Numerical simulation of polygonal particles moving in incompressible viscous fluids

A two-dimensional coupled lattice Boltzmann immersed boundary discrete element method is introduced for the simulation of polygonal particles moving in incompressible viscous fluids. A collision model of polygonal particles is used in the discrete element method. Instead of a collision model of circular particles, the collision model used in our method can deal with particles of more complex shape and efficiently simulate the effects of shape on particle–particle and particle–wall interactions. For two particles falling under gravity, because of the edges and corners, different collision patterns for circular and polygonal particles are found in our simulations. The complex vortexes generated near the corners of polygonal particles affect the flow field and lead to a difference in particle motions between circular and polygonal particles. For multiple particles falling under gravity, the polygonal particles easily become stuck owing to their corners and edges, while circular particles slip along contact areas. The present method provides an efficient approach for understanding the effects of particle shape on the dynamics of non-circular particles in fluids.     

双柱状颗粒在线性剪切流场中的动力学分析

为研究柱状颗粒在线性剪切流场中的运动状态和受力情况,本文以颗粒长径比为2,颗粒之间的初始距离ΔS_Py=4D为例,基于直接力浸入边界法数值模拟了双柱状颗粒在三维线性剪切流场中的运动过程。根据模拟结果分析了柱状颗粒周围流场参数分布,在考虑壁面对颗粒的影响和颗粒之间相互影响的条件下,研究了颗粒的受力和运动的变化,探索了流体曳力导致柱状颗粒迁移和转动的规律。研究结果表明,双柱状颗粒在线性剪切流场中易向速度大的流体区域运动;前后两颗粒运动状态和轨迹不同,颗粒之间距离较近时,曳力会产生较大的波动;只有当颗粒在壁面附近时,滞后颗粒才能追上领先颗粒,两颗粒发生牵引、翻滚和分离过程。     

Using the discrete element method to assess the mixing of polydisperse solid particles in a rotary drum

Despite the wide applications of powder and solid mixing in industry, knowledge on the mixing of polydisperse solid particles in rotary drum blenders is lacking. This study investigates the mixing of monodisperse, bidisperse, tridisperse, and polydisperse solid particles in a rotary drum using the discrete element method. To validate the model developed in this study, experimental and simulation results were compared. The validated model was then employed to investigate the effects of the drum rotational speed, particle size, and initial loading method on the mixing quality. The degree of mixing of polydisperse particles was smaller than that for monodisperse particles owing to the segregation phenomenon. The mixing index increased from an initial value to a maximum and decreased slightly before reaching a plateau for bidisperse, tridisperse, and polydisperse particles as a direct result of the segregation of particles of different sizes. Final mixing indices were higher for polydisperse particles than for tridisperse and bidisperse particles. Additionally, segregation was weakened by introducing additional particles of intermediate size. The best mixing of bidisperse and tridisperse particles was achieved for top–bottom smaller-to-larger initial loading, while that of polydisperse systems was achieved using top–bottom smaller-to-larger and top–bottom larger-to-smaller initial loading methods.     

The Penetration Processes of Red Mud Filtrate in a Porous Medium by Seepage

This study investigated the effect of flow velocity, the concentration of red mud particles, and the concentration of \(\hbox {OH}^{-}\) ions on the penetration processes of red mud filtrate with fine particles in a porous medium by seepage. The results show that the peak concentrations of the breakthrough curves (BTCs) of red mud particles with high alkalinity are much higher than that with low alkalinity, indicating that the existence of \(\hbox {OH}^{-}\) ions enhances the repulsive interaction between red mud particles and between red mud particles and the matrix and promotes the migration of red mud particles. The red mud particles are more easily absorb onto the surface of porous medium or embedded in the matrix due to the greater adsorption between red mud particles and porous dielectric matrix than silicon powders. The penetration velocity of these red mud particles is often slower than water velocity due to the capture effect by straining and the detours path effect, especially in the case of high injection concentration and low alkalinity. Both the recovery rate and modal size of recovered particles increase with the increase in flow velocity, and the recovery rate of particles with high alkalinity is higher than that of particles with low alkalinity, which can be attributed to the stronger repulsive interaction between particles and between particles and the matrix. An analytical solution for the migration of particles in a porous medium in which the contaminant intensity varies with time has been developed from the elementary solution, and the predicted BTCs for a repeated three-pulse injection are in good accordance with the experimental results.     

Cinematographic investigations of the explosively driven dispersion and ignition of solid particles

We present results of an experimental study of blast wave propagation and particle dispersion induced by a free-field detonation of spherical charges made of a 125 g C-4 explosive surrounded by inert or reactive particles. Visualization of the flow was performed with a high-frame-rate video camera. Background oriented Schlieren (BOS) methods were adapted to process the images that allowed the detection of the shock waves. BOS analysis also revealed that particles form agglomerates, which may generate precursor perturbations on the recorded pressure signals. While inert glass particles notably delay the shock, the combustion of aluminium particles can accelerate it, especially if they are small atomized or flaked particles. When a mixture of inert glass particles with reactive particles is dispersed, the agglomerates are formed by coalescence of both materials.     

粗糙颗粒动理学及稠密气固两相流动的数值模拟

考虑颗粒碰撞过程中摩擦作用,给出了粗糙颗粒碰撞动力学.引入颗粒相拟总温来表征颗粒平动和转动脉动能量的特征.基于气体分子运动论,建立颗粒碰撞中平动和旋转共同作用的粗糙颗粒动理学,给出了颗粒相压力和黏度等输运参数计算模型.运用基于颗粒动理学的欧拉-欧拉气固两相流模型,数值模拟了流化床内气体颗粒两相流动特性,分析了颗粒旋转流动对颗粒碰撞能量交换和耗散的影响.模拟得到的流化床内径向颗粒浓度和提升管内颗粒轴向速度与他人实验结果相吻合.模拟结果表明随着颗粒浓度的增加,颗粒相压力和能量耗散逐渐增加,而颗粒拟总温先增加后下降.随着颗粒粗糙度系数的增加,床内平均颗粒相拟总温和能量耗散增加,表明颗粒旋转产生的摩擦将导致颗粒旋转脉动能量的改变,影响床内气体-颗粒两相宏观流动特性.      

Modelling of gas–solid turbulent channel flow with non-spherical particles with large Stokes numbers

This paper describes a complete framework to predict the behaviour of interacting non-spherical particles with large Stokes numbers in a turbulent flow. A summary of the rigid body dynamics of particles and particle collisions is presented in the framework of Quaternions. A particle-rough wall interaction model to describe the collisions between non-spherical particles and a rough wall is put forward as well. The framework is coupled with a DNS-LES approach to simulate the behaviour of horizontal turbulent channel flow with 5 differently shaped particles: a sphere, two types of ellipsoids, a disc, and a fibre. The drag and lift forces and the torque on the particles are computed from correlations which are derived using true DNS.The simulation results show that non-spherical particles tend to locally maximise the drag force, by aligning their longest axis perpendicular to the local flow direction. This phenomenon is further explained by performing resolved direct numerical simulations of an ellipsoid in a flow. These simulations show that the high pressure region on the acute sides of a non-spherical particle result in a torque if an axis of the non-spherical particle is not aligned with the flow. This torque is only zero if the axis of the particle is perpendicular to the local direction of the flow. Moreover, the particle is most stable when the longest axis is aligned perpendicular to the flow.The alignment of the longest axis of a non-spherical particle perpendicular to the local flow leads to non-spherical particles having a larger average velocity compared to spherical particles with the same equivalent diameter. It is also shown that disc-shaped particles flow in a more steady trajectory compared to elongated particles, such as elongated ellipsoids and fibres. This is related to the magnitude of the pressure gradient on the acute side of the non-spherical particles. Finally, it is shown that the effect of wall roughness affects non-spherical particles differently than spherical particles. Particularly, a collision of a non-spherical particle with a rough wall induces a significant amount of rotational energy, whereas a corresponding collision with a spherical particle results in mostly a change in translational motion.     

FLOW BEHAVIOR AND MASS TRANSFER IN THREE-PHASE EXTERNAL-LOOP AIRLIFT REACTORS WITH LARGE PARTICLES

The flow behavior and mass transfer in a three-phase external-loop airlift reactor can be improved by adding large particles. The mass transfer and liquid dispersion behavior for a three-phase external-loop reactor with large particles are studied in terms of the effect of the diameter and loading of the large particles on the liquid dispersion coefficient and mass transfer coefficient, The results showed that increasing the diameter or loading of the large particles tend to decrease dispersion and intensify mass transfer, and that an increase in the diameter of the large particles remarkably decreases the particle loop rate, while the effect of fine particles is much less notable.     

Rheological studies in the bulk and at the interface of Pickering oil/water emulsions

The rheological behavior and interfacial properties of olive oil–water emulsions stabilized by surfactant and clay particles (smectite) were studied to evaluate the effect of particles and surfactant distribution both in the bulk phase and at the oil–water interface. The temperature sweep of surfactant solutions and emulsions with and without clay particles showed the critical effect of the solid particles on the viscosity change. The mechanism of adsorption of surfactant molecules onto clay particles has a direct impact on the micellization and gelling temperatures. Indeed, the presence of clay particles caused a slight decrease in the micellization temperature and a total cancellation of the gelling phenomenon. Dynamic interfacial tension values demonstrated that clay particles would not compete with the surfactant for adsorption at the interface. However, the significant increase in the elastic properties of the interface that was observed accounts for their accumulation in the vicinity of the interface, probably at the level of surfactant polar head groups. Thus, the clay particles would form a mechanical barrier, preventing coalescence of emulsion droplets.     

Effect of mixing structure on the hygroscopic behavior of ultrafine ammonium sulfate particles mixed with succinic acid and levoglucosan

Understanding the interactions between water and atmospheric aerosols is critical for estimating their impact on the radiation budget and cloud formation. The hygroscopic behavior of ultrafine (<100 nm) ammonium sulfate particles internally mixed with either succinic acid (slightly soluble) or levoglucosan (soluble) in different mixing structures (core-shell vs. well-mixed) were measured using a hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA). During the hydration process (6–92% relative humidity (RH)), the size of core-shell particles (ammonium sulfate and succinic acid) remained unchanged until a slow increase in particle size occurred at 79% RH; however, an abrupt increase in size (i.e., a clear deliquescence) was observed at ∼72% RH for well-mixed particles with a similar volume fraction to the core-shell particles (80:20 by volume). This increase might occur because the shell hindered the complete dissolution of the core-shell particles below 92% RH. The onset RH value was lower for the ammonium sulfate/levoglucosan core-shell particles than the ammonium sulfate/succinic acid core-shell particles due to levoglucosan's higher solubility relative to succinic acid. The growth factor (GF) of the core-shell particles was lower than that of the well-mixed particles, while the GF of the ammonium sulfate/levoglucosan particles was higher than that of ammonium sulfate/succinic acid particles with the same volume fractions. As the volume fraction of the organic species increased, the GF decreased. The data suggest that the mixing structure is also important when determining hygroscopic behavior of the mixed particles.     

功能集成式无定形陆空粒子飞行器

为了提高无人机的灵活性与其在特殊环境中的适应能力,受细胞生物学中细胞集体聚集和迁移的启发,提出了功能集成式无定形陆空粒子飞行器,采用模块化和陆空两用设计理念,设计有飞行控制型与功能型两种粒子,各粒子之间通过电磁铁控制松散耦合.飞行控制型粒子保障飞行器在空中的稳定飞行;功能型粒子包含多种不同功能的无定形粒子,满足如摄影、...     

FLOW BEHAVIOR AND MASS TRANSFER IN THREE-PHASE EXTERNAL-LOOP AIRLIFT REACTORS WITH LARGE PARTICLES

The flow behavior and mass transfer in a three-phase external-loop airlift reactor can be improved by adding large particles. The mass transfer and liquid dispersion behavior for a three-phase external-loop reactor with large particles are studied in terms of the effect of the diameter and loading of the large particles on the liquid dispersion coefficient and mass transfer coefficient. The results showed that increasing the diameter or loading of the large particles tend to decrease dispersion and intensify mass transfer, and that an increase in the diameter of the large particles remarkably decreases the particle loop rate, while the effect of fine particles is much less notable.     

SIMPLE MEASUREMENT OF RESTITUTION COEFFICIENT OF IRREGULAR PARTICLES

Restitution is an important physical and mechanical property of granular materials. However, measuring its values in instantaneous collisions between particles is very difficult, especially for ore particles of irregular shapes. In this paper, restitution is measured indirectly and statistically with two cameras recording from different angles the trajectories of the ore particles rebounding from a steel plate. The momenta of the particles prior to and after the collision are calculated from the trajectories to give the restitutions of these collisions. The restitution between ore particles is then derived from the restitution of a steel ball with the steel plate measured in the same way. The approach has been proved to be practical and reliable for a variety of ore particles with moderate restitutions.     

Investigation of a particulate flow containing spherical particles subjected to microwave heating

Microwave heating of a liquid and large spherical particles that it carries while continuously flowing in a circular applicator pipe is investigated. A three-dimensional model that includes coupled Maxwell, continuity, Navier–Stokes, and energy equations is developed to describe transient temperature, electromagnetic, and fluid velocity fields. The hydrodynamic interaction between the solid particles and the carrier liquid is simulated by the force-coupling method (FCM). Computational results are presented for the microwave power absorption, temperature distribution inside the liquid and the particles, as well as the velocity distribution in the applicator pipe and trajectories of particles. The effect of the time interval between consecutive injections of two groups of particles on power absorption in particles is studied. The influence of the position of the applicator pipe in the microwave cavity on the power absorption and temperature distribution inside the liquid and the particles is investigated as well.     

Experimental and computational studies on flow behavior of gas-solid fluidized bed with disparately sized binary particles

This paper presents experimental and computational studies on the flow behavior of a gas-solid fluidized bed with disparately sized binary particle mixtures. The mixing/segregation behavior and segregation efficiency of the small and large particles are investigated experimentally.Particle composition and operating conditions that influence the fluidization behavior of mixing/segregation are examined. Based on the granular kinetics theory, a multi-fluid CFD model has been developed and verified against the experimental results. The simulation results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data. The results showed that the smaller particles are found near the bed surface while the larger particles tend to settle down to the bed bottom in turbulent fluidized bed. However, complete segregation of the binary particles does not occur in the gas velocity range of 0.695--0.904 m/s. Segregation efficiency increases with increasing gas velocity and mean residence time of the binary particles, but decreases with increasing the small particle concentration. The calculated results also show that the small particles move downward in the wall region and upward in the core. Due to the effect of large particles on the movement of small particles, the small particles present a more turbulent velocity profile in the dense phase than that in the dilute phase.     

Direct numerical simulation of modulation of isotropic turbulence by poly‐dispersed particles

A direct numerical simulation technique based on two‐way coupling is presented to study a particle‐laden, decaying isotropic turbulent flow. Physical characteristics of turbulence modulation because of the mono‐dispersed (i.e., particles with single Stokes number) and poly‐dispersed particles (i.e., particles with more than one Stokes number) were investigated. A scale dependent effective viscosity that summarizes the aspects of the interaction between the velocity field and particles is defined in the study. Particles of Stokes number (St) 3.2,6.4 and 12.8 were used in performing the simulations. Poly‐dispersed particles were acquired by mixing particles of two different Stokes numbers at a time. As a whole, decay of turbulence because of the poly‐dispersed particles is observed to be larger than that of the decay of turbulence because of the mono‐dispersed particles. Simulations of poly‐dispersed particle indicate nonlinear characteristics in the modification of the temporal evolution of turbulence energy and dissipation. The scale dependent effective viscosity, which correlates with the energy spectrum plot, indicates that the decay of turbulence is mostly observed at the intermediate scales of turbulence. The effective viscosity for the simulations of the poly‐dispersed particles was calculated to be higher than that of the simulations of the mono‐dispersed particles. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

稠密气固两相流各向异性颗粒相矩方法

基于气体分子动力学和颗粒动理学方法,考虑颗粒速度脉动各向异性,建立颗粒相二阶矩模型.应用初等输运理论,对三阶关联项进行模化和封闭.考虑颗粒与壁面之间的能量传递和交换,建立颗粒相边界条件模型.采用Koch等计算方法模拟气固脉动速度关联矩.考虑气体-颗粒间相互作用,建立稠密气体-颗粒流动模型.数值模拟提升管内气固两相流动特性,模拟结果表明提升管内颗粒相湍流脉动具有明显的各向异性.预测颗粒速度、浓度和颗粒脉动速度二阶矩与Tartan等实测结果相吻合.模拟结果表明轴向颗粒速度脉动强度约为平均颗粒相脉动强度的1.5倍,轴向颗粒脉动能大约是径向颗粒脉动能3.0倍.     

Particles for tracing turbulent liquid helium

We address the problem of making quantitative measurements of local flow velocities in turbulent liquid helium, using tracer particles. We survey and evaluate presently available particles and previous work to establish the need to develop new particles for the purpose. We present the first practical solution for visualizing fluid motions using a suspension of solid hydrogen particles with diameters of about 2 μm. The hydrogen particles can be used to study flows with Taylor-microscale Reynolds numbers between 85 and 775. The particles can be used equally well with the PIV, LDV, or particle-tracking techniques.     

Effects of the mass and volume shrinkage of ground chip and pellet particles on drying rates

The effects of varying the mass and volume of ground chip and pellet particles on the particle drying rate were analyzed. Samples of whole pellets and chips were hammer milled using a 3.2 mm screen and the ground chip and pellet particles were found to have similar size distributions, although the pellet particles were denser and more spherical than the chip particles. Prior to drying, water was added to the particles to obtain 0.10, 0.30, 0.50, 0.70, and 0.90 moisture contents (on a dry mass basis). The moistened particles were subsequently dried in a constant temperature thin layer dryer set at 50, 100, 150, or 200 °C under dry pure nitrogen, dry compressed air, or atmospheric air. The chip and pellet particles exhibited similar degrees of shrinkage, but the pellet particles underwent a greater reduction in their bulk volume during drying. It appears that the more spherical pellet particles are prone to shrinkage in more than one direction, whereas the needle-like chip particle shrink only in one direction. A variable radius first order drying model was found to fit the experimental data better than a fixed radius model.