scholarly journals Lattice Boltzmann simulations of low-Reynolds-number flows past fluidized spheres: effect of inhomogeneities on the drag force

2017 ◽  
Vol 833 ◽  
pp. 599-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Rubinstein ◽  
Ali Ozel ◽  
Xiaolong Yin ◽  
J. J. Derksen ◽  
Sankaran Sundaresan

The formation of inhomogeneities within fluidized beds, both in terms of the particle configurations and flow structures, have a pronounced effect on the interaction force between the fluid and particles. While recent numerical studies have begun to probe the effects of inhomogeneities on the drag force at the particle scale, the applicability of prior microscale constitutive drag relations is still limited to random, homogeneous distributions of particles. Since an accurate model for the drag force is needed to predict the fluidization behaviour, the current study utilizes the lessons of prior inhomogeneity studies in order to derive a robust drag relation that is both able to account for the effect of inhomogeneities and applicable as a constitutive closure to larger-scale fluidization simulations. Using fully resolved lattice Boltzmann simulations of systems composed of fluid and monodisperse spherical particles in the low-Reynolds-number (Re) regime, the fluid–particle drag force, normalized by the ideal Stokes drag force, is found to significantly decrease, over a range of length scales, as the extent of inhomogeneities increases. The extent of inhomogeneities is found to most effectively be quantified through one of two subgrid-scale quantities: the scalar variance of the particle volume fraction or the drift flux, which is the correlation between the particle volume fraction and slip velocity. Scale-similar models are developed to estimate these two subgrid measures over a wide range of system properties. Two new drag constitutive models are proposed that are not only functions of the particle volume fraction and the Stokes number ($St$), but also dependent on one of these subgrid measures for the extent of inhomogeneities. Based on the observed, appreciable effect of inhomogeneities on drag, these new low-Re drag models represent a significant advancement over prior constitutive relations.

2016 ◽  
Vol 788 ◽  
pp. 576-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Rubinstein ◽  
J. J. Derksen ◽  
Sankaran Sundaresan

In a fluidized bed, the drag force acts to oppose the downward force of gravity on a particle, and thus provides the main mechanism for fluidization. Drag models that are employed in large-scale simulations of fluidized beds are typically based on either fixed-particle beds or the sedimentation of particles in liquids. In low-Reynolds-number ($Re$) systems, these two types of fluidized beds represent the limits of high Stokes number ($St$) and low $St$, respectively. In this work, the fluid–particle drag behaviour of these two regimes is bridged by investigating the effect of $St$ on the drag force in low-$Re$ systems. This study is conducted using fully resolved lattice Boltzmann simulations of a system composed of fluid and monodisperse spherical particles. In these simulations, the particles are free to translate and rotate based on the effects of the surrounding fluid. Through this work, three distinct regimes in the characteristics of the fluid–particle drag force are observed: low, intermediate and high $St$. It is found that, in the low-$Re$ regime, a decrease in $St$ results in a reduction in the fluid–particle drag. Based on the simulation results, a new drag relation is proposed, which is, unlike previous models, dependent on $St$.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Rollin ◽  
Frederick Ouellet ◽  
Bradford Durant ◽  
Rahul Babu Koneru ◽  
S. Balachandar

Abstract We study the interaction of a planar air shock with a perturbed, monodispersed, particle curtain using point-particle simulations. In this Eulerian-Lagrangian approach, equations of motion are solved to track the position, momentum, and energy of the computational particles while the carrier fluid flow is computed in the Eulerian frame of reference. In contrast with many Shock-Driven Multiphase Instability (SDMI) studies, we investigate a configuration with an initially high particle volume fraction, which produces a strongly two-way coupled flow in the early moments following the shock-solid phase interaction. In the present study, the curtain is about 4 mm in thickness and has a peak volume fraction of about 26%. It is composed of spherical particles of d = 115μm in diameter and a density of 2500 kg.m−3, thus replicating glass particles commonly used in multiphase shock tube experiments or multiphase explosive experiments. We characterize both the evolution of the perturbed particle curtain and the gas initially trapped inside the particle curtain in our planar three-dimensional numerical shock tube. Control parameters such as the shock strength, the particle curtain perturbation wavelength and particle volume fraction peak-to-trough amplitude are varied to quantify their influence on the evolution of the particle cloud and the initially trapped gas. We also analyze the vortical motion in the flow field. Our results indicate that the shock strength is the primary contributor to the cloud particle width. Also, a classic Richtmyer-Meshkov instability mixes the gas initially trapped in the particle curtain and the surrounding gas. Finally, we observe that the particle cloud contribute to the formation of longitudinal vortices in the downstream flow.


2008 ◽  
Vol 596 ◽  
pp. 467-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHANG-YOU TEE ◽  
P. J. MUCHA ◽  
M. P. BRENNER ◽  
D. A. WEITZ

The velocity fluctuations of particles in a low-Reynolds-number fluidized bed have important similarities and differences with the velocity fluctuations in a low-Reynolds-number sedimenting suspension. We show that, like sedimentation, the velocity fluctuations in a fluidized bed are described well by the balance between density fluctuations due to Poisson statistics and Stokes drag. However, unlike sedimentation, the correlation length of the fluctuations in a fluidized bed increases with volume fraction. We argue that this difference arises because the relaxation time of density fluctuations is completely different in the two systems.


2011 ◽  
Vol 474-476 ◽  
pp. 7-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo Chen ◽  
Zhi Xiong Huang ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
Min Xian Shi ◽  
Yan Qin ◽  
...  

This paper introduced a computer simulation model for composite materials which was reinforced by spherical particles. We introduced its algorithm and visualize the model with different particle volume fraction. In order to evaluate the uniformity of the particle distribution, we estimated Particle Center Density and standard deviation of minimal sphere distance.


1997 ◽  
Vol 08 (04) ◽  
pp. 985-997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewei Qi

The translation and rotation of non-spherical particles, such as ellipsoidal, cylindric or disk-like pigment particles, in a Couette flow system similar to a blade coating system in the paper industry6 have been successfully simulated by using the lattice-Boltzmann method combined with Newtonian dynamic simulations. Hydrodynamic forces and torques are obtained by the use of boundary conditions which match the moving surface of solid particles. Then Euler equations have been integrated to include three-dimensional rotations of the suspensions by using four quaternion parameters as generalized coordinates. The three-dimensional rotations have been clearly observed. Consequently, the motion of the particles suspended in fluids of both low-Reynolds-number and finite-Reynolds-number, up to several hundreds, has been studied. It appears that the 3D translation and rotation of the non-spherical particles are more clearly observed in a high-Reynolds-number fluid than in a low-Reynolds-number fluid.


1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ditchfield ◽  
W. L. Olbricht

Experimental results are reported for the low Reynolds number flow of a suspension of spherical particles through a divergent capillary bifurcation consisting of a straight tube of circular cross-section that splits to form two tubes of equal diameter. The partitioning of particles between the downstream branches of the bifurcation is measured as a function of the partitioning of total volume (particles + suspending fluid) between the branches. Two bifurcation geometries are examined: a symmetric Y-shaped bifurcation and a nonsymmetric T-shaped bifurcation. This experiment focuses on the role of hydrodynamic interactions between particles on the partitioning of particles at the bifurcation. The particle diameter, made dimensionless with respect to the diameter of the branch tubes, ranges from 0.4 to 0.8. Results show that hydrodynamic interactions among the particles are significant at the bifurcation, even for conditions where interactions are unimportant in the straight branches away from the bifurcation. As a result of hydrodynamic interactions among particles at the bifurcation, the partitioning of particles between the branches is affected for particle volume fractions as small as 2 percent. The experimental results show that the effect of particle volume fraction is to diminish the inhomogeneity of particle partitioning at the bifurcation. However, the magnitude of this effect depends strongly on the overall shape of the bifurcation geometry, and, in particular on the angles between the branches.


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