosity liquid.     

Formation of particle jetting in a cylindrical shock tube

A dense, solid particle flow is numerically studied at a mesoscale level for a cylindrical shock tube problem. The shock tube consists of a central high pressure gas driver section and an annular solid powder bed with air in void regions as a driven section with its far end adjacent to ambient air. Simulations are conducted to explore the fundamental phenomena, causing clustering of particles and formation of coherent particle jet structures in such a dense solid flow. The influence of a range of parameters is investigated, including driver pressure, particle morphology, particle distribution and powder bed configuration. The results indicate that the physical mechanism responsible for this phenomenon is twofold: the driver gas jet flow induced by the shock wave as it passes through the initial gaps between the particles in the innermost layer of the powder bed, and the chaining of solid particles by inelastic collision. The particle jet forming time is determined as the time when the motion of the outermost particle layer of the powder bed is first detected. The maximum number of particle jets is bounded by the total number of particles in the innermost layer of the powder bed. The number of particle jets is mainly a function of the number of particles in the innermost layer and the mass ratio of the powder bed to the gas in the driver section, or the ratio of powder bed mass (in dimensionless form) to the pressure ratio between the driver and driven sections.     

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.     

Hydrodynamic and thermal fields analysis in gas-solid two-phase flow

The present work aims to investigate numerically the flowfield and heat transfer process in gas-solid suspension in a vertical pneumatic conveying pipe. The Eulerian-Lagrangian model is used to simulate the flow of the two-phases. The gas phase is simulated based on Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes equations (RANS) with low Reynolds number k-ε model, while particle tracking procedure is used for the solid phase. An anisotropic model is used to calculate the Reynolds stresses and the turbulent Prandtl number is calculated as a function of the turbulent viscosity. The model takes into account the lift and drag forces and the effect of particle rotation as well as the particles dispersion by turbulence effect. The effects of inter-particles collisions and turbulence modulation by the solid particles, i.e. four-way coupling, are also included in the model. Comparisons between different models for turbulence modulation with experimental data are carried out to select the best model. The model is validated against published experimental data for velocities of the two phases, turbulence intensity, solids concentration, pressure drop, heat transfer rates and Nusselt number distribution. The comparisons indicate that the present model is able to predict the complex interaction between the two phases in non-isothermal gas-solid flow in the tested range. The results indicate that the particle-particle collision, turbulence dispersion and lift force play a key role in the concentration distribution. In addition, the heat transfer rate increases as the mass loading ratio increases and Nusselt number increases as the pipe diameter increases.     

Multi-scale analysis on the pulverized coal flow behaviors under high pressure dense-phase pneumatic conveying

To deeply knowledge of the flow behaviors of pulverized coal particles in dense gas–solid two-phase flow, a multi-scale analysis method based on electrostatic sensor array is applied for the multi-scale characterization of flow behaviors of dense gas–solid flow. The experimental results indicate that: for steady flow, with the increment of conveying pressure difference, the individual particles increase and the particle clusters decrease, the individual particle distribution is always inhomogeneous but the particle cluster distribution tends to be more homogeneous over the cross-section of pipe, while the average flow behavior of pulverized coal particles is always in the relatively static state. For unsteady flow, the average flow behavior of pulverized coal particles is dynamic, and the flow behaviors of the multi-scale flow structures over the cross-section of pipe are all significantly inhomogeneous. Moreover, the effect of particle size on flow behavior of pulverized coal is also investigated and validated.     

基于五阶WENO格式的燃气在药床中流动过程二维两相流研究

为研究内弹道初始阶段中心点火管燃气在膛内药床中的流动特性和传播规律,设计了可视化点传火实验平台,并进行了膛内假药床的点传火实验。基于加权本质无震荡(weighted essentially non-oscillatory, WENO)格式,构造了膛内轴对称二维内弹道两相流模型,对膛内燃气在假药床中的流动过程进行数值模拟。计算结果与可视化实验结果符合较好,全局压力平均误差为5.35%。表明数值计算准确地描述了燃气流动特性,完整地呈现了点火管燃气在假药床中的发展过程。在点火初始阶段,膛内压力径向效应明显,气相沿径向传播较快,药床药粒基本不会发生运动;随着燃气逐渐在膛内传播,膛内压力呈现径向一致、轴向梯度分布的特征,在压力梯度作用下,气相轴向速度开始占据主导,径向速度在膛底和中部区域减小为零,而固相速度随气相速度变化而变化;气相在到达弹底前,由于固相颗粒的壅塞,会提前出现速度反向波动现象。     

Hydrodynamics and energy consumption studies in a three-phase liquid circulating three-phase fluid bed contactor

The hydrodynamics and energy consumption have been studied in a cold flow, bubbling and turbulent, pressurized gas–liquid–solid three-phase fluidized bed (0.15 m ID × 1 m height) with concurrent gas–liquid up flow is proposed with the intention of increasing the gas hold up. The hydrodynamic behaviour is described and characterised by some specific gas and liquid velocities. Particles are easily fluidized and can be uniformly distributed over the whole height of the column. The effect of parameters like liquid flow rate, gas flow rate, particle loading, particle size, and solid density on gas hold up and effect of gas flow rate, solid density and particle size on solid hold up, energy consumption and minimum fluidization velocity has been studied. At the elevated pressures a superior method for better prediction of minimum fluidization velocity and terminal settling velocities has been adopted. The results have been interpreted with Bernoulli’s theorem and Richardson–Zaki equation. Based on the assumption of the gas and liquid as a pretend fluid, a simplification has been made to predict the particle terminal settling velocities. The Richardson–Zaki parameter n′ was compared with Renzo’s results. A correlation has been proposed with the experimental results for the three-phase fluidization.     

Numerical and experimental study of an innovative pipeline design in a granular pneumatic-conveying system

During gas–solid mixture conveying in a dense phase, material is conveyed in dunes on the bottom of the pipeline, or as a pulsating moving bed. This phenomenon increases the pressure drop and power consumption. We introduce a new technique to reduce the pressure drop, which is termed the perforated double tube. To validate this new model, the gas–solid flow pattern and pressure drop were studied numerically and experimentally. The power consumption was also studied experimentally. Numerical studies were performed by the Eulerian–Lagrangian approach to predict gas and particle movement in the pipeline. Comparisons between the numerical predictions and the experimental results for the gas–solid flow patterns and pressure drop show good agreement.     

Non-uniform distribution of gas–solid flow through six parallel cyclones in a CFB system: An experimental study

In large-scale circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers, it is common to use multiple cyclones in parallel for the capture of solids, assuming that gas–solid flow to be the same in the cyclones. This article presents a study investigating gas–solid flow through six parallel cyclones in a CFB cold test rig. The six cyclones were located asymmetrically on the left and right walls of the riser. Solid volume fraction and particle velocity profiles at the riser outlets and in the horizontal ducts were measured using a fiber optical probe. Cyclone pressure drop and solid circulating rate were measured for each individual cyclone. Measurements showed good agreement as to the non-uniform distribution of the gas–solid flow, which occurred mainly across the three cyclones on one side: the middle cyclones on both sides had higher particle velocities. Conversely, the solid volume fractions, solid fluxes and solid circulating rates of the middle cyclones were lower than those of the other four cyclones. The apparent reason for the flow non-uniformity among the cyclones is the significant flow non-uniformity at the riser outlets. Under typical operating conditions, the solid volume fractions at the riser outlets had a deviation of up to 26% whereas the solid circulating rates at the stand pipes, 7%. These results are consistent with most other studies in the literature.     

Interaction of a shock wave with a loose dusty bulk layer

The interaction of a planar shock wave with a loose dusty bulk layer has been investigated both experimentally and numerically. Experiments were conducted in a shock tube. The incident shock wave velocity and particle diameters were measured with the use of pressure transducers and a Malvern particle sizer, respectively. The flow fields, induced by shock waves, of both gas and granular phase were visualized by means of shadowgraphs and pulsed X-ray radiography with trace particles added. In addition, a two-phase model for granular flow presented by Gidaspow is introduced and is extended to describe such a complex phenomenon. Based on the kinetic theory, such a two-phase model has the advantage of being able to clarify many physical concepts, like particulate viscosity, granular conductivity and solid pressure, and deduce the correlative constitutive equations of the solid phase. The AUSM scheme was employed for the numerical calculation. The flow field behind the shock wave was displayed numerically and agrees well with our corresponding experimental results.      

Experimental study and numerical simulation of the characteristics of a percussive gas–solid separator

The presence of solid particles in the flow of hypersonic wind tunnels damages the appearance of the experiment models in the wind tunnel and influences the accuracy of experimental results. The design of a highly efficient gas–solid separator was therefore undertaken. Particle trajectory imaging methods were used to measure trajectories under different conditions. The flow field and particle movement characteristics for different head angles (HAs) and separation tooth angles (STAs), inlet velocities, and the exhaust gas outlet pressures in the separator, were calculated using simulations based on the discrete phase model. The particle separation efficiency, pressure loss, and flow loss resulting from different structural parameters were also studied. In line with experimental observations, the characteristic angle of particle movements in the separator and the separation efficiency of the separator were found to increase with decreasing HA and with increasing STA. Separation efficiency improves with increasing inlet velocity and with increasing negative pressure of the exhaust gas outlet; however, the corresponding pressure loss and the flow rate of the waste gas also increased.     

Modeling the hydrodynamics of cocurrent gas–solid downers according to energy-minimization multi-scale theory

Cocurrent gas–solid downer reactors have many applications in industry because they possess the technological advantages of a lower pressure drop, shorter residence time, and less solid backmixing when compared with traditional circulating fluidized bed risers. By introducing the concept of particle clusters explicitly, a one-dimensional model with consideration of the interphase interactions between the fluid and particles at both microscale and mesoscale is formulated for concurrent downward gas–solid flow according to energy-minimization multi-scale (EMMS) theory. A unified stability condition is proposed for the differently developed sections of gas–solid flow according to the principle of the compromise in competition between dominant mechanisms. By optimizing the number density of particle clusters with respect to the stability condition, the formulated model can be numerically solved without introducing cluster-specific empirical correlations. The EMMS-based model predicts well the axial hydrodynamics of cocurrent gas–solid downers and is expected to have a wider range of applications than the existing cluster-based models.     

Dual characters of interaction between particles and fluid

The unique characteristics of gas-solids two-phase flow and fluidization in terms of the flow structures and the apparent behavior of particles and fluid-particle interactions are closely linked to physical properties of the particles, operating conditions and bed configurations. Fluidized beds behave quite differently when solid properties, gas velocities or vessel geometries are varied. An understanding of hydrodynamic changes and how they, in turn, influence the transfer and reaction characteristics of chemical and thermal operations by variations in gas-solid contact, residence time, solid circulation and mixing and gas distribution is very important for the proper design and scale-up of fluidized bed reactors. In this paper, rather than attempting a comprehensive survey, we concentrate on examining some important positive and negative impacts of particle sizes, bubbles, clusters and column walls on the physical and chemical aspects of chemical reactor performance from the engineering application point of view with the aim of forming an adequate concept for guiding the design of multiphase fluidized bed chemical reactors.One unique phenomenon associated with particle size is that fluidized bed behavior does not always vary monotonically with changing the average particle size. Different behaviors of particles with difference sizes can be well understood by analyzing the relationship between particle size and various forces. For both fine and coarse particles, too narrow a distribution is generally not favorable for smooth fluidization. A too wide size distribution, on the other hand, may lead to particle segregation and high particle elutriation. Good fluidization performance can be established with a proper size distribution in which inter-particle cohesive forces are reduced by the lubricating effect of fine particles on coarse particles for Type A, B and D particles or by the spacing effect of coarse particles or aggregates for Type C powders.Much emphasis has been paid to the negative impacts of bubbles, such as gas bypassing through bubbles, poor bubble-to-dense phase heat & mass transfer, bubble-induced large pressure fluctuations, process instabilities, catalyst attrition and equipment erosion, and high entrainment of particles induced by erupting bubbles at the bed surface. However, it should be noted that bubble motion and gas circulation through bubbles, together with the motion of particles in bubble wakes and clouds, contribute to good gas and solids mixing. The formation of clusters can be attributed to the movement of trailing particles into the low-pressure wake region of leading particles or clusters. On one hand, the existence of down-flowing clusters induces strong solid back-mixing and non-uniform radial distributions of particle velocities and holdups, which is undesirable for chemical reactions. On the other hand, the formation of clusters creates high solids holdups in the riser by inducing internal solids circulations, which are usually beneficial for increasing concentrations of solid catalysts or solid reactants.Wall effects have widely been blamed for complicating the scale-up and design of fluidized-bed reactors. The decrease in wall friction with increasing the column diameter can significantly change the flow patterns and other important characteristics even under identical operating conditions with the same gas and particles. However, internals, which can be considered as a special wall, have been used to improve the fluidized bed reactor performance.Generally, desirable and undesirable dual characteristics of interaction between particles and fluid are one of the important natures of multiphase flow. It is shown that there exists a critical balance between those positive and negative impacts. Good fluidization quality can always be achieved with a proper choice of right combinations of particle size and size distribution, bubble size and wall design to alleviate the negative impacts.     

Parametric investigation of particle acceleration in high enthalpy conical nozzle flows for coating applications

A modified cold gas-dynamic spray technique is under development by using shock tunnel technology, which can enhance the coating quality by increasing the solid particle velocity up to 1,500 m/s. The particle diameter typically amounts to 10 μm. A theoretical model based on gas-particle flows is employed to describe the behaviour of the flow and the solid particles. This quasi-1D model is capable to consider non-equilibrium effects of the gas phase due to high reservoir temperatures, and the influence of wall friction and heat transfer averaged over the nozzle cross section. This model is used for the design and optimization of the nozzle geometry by a parametric study, which results in a conical nozzle with a half opening angle of 2.8° and a length of 325 mm. Particles for coating are injected at about 55 mm downstream of the throat. A shock tunnel facility has been set up at the Shock Wave Laboratory for performing an experimental study of this new technique. The theoretical performance of this setup is evaluated by the KASIMIR simulation software and the quasi-1D method described in this paper. The high reservoir conditions required to achieve particle velocities of 1,500 m/s can be realized by using either a very high driver pressure of about 600 bar for air as driver gas or a relatively low driver pressure of about 200 bar for helium as driver gas.      

Experimental study on the pressure drop and the entry length of the gas-solid suspension flow in a circular tube

This paper presents an experimental study on the flow characteristics of a dilute gas-solid suspension medium in a circular tube, wherein the inlet entry length and the frictional pressure drop are measured systematically. In particular, the effects of particle size on the frictional pressure-drop are examined in some detail. The spherical copper particles, whose average diameter ranges from about 45 to 170 μm, are used for the dispersed medium and the ranges of gas Reynolds number and solid loading ratio are up to 50,000 and 5 respectively. The experimental results show that the entry lengths are feasible to be correlated briefly to the apparent Reynolds number of suspension flow and also that the reduction of the frictional pressure drop is observed at the lower loading ratio for the smallest size particles.     

Analysis of gas–solid flow and shaft-injected gas distribution in an oxygen blast furnace using a discrete element method and computational fluid dynamics coupled model

Ironmaking using an oxygen blast furnace is an attractive approach for reducing energy consumption in the iron and steel industry. This paper presents a numerical study of gas–solid flow in an oxygen blast furnace by coupling the discrete element method with computational fluid dynamics. The model reliability was verified by previous experimental results. The influences of particle diameter, shaft tuyere size, and specific ratio (X) of shaft-injected gas (SIG) flowrate to total gas flowrate on the SIG penetration behavior and pressure field in the furnace were investigated. The results showed that gas penetration capacity in the furnace gradually decreased as the particle diameter decreased from 100 to 40 mm. Decreasing particle diameter and increasing shaft tuyere size both slightly increased the SIG concentration near the furnace wall but decreased it at the furnace center. The value of X has a significant impact on the SIG distribution. According to the pressure fields obtained under different conditions, the key factor affecting SIG penetration depth is the pressure difference between the upper and lower levels of the shaft tuyere. If the pressure difference is small, the SIG can easily penetrate to the furnace center.     

Numerical study of elbow erosion due to sand particles under annular flow considering liquid entrainment

Sand particle erosion is always a challenge in natural gas production. In particular, the erosion in gas–liquid–solid annular flow is more complicated. In this study, a three-phase flow numerical model that couples the volume of fluid multiphase flow model and the discrete phase model was developed for prediction of erosion in annular flow. The ability of the numerical model to simulate the gas–liquid annular flow is validated through comparison with the experimental data. On the basis of the above numerical model, the phase distribution in the pipe was analyzed. The liquid entrainment behavior was reasonably simulated through the numerical model, which guaranteed the accuracy of predicting the particle erosion. Additionally, four erosion prediction models were used for the erosion calculation, among them, the Zhang et al. erosion model predicted the realistic results. Through the analysis of the particle trajectory and the particle impact behavior on the elbow, the cushion effect of the liquid film on the particles and the erosion morphology generation at the elbow were revealed.     

Bubble behaviors of geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional pressurized fluidized bed

Pressurized fluidized beds have been developed in quite a few industrial applications because of intensified heat and mass transfer and chemical reaction. The bubble behaviors under elevated pressure, strongly influencing the fluidization and reaction conversion of the whole system, are of great research significance. In this work, the bubble behaviors of Geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional (2D) pressurized fluidized bed were experimentally studied based on digital image analysis technique. The effects of pressure and fluidization gas velocity on the general bubble behaviors (i.e., size, shape and spatial distribution) and the dynamic characteristics, such as the time-evolution of voidage distribution and local flow regimes, were comprehensively investigated. Results show that increasing pressure reduces the stability of bubbles and facilitates gas passing through the emulsion phase, resulting in the “smoother” fluidization state with smaller bubbles and declined bubble fraction and standard deviation. The equivalent bubble diameter and bubble aspect ratio increase with the increasing gas velocity while decrease as pressure rises. The elevated pressure reduces bubbles extension in the vertical direction, prohibits the “short pass” of fluidization gas in large oblong bubbles/slugs and benefits the gas–solid interaction. The flow regimes variation with gas velocity is affected by the elevated pressure, and demonstrates different features in different local positions of the bed.     

Numerical investigation of fluid–particle interactions for embolic stroke

Roughly one-third of all strokes are caused by an embolus traveling to a cerebral artery and blocking blood flow in the brain. The objective of this study is to gain a detailed understanding of the dynamics of embolic particles within arteries. Patient computed tomography image is used to construct a three-dimensional model of the carotid bifurcation. An idealized carotid bifurcation model of same vessel diameters was also constructed for comparison. Blood flow velocities and embolic particle trajectories are resolved using a coupled Euler–Lagrange approach. Blood is modeled as a Newtonian fluid, discretized using the finite volume method, with physiologically appropriate inflow and outflow boundary conditions. The embolus trajectory is modeled using Lagrangian particle equations accounting for embolus interaction with blood as well as vessel wall. Both one- and two-way fluid–particle coupling are considered, the latter being implemented using momentum sources augmented to the discretized flow equations. It was observed that for small-to-moderate particle sizes (relative to vessel diameters), the estimated particle distribution ratio—with and without the inclusion of two-way fluid–particle momentum exchange—were found to be similar. The maximum observed differences in distribution ratio with and without the coupling were found to be higher for the idealized bifurcation model. Additionally, the distribution was found to be reasonably matching the volumetric flow distribution for the idealized model, while a notable deviation from volumetric flow was observed in the anatomical model. It was also observed from an analysis of particle path lines that particle interaction with helical flow, characteristic of anatomical vasculature models, could play a prominent role in transport of embolic particle. The results indicate therefore that flow helicity could be an important hemodynamic indicator for analysis of embolus particle transport. Additionally, in the presence of helical flow, and vessel curvature, inclusion of two-way momentum exchange was found to have a secondary effect for transporting small to moderate embolus particles—and one-way coupling could be used as a reasonable approximation, thereby causing substantial savings in computational resources.     

Improvement,validation and application of CFD/DEM model to dense gas–solid flow in a fluidized bed

Dense gas–solid flow with solid volume fraction greater than 10% and at moderate Reynolds number is important in many industrial facilities such as fluidized beds. In this work, the Euler–Lagrange approach in combination with a deterministic collision model is applied to a laboratory-scale fluidized bed. The fluid–particle interaction is studied using a new procedure called the offset method, which results in several numbers of spatial displacements of the fluid grid. The proposed method is highly precise in determining porosity and momentum transfer, thus improving simulation accuracy. A validation study was carried out to assess the results using this in-house CFD/DEM code against 5-s operation of a Plexiglas spouted-fluidized bed, showing good qualitative correlation of solid distribution in the bed and acceptable quantitative agreement of pressure drops at different positions in the bed. In view of high computing cost, special emphasis is placed on effective program design, such as application of advanced detection algorithm for particle–particle/wall collisions, the multi-grid method and parallel calculation. In this context, the influence of increasing the processor number, up to 36, on calculation efficiency was investigated.