Dynamics of dual-particles settling under gravity

As a first step towards understanding particle–particle interaction in fluid flows, the motion of two spherical particles settling in close proximity under gravity in Newtonian fluids was investigated experimentally for particle Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.01 to 2000. It was observed that particles repel each other for Re>0.1 and that the separation distance of settling particles is Reynolds number dependent. At lower Reynolds numbers, i.e. for Re<0.1, particles settling under gravity do not separate.The orientation preference of two spherical particles was found to be Reynolds number dependent. At higher Reynolds numbers, the line connecting the centres of the two particles is always horizontal, regardless of the way the two particles are launched. At lower Reynolds numbers, however, the particle centreline tends to tilt to an arbitrary angle, even of the two particles are launched in the horizontal plane. Because of the tilt, a side migration of the two particles was found to exist. A linear theory was developed to estimate the side migration velocity. It was found that the maximum side migration velocity is approximately 6% of the vertical settling velocity, in good agreement with the experimental results.Counter-rotating spinning of the two particles was observed and measured in the range of Re=0–10. Using the linear model, it is possible to estimate the influence of the tilt angle on the rate of rotation at low Reynolds numbers. Dual particles settle faster than a single particle at small Reynolds numbers but not at higher Reynolds numbers, because of particle separation. The variation of particle settling velocity with Reynolds number is presented. An equation which can be used to estimate the influence of tilt angle on particle settling velocity at low Reynolds number is also derived.     

固体颗粒对沟槽湍流边界层影响的实验研究

本文采用粒子图像测速技术(particles image velocimetry, PIV)研究固体颗粒对放置在平板湍流边界层中的平壁和沟槽壁面减阻效果的影响. 实验对清水和加入粒径为155 μm聚苯乙烯颗粒的流法向二维速度场信息进行采集, 对不同工况下的平均速度剖面、雷诺应力和湍流度等统计量进行对比, 分析流体在边界层中的行为. 运用空间局部平均结构函数提取了不同工况湍流边界层喷射?扫掠行为的空间拓扑结构并进行比较. 结果发现, 在不同的壁面条件下, 粒子加入后的对数律区中无量纲速度均略大于清水组, 雷诺切应力有所降低, 湍流度有所减弱. 对于不同流场速度下的沟槽而言, 颗粒的加入均降低了壁面附近的阻力, 而颗粒单独作用于光滑壁面的减阻效果并不明显. 加入粒子后的相干结构数目有所增加, 法向脉动速度下降. 沟槽壁面附近的相干结构数目有所增加, 法向脉动速度在自由来流速度较大时有所上升, 在速度较小时有所下降. 这表明不同减阻状况下的沟槽均能将大涡破碎成更多的涡, 并且粒子的加入强化了这种破碎作用.      

Dynamic simulation of sedimentation of solid particles in an Oldroyd-B fluid

In this paper we present a two-dimensional numerical study of the viscoelastic effects on the sedimentation of particles in the presence of solid walls or another particle. The Navier-Stokes equations coupled with an Oldroyd-B model are solved using a finite-element method with the EVSS formalism, and the particles are moved according to their equations of motion. In a vertical channel filled with a viscoelastic fluid, a particle settling very close to one side wall experiences a repulsion from the wall; a particle farther away from the wall is attracted toward it. Thus a settling particle will approach an eccentric equilibrium position, which depends on the Reynolds and Deborah numbers. Two particles settling one on top of the other attract and form a doublet if their initial separation is not too large. Two particles settling side by side approach each other and the doublet also rotates till the line of centers is aligned with the direction of sedimentation. The particle-particle interactions are in qualitative agreement with experimental observations, while the wall repulsion has not been documented in experiments. The driving force for lateral migrations is shown to correlate with the pressure distribution on the particle's surface. As a rule, viscoelasticity affects the motion of particles by modifying the pressure distribution on their surface. The direct contribution of viscoelastic normal stresses to the force and torque is not important.     

Development and validation of a reduced order history force model

The history force model accounts for temporal development in fluid gradients in the viscous region surrounding a particle in point particle methods. The calculation of the history force typically requires storing and using relative velocity information during the life time of the particle. For a large number of particles integrated over large times, history force calculation can become prohibitively expensive. The current work presents a new modeling approach to calculate the history force in which a decay function is applied to a stored cumulative value of the history force. The proposed formulation is equivalent to applying the same function obtained from a constant acceleration assumption to a running average of the acceleration within the memory time of the particle. The new force model is validated with experimental measurements of settling spheres at Reynolds numbers ranging from around one to a few hundreds and at density ratios from 1.2 to about 9.32. More validation work was carried-out with experimental measurements of oscillating spheres at different frequencies and amplitudes, as well as bouncing spheres at different Reynolds numbers and density ratios. The model shows very good agreement with the experiments of settling spheres and reasonable/good agreement with oscillating and bouncing sphere experiments. The proposed model significantly reduces the computational resources required to calculate the history force especially when large number of particles need to be integrated over long times.     

A numerical continuous model for the hydrodynamics of fluid particle systems

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

垂直湍流液-固流中大颗粒的相对速度

通过量纲分析和实验测量,对于垂直、局部均匀的湍流稀态液一固流中,大颗粒的相对速度,建立了无量纲参数表达式．用分析和实验相结合的方法,确定了表达式中无量纲参数的幂次及有关系数．实验中用激光多普勒分相测量技术,分别测出流体和颗粒的时均速度结果表明,大颗粒相对速度强烈依赖于流体雷诺数,当流体雷诺数较高时,其幂次渐近于1.5。     

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

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

Boundary-enhanced sedimentation due to settling convection

Sedimentation rates are significantly enhanced when the process occurs in containers of certain shapes or orientations. For example, sedimentation in a conical vessel or a tilted tube may be several times faster than sedimentation in a vertical tube of the same height. This enhancement results from a naturally occurring convection.

Monodisperse particles were observed during settling from a viscous, incompressible, and Newtonian fluid contained beneath an upward-pointing cone. At particle concentrations of about 0.05 per cent by volume, convective velocities reach ten times the particle settling velocity, and sedimentation is complete in 40 per cent of the time necessary in a vertical tube.

Continuum fluid mechanics successfully models this settling convection. The mechanism is particle momentum transfer to fluid. The model requires numerical solution but its functionality can be investigated in terms of dimensionless parameters.     

Investigation of droplet deposition from a turbulent gas stream

Turbulent deposition of particles from two-phase flow onto the smooth wall of a tube has been studied theoretically and experimentally. A model is proposed for the deposition motion of large particles based on turbulent diffusion in the core followed by a free flight towards the wall. The theory shows that within the Stokes regime, the dimensionless deposition velocity $\text{k-}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>d</mtext>}}\text{/}\text{u}$* depends on Re and $\text{τ}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ only, where u* is the friction velocity, Re is the tube Reynolds number and $\text{τ}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ is the dimensionless particle relaxation time. Deposition data are obtained for air-water droplet flow through a 12.7-mm i.d. acrylic tubing at $\text{Re}\text{= 52,500}$ and 94,600. The proposed theory satisfactorily describes the existing deposition data as well as present measurements, covering a wide range of Re and $\text{τ}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$.     

Three-dimensional free-surface suspended particles transport in the South Biscayne Bay,Florida

A three-dimensional, time-dependent free surface model has been developed which takes account of topographical and meterological parameters for application to suspended particles transport. This investigation of suspended particles transport is the most realistic in regard to treating the moving free-surface in computing the hydrodynamic field. A unique mass-conserving numerical model is used for solving the concentration equation by an explicit finite difference scheme. The paper presents a mathematical model which can be applied to surface water dispersion of particulates associated with dredging operations and land-fill. The effects of settling velocity and bottom bed deposition rate are compared and discussed.     

The sedimentation of polydisperse suspensions in vessels having inclined walls

A theory is presented for describing the sedimentation of polydisperse suspensions in two-dimensional channels having walls that are inclined to the vertical. The theory assumes that the flow is laminar and that the suspension consists of spherical beads having small particle Reynolds numbers. The suspension may consist of either $\text{N}$ distinct species of particles or of a continuum of particle sizes and densities. For the sake of simplicity, the analysis is mostly confined to the case in which the hindered settling velocity of each particle is given by its Stokes settling velocity multiplied by a function of the total local solids concentration. Under these conditions, results are developed that are useful for the design of either batch or continuous settling devices. Experimental observations were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the present theory.     

Particle transport in Poiseuille flow in narrow channels

Particle-tracking experiments were performed to validate a model [Staben, M.E., Zinchenko, A.Z., Davis, R.H., 2003. Motion of a particle between two parallel plane walls in low-Reynolds-number Poiseuille flow. Phys. Fluids 15, 1711–1733] for neutrally buoyant spherical particles convected by a Poiseuille flow in a thin microchannel for particles as large as d_p/H = 0.95, where d_p is the particle diameter and H is the channel width (narrow dimension). The measured and predicted velocities agree within experimental error and show that a particle’s velocity is more retarded when it is larger and/or closer to a channel wall. The particle distribution across the channel for a blunt entrance shows a focusing of small particles away from the walls and towards the center of the channel, whereas the particle distribution for an offset-angled entrance is slightly skewed towards the wall encountered first in the entrance region. As a result, the average particle velocities for the blunt entrance exceed those for the angled entrance. Moreover, due to the depletion of particles from the slow-moving region within one radius of the wall, the average particle velocity exceeds the average fluid velocity unless the particle diameter exceeds about 80% of the channel width.     

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.     

Constraint strength and axial/radial particle velocity profiles for an integrated riser outlet

To study axial/radial profiles of particle velocity in the affected region of an integrated riser outlet,a cold model was developed for the integrated riser reactor combining the gas-solid distributor with the fluidized bed.Constraints,related to the gas-solid distributor and the upper fluidized bed,imposed on the particle flow in the riser outlet region,were investigated experimentally.The experimental results showed that with increasing superficial gas velocity,these constraints have strong influences on particle flow behavior,the particle circulation flux in the riser,and the height of the static bed material of the upper fluidized bed.When the constraints have greater prominence,the axial profile of the cross-sectionally averaged particle velocity in the outlet region initially increases and then decreases,the rate of decrease being proportional to the constraint strength.Along the radial direction of the outlet section,the region where the local particle velocity profile tends to decrease appears near the dimensionless radius r/R = 0.30 initially and then,with increasing constraint strength,gradually extends to the whole section from the inner wall.Based on the experimental data,an empirical model describing the constraint strength was established.The average relative error of the model is within 7.69%.     

Migration of settling particles in a horizontal viscous flow through a vertical slot with porous walls

Particle migration in a horizontal flow of dilute suspension through a vertical slot with porous walls is studied using the two-continua approach. The lateral migration is induced by two opposite effects: an inertial lift force due to particle settling and directed toward the slot centre-line, and a drag due to leak-off entraining particles toward the walls. An expression for the inertial lift on a settling particle in a horizontal channel flow found recently is generalized to the case of a low leak-off velocity. The evolution of an initial uniform particle concentration profile is studied within the full Lagrangian approach. Four migration regimes are found differing by the direction of particle migration and numbers of equilibrium positions. Conditions of the regime change and a critical value of dimensionless leak-off velocity for particle deposition on the walls are obtained analytically. Suspension flows with zones where the particle concentration is zero or increases infinitely, are studied numerically.     

On the validity of the perturbation approach for the flow inside weakly modulated channels

The equations governing the flow of a viscous fluid in a two‐dimensional channel with weakly modulated walls have been solved using a perturbation approach, coupled to a variable‐step finite‐difference scheme. The solution is assumed to be a superposition of a mean and perturbed field. The perturbation results were compared to similar results from a classical finite‐volume approach to quantify the error. The influence of the wall geometry and flow Reynolds number have extensively been investigated. It was found that an explicit relation exists between the critical Reynolds number, at which the wall flow separates, and the dimensionless amplitude and wavelength of the wall modulation. Comparison of the flow shows that the perturbation method requires much less computational effort without sacrificing accuracy. The differences in predicted flow is kept well around the order of the square of the dimensionless amplitude, the order to which the regular perturbation expansion of the flow variables is carried out. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

水平管中残余变形管柱的摩擦力实验

连续油管钻井技术已经广泛应用到油井的各作业中,由于连续油管平时缠绕在滚筒上,塑性变形很大,虽然经过注入头的矫直,仍然会有较大的残余弯曲变形,会严重影响水平井延伸长度。本文通过相似实验得到管柱不同曲径比下所受到的摩擦力曲线拟合函数,然后再通过相似分析验证模型实验的正确性并得到各相似常数,进而求得连续油管与管壁之间的摩擦阻力。经实验数据分析得出5.08 cm (2 in) 的连续油管在经过多次弯曲变形后在水平井段所受到的阻力是理想未发生变形的2.3 倍。由此可以按摩擦系数的两倍来估算管柱所受到的实际延伸摩阻。     

AN EXPERIMENT OF FRICTION OF COILED TUBING WITH RESIDUAL DEFORMATION IN HORIZONTAL WELL

连续油管钻井技术已经广泛应用到油井的各作业中,由于连续油管平时缠绕在滚筒上,塑性变形很大,虽然经过注入头的矫直,仍然会有较大的残余弯曲变形,会严重影响水平井延伸长度。本文通过相似实验得到管柱不同曲径比下所受到的摩擦力曲线拟合函数,然后再通过相似分析验证模型实验的正确性并得到各相似常数,进而求得连续油管与管壁之间的摩擦阻力。经实验数据分析得出5.08 cm (2 in) 的连续油管在经过多次弯曲变形后在水平井段所受到的阻力是理想未发生变形的2.3 倍。由此可以按摩擦系数的两倍来估算管柱所受到的实际延伸摩阻。     

Determination of Hydrogen–Water Relative Permeability and Capillary Pressure in Sandstone: Application to Underground Hydrogen Injection in Sedimentary Formations

This paper presents fundamental analysis and micromechanical understanding of dense slurry behavior during settling in narrow smooth and rough slots. Particularly, this study seeks to contribute toward better understanding of dynamics of particle–particle and particle–wall interactions in viscous fluids using simple experiments. The findings of this study are applicable in a wide variety of problems, for example sediment transport, flow and transport of slurry in pipes, and industrial applications. However, the results interpretation focuses on better understanding of proppant flow and transport in narrow fractures. A sequence of experiments image frames captured by video camera is analyzed with particle image velocimetry (GeoPIV). The measurements include vertical velocities and displacement vectors of singular and agglomerated particles and larger area of formed slurry. Results present novel insights into the formation and effects of agglomerates on general slurry settling, and are supplemented with a comparison with previously published theoretical and empirical relationships. This work also emphasizes a role of particle–particle interactions in promoting agglomeration in viscous fluid. Particularly, a thin layer of viscous fluid between approaching particles dissipates particle kinetic energy due to lubrication effect. Lubrication effect is more pronounced when particles are constrained between two narrow walls and interact frequently with each other. Fluid tends to flow around agglomerated particles, and agglomerates remain stable for prolonged time periods gravitationally moving downward. The relative amount and size of agglomerated affects general settling of the slurry. It was found that fluid viscosity due to lubrication effect promotes agglomeration, and therefore, the overall slurry settling relatively increases at higher fluid viscosities. The results of the presented work have impact on various industrial and engineering processes, such as proppant flow and transport in hydraulic fractures, sand production in oil reservoirs, piping failure of dams and scour of foundation bridges.     

Particle-turbulence interaction in a boundary layer

Particle-turbulence interaction in wall turbulent flows has been studied. A series of experiments varying particle size, particle density, particle loading and flow Re has been conducted. The results show that the larger polystyrene particles (1100 μm) cause an increase in the number of wall ejections, giving rise to an increase in the measured values of the turbulence intensities and Reynolds stresses. On the other hand, the smaller polystyrene particles (120 μm) bring about a decrease in the number of wall ejections, causing a decrease in the measured intensities and Reynolds stresses. These effects are enhanced as the particle loading is increased. It was also found that the heavier glass particles (88 μm) do not bring about any significant modulation of turbulence. In addition, measurements of the burst frequency and the mean streak-spacing show no significant change with increase in particle loading. Based on these observations, a mechanism of particle transport in wall turbulent flows has been proposed, in which the particles are transported (depending on their size, density and flow Re) by the bursting events of the wall regions.