Density ratio effect on particle sedimentation in a vertical channel

A circular particle settling in a confined vertical channel with static fluid is investigated by lattice Boltzmann method, the effect of density ratio on the particle motion and flow pattern is discussed. It shows that the particle starting from an initial position off-center displays various moving modes accompanied by different flow patterns for 1.003 ≤ γ ≤ 5.0: when γ < 1.1, the particle is finally in a stable equilibrium near the centerline and settles uniformly with a symmetrical flow, but there are different modes before reaching the centerline at different density ratios, a monotonic approach appears at γ ≤ 1.005 and an transient overshoot appears at 1.005 < γ < 1.1; When γ = 1.1, a weak oscillation appears in the particle moving but the flow is almost symmetrical, it is in a critical state of the particle moving from stable equilibrium with a transient overshoot to oscillation; When 1.1 < γ ≤ 3.0, the particle oscillates regularly around the centerline with the uniform amplitude and frequency, and it turns into irregularity for γ > 3.0. Meanwhile the rotation of the particle depends on the distance from a wall; it rolls up the closer wall and stops at centerline.