Direct Numerical Simulation of particulate flow with heat transfer

Numerical simulations of heat transfer in non-isothermal particulate flows are important to better understand the flow pattern. The complexity of numerical algorithms coupling the heat and mass transfer and the considerable computational resources required limit the number of such direct simulations that can be reasonably performed. We suggest a Distributed Lagrange Multiplier/Fictitious Domain (DLM/FD) method to compute the temperature distribution and the heat exchange between the fluid and solid phases. The Boussinesq approximation is considered for the flow/temperature fields coupling. We employ a Finite Element Method (FEM) to solve the fluid flow conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy. The motion of particles is computed by a Discrete Element Method (DEM). On each particle, heat transfer is solved using a FEM. For each class of particles, we generate a single FEM grid and translate/rotate it at each time step to match the physical configuration of each particle. Distributed Lagrange multipliers for both the velocity and temperature fields are introduced to treat the fluid/solid interaction. This work is an extension of the method we proposed in Yu et al. (2006). Two two-dimensional (2D) test cases are proposed to validate the implementation by comparing our computational results with those reported in the literature. Finally, the sedimentation of a single sphere in a semi-infinite channel is presented and the results are discussed.     

Direct simulation of flows with suspended paramagnetic particles using one-stage smoothed profile method

The so-called smoothed profile method, originally suggested by Nakayama and Yamamoto and further improved by Luo et al. in 2005 and 2009, respectively, is an efficient numerical solver for fluid-structure interaction problems, which represents the particles by a certain smoothed profile on a fixed grid and constructs some form of body force added into the momentum (Navier-Stokes) equation by ensuring the rigidity of particles. For numerical simulations, the method first advances the flow and pressure fields by integrating the momentum equation except the body-force (momentum impulse) term in time and next updates them by separately taking temporal integration of the body-force term, thus requiring one more Poisson-equation solver for the extra pressure field due to the rigidity of particles to ensure the divergence-free constraint of the total velocity field. In the present study, we propose a simplified version of the smoothed profile method or the one-stage method, which combines the two stages of velocity update (temporal integration) into one to eliminate the necessity for the additional solver and, thus, significantly save the computational cost. To validate the proposed one-stage method, we perform the so-called direct numerical simulations on the two-dimensional motion of multiple inertialess paramagnetic particles in a nonmagnetic fluid subjected to an external uniform magnetic field and compare their results with the existing benchmark solutions. For the validation, we develop the finite-volume version of the direct simulation method by employing the proposed one-stage method. Comparison shows that the proposed one-stage method is very accurate and efficient in direct simulations of such magnetic particulate flows.     

DEM simulation of polydisperse systems of particles in a fluidized bed

Numerical simulations based on three-dimensional discrete element model (DEM) are conducted for mono-disperse, binary and ternary systems of particles in a fluidized bed. Fluid drag force acting on each particle depending on its size and relative velocity is assigned. The drag coefficient corresponding to Ergun’s correlation is applied to the system of fluidized bed with particle size ratios of 1:1 for the mono-disperse system, 1:1.2, 1:1.4 and 1:2 for the binary system and 1:1.33:2 for the ternary system b...     

Transport modeling of sedimenting particles in a turbulent pipe flow using Euler–Lagrange large eddy simulation

A volume-filtered Euler–Lagrange large eddy simulation methodology is used to predict the physics of turbulent liquid–solid slurry flow through a horizontal periodic pipe. A dynamic Smagorinsky model based on Lagrangian averaging is employed to account for the sub-filter scale effects in the liquid phase. A fully conservative immersed boundary method is used to account for the pipe geometry on a uniform cartesian grid. The liquid and solid phases are coupled through volume fraction and momentum exchange terms. Particle–particle and particle–wall collisions are modeled using a soft-sphere approach. Three simulations are performed by varying the superficial liquid velocity to be consistent with the experimental data by Dahl et al. (2003). Depending on the liquid flow rate, a particle bed can form and develop different patterns, which are discussed in light of regime diagrams proposed in the literature. The fluctuation in the height of the liquid-bed interface is characterized to understand the space and time evolution of these patterns. Statistics of engineering interest such as mean velocity, mean concentration, and mean streamwise pressure gradient driving the flow are extracted from the numerical simulations and presented. Sand hold-up calculated from the simulation results suggest that this computational strategy is capable of predicting critical deposition velocity.     

Particle size distribution in CPFD modeling of gas–solid flows in a CFB riser

A computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) numerical method to model gas–solid flows in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser was used to assess the effects of particle size distribution (PSD) on solids distribution and flow. We investigated a binary PSD and a polydisperse PSD case. Our simulations were compared with measured solids concentrations and velocity profiles from experiments, as well as with a published Eulerian-Eulerian simulation. Overall flow patterns were similar for both simulation cases, as confirmed by experimental measurements. However, our fine-mesh CPFD simulations failed to predict a dense bottom region in the riser, as seen in other numerical studies. Above this bottom region, distributions of particle volume fraction and particle vertical velocity were consistent with our experiments, and the simulated average particle diameter decreased as a power function with riser height. Interactions between particles and walls also were successfully modeled, with accurate predictions for the lateral profiles of particle vertical velocity. It was easy to implement PSD into the CPFD numerical model, and it required fewer computational resources compared with other models, especially when particles with a polydisperse PSD were present in the heterogeneous flow.     

海冰动力学数值模拟中改进的PIC方法

为了准确地模拟海冰的动力过程,需要建立精确有效的数值方法。本文结合质点网格法(PIC)和光滑质点流体动力学方法(SPH)发展了一种改进的PIC方法。该方法在欧拉坐标下对海冰动量方程进行差分计算,在拉格朗日坐标下进行海冰质点位移、厚度和密集度计算,并采用Gauss函数进行欧拉网格点与拉格朗日质点间海冰参数的交互插值。采用改进的PIC方法对规则区域内的海冰堆积过程进行了数值试验,对渤海海冰的动力过程进行了72小时数值模拟。计算结果均表明改进的PIC方法具有计算量小,计算结果平稳精确的优点,可很好地适用于海冰动力作用过程的数值模拟。     

气固两相流动的湍流脉动扩散数学模型及其应用

本文提出了气固两相流动的湍流扩展数学模型，本模型用k-ε双方程模型求解气相湍流场，并根据气流脉动的频谱、能谱曲线提出了随机富工级数来模拟气相脉动速度，用拉氏方法描述颗粒的运动，故称为脉动频谱随机颗粒轨道模型。本文还给出了本模型在气固多相射流和流化床内应用的实例。     

Modified incompressible SPH method for simulating free surface problems

An incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (I-SPH) formulation is presented to simulate free surface incompressible fluid problems. The governing equations are mass and momentum conservation that are solved in a Lagrangian form using a two-step fractional method. In the first step, velocity field is computed without enforcing incompressibility. In the second step, a Poisson equation of pressure is used to satisfy incompressibility condition. The source term in the Poisson equation for the pressure is approximated, based on the SPH continuity equation, by an interpolation summation involving the relative velocities between a reference particle and its neighboring particles. A new form of source term for the Poisson equation is proposed and also a modified Poisson equation of pressure is used to satisfy incompressibility condition of free surface particles. By employing these corrections, the stability and accuracy of SPH method are improved. In order to show the ability of SPH method to simulate fluid mechanical problems, this method is used to simulate four test problems such as 2-D dam-break and wave propagation.     

Shock-induced Near-wall Two-phase Flow Structure Over a Micron-sized Particles Bed

The present paper studies numerical modelling of near-wall two-phase flows induced by a normal shock wave moving at a constant speed, over a micron-sized particles bed. In this two-fluid model, the possibility of particle trajectory intersection is considered and a full Lagrangian formulation of the dispersed phase is introduced. The finiteness of the Reynolds and Mach numbers of the flow around a particle as well as the fineness of the particle sizes are taken into account in describing the interactions between the carrier- and dispersed-phases. For the small mass-loading ratio case, the numerical simulation of flow structure of the two phases is implemented and the profiles of the particle number density are obtained under the constant-flux condition on the wall. The effects of the shock Mach number and the particle size and material density on particle entrainment motion are discussed in detail. The obtained results indicate that interphase non-equilibrium in the velocity and temperature is a common feature for this type of flows and a local particle accumulation zone may form near the envelope of the particle trajectory family.     

Particle flow simulations with homogenised lattice Boltzmann methods

An alternative approach to simulating arbitrarily shaped particles submersed in viscous fluid in two dimensions is proposed, obtained by adapting the velocity parameter of the equilibrium distribution function of a standard lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Comparisons of exemplifying simulations to results in the literature validate the approach as well as the convergence analysis. Pressure fluctuations occurring in Ladd’s approach are greatly reduced. In comparison with the immersed boundary method, this approach does not require cost intensive interpolations. The parallel efficiency of LBM is retained. An intrinsic momentum transfer is observed during particle–particle collisions. To demonstrate the capabilities of the approach, sedimentation of particles of several shapes is simulated despite omitting an explicit particle collision model.     

Development of a hybrid particle‐mesh method for two‐phase flow simulations

A hybrid particle‐mesh method was developed for efficient and accurate simulations of two‐phase flows. In this method, the main component of the flow is solved using the constrained interpolated profile/multi‐moment finite volumemethod; the two‐phase interface is rendered using the finite volume particle (FVP) method. The effect of surface tension is evaluated using the continuum surface force model. Numerical particles in the FVP method are distributed only on the surface of the liquid in simulating the interface between liquid and gas; these particles are used to determine the density of each mesh grid. An artificial term was also introduced to mitigate particle clustering in the direction of maximum compression and sparse discretization errors in the stretched direction. This enables accurate interface tracking without diminishing numerical efficiency. Two benchmark simulations are used to demonstrate the validity of the method developed and its numerical stability. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Micro/meso simulation of a fluidized bed in a homogeneous bubbling regime

Due to the wide range of spatial scales and the complex features associated to fluid/solid and solid/solid interactions in a dense fluidized bed, the system can be studied at different length scales, namely micro, meso and macro. In this work, we select a flow configuration relevant of a homogeneous liquid/solid fluidization and compare computed results from Particle Resolved Simulation (PRS) with those from locally averaged Euler/Lagrange simulation. PRS at the micro-scale is carried out by a parallel Distributed Lagrange Multiplier (DLM) solver in the framework of fictitious domain methods (Wachs, 2011a, 2015). For meso-scale simulations, the set of mass and momentum conservation equations is averaged in control volumes encompassing few particles and momentum transfer between the two phases is modeled using appropriate drag laws. Both methods are coupled to a Discrete Element Method (DEM) combined with a soft-sphere contact model to solve the Newton–Euler equations with collisions for the particles in a Lagrangian framework (Wachs et al., 2012). A test case of intermediate size with 2000 spheres is chosen as a sensible compromise between size limitations of the meso-scale model for an appropriate averaging process and computational resources required to run micro-scale simulations. These two datasets yield new insight on momentum transfer at different spatial scales in the flow, and question the validity of certain approximations adopted in the meso-scale model. Results demonstrate an acceptable agreement between the micro- and meso-scale predictions on integral measures as pressure drop and bed height. Investigating more detailed features of the flow, it has been shown that particles fluctuations are considerably suppressed in meso-scale simulations and in particular the particles transverse motion is underestimated, regardless of the selected drag law. The origin of these dependencies is carefully investigated by reconstructing the closure laws based on PRS results and comparing them to the closure laws proposed in the literature.     

A fluctuating lattice-Boltzmann model for direct numerical simulation of particle Brownian motion

A single-relaxation-time fluctuating lattice-Boltzmann （LB） model for direct numerical simulation （DNS） of particle Brownian motion is established by adding a fluctuating component to the lattice-Boltzmann equations （LBEs）. The fluctuating term is proved to be the random stress tensor in fluctuating hydrodynamics by recovering Navier-Stokes equations from LBEs through a Chapman-Enskog expansion. A three-dimensional implementation of the model is also presented, along with simulations of a single spherical particle and 125 spherical particles at short times. Numerical results including the meansquare displacement, velocity autocorrelation function and self-diffusion coefficient of particles compare favorably with theoretical results and previous numerical results.     

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.     

Particle size distribution in CPFD modeling of gas-solid flows in a CFB riser

A computational particle fluid dynamics(CPFD) numerical method to model gas-solid flows in a circulating fluidized bed(CFB) riser was used to assess the effects of particle size distribution(PSD) on solids distribution and flow.We investigated a binary PSD and a polydisperse PSD case.Our simulations were compared with measured solids concentrations and velocity profiles from experiments,as well as with a published Eulerian-Eulerian simulation.Overall flow patterns were similar for both simulation cases,as confirmed by experimental measurements.However,our fine-mesh CPFD simulations failed to predict a dense bottom region in the riser,as seen in other numerical studies.Above this bottom region,distributions of particle volume fraction and particle vertical velocity were consistent with our experiments,and the simulated average particle diameter decreased as a power function with riser height.Interactions between particles and walls also were successfully modeled,with accurate predictions for the lateral profiles of particle vertical velocity.It was easy to implement PSD into the CPFD numerical model,and it required fewer computational resources compared with other models,especially when particles with a polydisperse PSD were present in the heterogeneous flow.     

Characteristics of turbulence transport for momentum and heat in particle-laden turbulent vertical channel flows

The dynamic and thermal performance of particle-laden turbulent flow is investigated via direction numerical simulation combined with the Lagrangian point-particle tracking under the condition of two-way coupling, with a focus on the contributions of particle feedback effect to momentum and heat transfer of turbulence. We take into account the effects of particles on flow drag and Nusselt number and explore the possibility of drag reduction in con-junction with heat transfer enhancement in particle-laden turbulent flows.The effects of particles on momentum and heat transfer are analyzed,and the possibility of drag reduc-tion in conjunction with heat transfer enhancement for the prototypical case of particle-laden turbulent channel flows is addressed.We present results of turbulence modification and heat transfer in turbulent particle-laden channel flow,which shows the heat transfer reduction when large inertial parti-cles with low specific heat capacity are added to the flow. However,we also found an enhancement of the heat transfer and a small reduction of the flow drag when particles with high specific heat capacity are involved.The present results show that particles,which are active agents,interact not only with the velocity field,but also the temperature field and can cause a dissimilarity in momentum and heat transport.This demonstrates that the possibility to increase heat transfer and suppress friction drag can be achieved with addition of par-ticles with different thermal properties.     

A finite difference self-adaptive mesh solution of flow in a sedimentation tank

A new numerical model has been developed to evaluate the removal efficiency of primary sedimentation clarifiers operating at neutral density condition. The velocity and concentration fields as well as the development in time and space of the settled particle bed thickness are simulated. The main difficulties in simulation of velocity and concentration fields are related to (1) numerical instabilities produced by the prevalence of convective terms in the unknown variable high-gradient regions and (2) turbulence effects on the suspension of solid particles from the settled bed. The need to overcome the numerical instabilities without the upwind difference approximation, which introduces high numerical viscosity, suggests the use of non-uniform grids of calculation. The velocity field is obtained by solving the motion equations in the vorticity and streamfunction formulation by means of a new numerical method based upon a dynamically self-adjusting calculation grid. These grids allow for a finer mesh following the evolution of the unknown quantities. A k–? model is used to simulate turbulence phenomena. The sedimentation field is found by solving the diffusion and transport equation of the solid particle concentration. Boundary conditions on the bottom line are imposed relating the amount of turbulence flux and sedimentation flux to the actual concentration and the reference concentration. Such an approach makes it possible to represent the solid particle suspension from the bottom, taking into account its dependence on (1) the characteristics and the evolution in time of the settled bed, (2) the velocity component parallel to the bottom line and (3) the turbulence structure.     

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.     

Numerical prediction of particle slip velocity in turbulence by CFD-DEM simulation

Turbulent environment improves the flotation recovery of fine particles by promoting the particle–bubble collision rate, which directly depends on the particle slip velocity. However, the existing slip velocity models are not applicable to fine particles in turbulence. The mechanism of turbulence characteristics and particle properties on the slip velocity of fine particles in turbulence was unclear. In this study, a coupled ANSYS FLUENT and EDEM based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) were used to simulate the slip velocity of fine particles in the approximately homogenous isotropic turbulence, which was excited by the grid. The reliability of the used CFD-DEM simulation method was validated against the slip velocity measured by the particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments. In particular, the effects of the particle shapes, particle densities, and turbulence intensities on the slip velocity have been investigated with this numerical method. Numerical results show that particle shapes have no significant effect on fine particles between 37 and 225 μm. The slip velocity of the spherical particles increases with the turbulence intensity and particle density. Based on the simulated data, a model which has a correlation coefficient of 0.95 is built by using nonlinear fitting.