Experimental and computational evaluation of a gas-solid suspension density distribution under circulating fluidized bed conditions

The paper presents the results of operational measurements of the suspension density distribution in the 966 MWth supercritical Circulating Fluidized Bed boiler. The tests were carried out for four different unit thermal loads, i.e. 40, 60, 80, and 100% MCR. The conducted operational measurements showed that the suspension density distribution of the particulate material in the combustion chamber of the CFB boiler has the form of an exponential curve with maximum values occurring in the bottom part of the furnace. On the basis of the operational data, an attempt was made to reflect the suspension density distribution in the combustion chamber of the boiler using the ANSYS CFD software. The calculations were carried out using the Eulerian multiphase model in an unsteady state condition. As revealed by the simulations, the Eulerian multiphase model allows for a quantitative representation of the suspension density distribution of the granular material only for the maximum boiler load. For other thermal loads, quantitative representation of experimental distributions of suspension density using the Eulerian method is possible except for the dense region.

Modelling of Powder Removal for Additive Manufacture Postprocessing

A critical challenge underpinning the adoption of Additive Manufacture (AM) as a technology is the postprocessing of manufactured components. For Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), this can involve the removal of powder from the interior of the component, often by vibrating the component to fluidise the powder to encourage drainage. In this paper, we develop and validate a computational model of the flow of metal powder suitable for predicting powder removal from such AM components. The model is a continuum Eulerian multiphase model of the powder including models for the granular temperature; the effect of vibration can be included through appropriate wall boundaries for this granular temperature. We validate the individual sub-models appropriate for AM metal powders by comparison with in-house and literature experimental results, and then apply the full model to a more complex geometry typical of an AM Heat Exchanger. The model is shown to provide valuable and accurate results at a fraction of the computational cost of a particle-based model.

Modelling of Powder Removal for Additive Manufacture Postprocessing

A critical challenge underpinning the adoption of Additive Manufacture (AM) as a technology is the postprocessing of manufactured components. For Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) this can involve the removal of powder from the interior of the component, often by vibrating the component to fluidise the powder to encourage drainage. In this paper we develop and validate a computational model of the flow of metal powder suitable for predicting powder removal from such AM components. The model is a continuum Eulerian multiphase model of the powder including models for the granular temperature; the effect of vibration can be included through appropriate wall boundaries for this granular temperature. We validate the individual sub-models appropriate for AM metal powders by comparison with in-house and literature experimental results, and then apply the full model to a more complex geometry typical of an AM Heat Exchanger. The model is shown to provide valuable and accurate results at a fraction of the computational cost of a particle-based model.

Improving the Homogenization of the Liquid-Solid Mixture Using a Tandem of Impellers in a Baffled Industrial Reactor

The paper explores a tandem configuration of three-blade impellers in a stirred reactor. The working fluid is a liquid-solid mixture and the stirring mechanism fitted with the two impellers must prevent the sedimentation of solid particles while homogenously dispersing them in the bulk liquid. The present numerical investigation, performed with the expert software Ansys® Fluent, Release 16, employs the Eulerian multiphase model along with the RNG k–ε turbulence model to simulate the free-surface liquid–solid flows in the baffled stirred reactor. A sliding mesh approach is used to model the impellers rotation. The tandem configuration is clearly superior to a single impeller, while the existing electrical motor that drives the stirring mechanism still provides the necessary power.

Effective numerical model for flow boiling of a nanofluid

Flow boiling of Al2O3-Water nanofluid has been investigated numerically using the Eulerian multiphase model in ANSYS FLUENT. The physical properties have been computed using the two phase mixture model. In the Eulerian multiphase model, Rensselaer Polytechnic Initiative (RPI) nucleate boiling model has been used for modeling boiling. Axial vapor fraction has been computed in case of flow boiling of water and heat transfer coefficient has been computed in case of flow boiling of Al2O3-Water nanofluid. The numerical results obtained were in good agreement with experimental results. The RPI model predicts the heat transfer characteristics quickly.