Performance characteristics of the airlift pump under vertical solid-water-gas flow conditions for conveying centimetric-sized coal particles

In this study,the installation of an airlift pump with inner diameter of 102 mm and length of 5.64 m was utilized to consider the conveying process of non-spherical coal particles with density of 1340 kg/m3 and graining 25-44.5 mm.The test results revealed that the magnitude of increase in the solid transport rate due to the changes in the three tested parameters between compressed air velocity,submergence ratio,and feeding coal possibility was not the same,which are stand in range of 20%,75%,and 40%,respectively.Hence,creating the optimal airlift pump performance is highly dependent on submergence ratio.More importantly,we measured the solid volume fraction using the method of one-way valves in order to minimize the disadvantages of conventional devices,such as fast speed camera and conductivity ring sensor.The results confirmed that the volume fraction of the solid phase in the transfer process was always less than 12%.To validate present experimental data,the existing empirical correlations together with the theoretical equations related to the multiphase flow was used.The overall agreement between the theory and experimental solid delivery results was particularly good instead of the first stage of conveying process.This drawback can be corrected by omitting the role of friction and shear stress at low air income velocity.It was also found that the model developed by Kalenik failed to predict the performance of our airlift operation in terms of the mass flow rate of the coal particles.

Comparison of debris flow susceptibility assessment methods:support vector machine,particle swarm optimization,and feature selection techniques

The selection of important factors in machine learning-based susceptibility assessments is crucial to obtain reliable susceptibility results.In this study,metaheuristic optimization and feature selection techniques were applied to identify the most important input parameters for mapping debris flow susceptibility in the southern mountain area of Chengde City in Hebei Province,China,by using machine learning algorithms.In total,133 historical debris flow records and 16 related factors were selected.The support vector machine(SVM)was first used as the base classifier,and then a hybrid model was introduced by a two-step process.First,the particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm was employed to select the SVM model hyperparameters.Second,two feature selection algorithms,namely principal component analysis(PCA)and PSO,were integrated into the PSO-based SVM model,which generated the PCA-PSO-SVM and FS-PSO-SVM models,respectively.Three statistical metrics(accuracy,recall,and specificity)and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)were employed to evaluate and validate the performance of the models.The results indicated that the feature selection-based models exhibited the best performance,followed by the PSO-based SVM and SVM models.Moreover,the performance of the FS-PSO-SVM model was better than that of the PCA-PSO-SVM model,showing the highest AUC,accuracy,recall,and specificity values in both the training and testing processes.It was found that the selection of optimal features is crucial to improving the reliability of debris flow susceptibility assessment results.Moreover,the PSO algorithm was found to be not only an effective tool for hyperparameter optimization,but also a useful feature selection algorithm to improve prediction accuracies of debris flow susceptibility by using machine learning algorithms.The high and very high debris flow susceptibility zone appropriately covers 38.01%of the study area,where debris flow may occur under intensive human activities and heavy rainfall events.

Extending homogeneous fluidization flow regime of Geldart-A particles by exerting axial uniform and steady magnetic field

The homogeneous/particulate fluidization flow regime is particularly suitable for handling the various gas–solid contact processes encountered in the chemical and energy industry.This work aimed to extend such a regime of Geldart-A particles by exerting the axial uniform and steady magnetic field.Under the action of the magnetic field,the overall homogeneous fluidization regime of Geldart-A magnetizable particles became composed of two parts:inherent homogeneous fluidization and newly-created magnetic stabilization.Since the former remained almost unchanged whereas the latter became broader as the magnetic field intensity increased,the overall homogeneous fluidization regime could be extended remarkably.As for Geldart-A nonmagnetizable particles,certain amount of magnetizable particles had to be premixed to transmit the magnetic stabilization.Among others,the mere addition of magnetizable particles could broaden the homogeneous fluidization regime.The added content of magnetizable particles had an optimal value with smaller/lighter ones working better.The added magnetizable particles might raise the ratio between the interparticle force and the particle gravity.After the magnetic field was exerted,the homogeneous fluidization regime was further expanded due to the formation of magnetic stabilization flow regime.The more the added magnetizable particles,the better the magnetic performance and the broader the overall homogeneous fluidization regime.Smaller/lighter magnetizable particles were preferred to maximize the magnetic performance and extend the overall homogeneous fluidization regime.This phenomenon could be ascribed to that the added magnetizable particles themselves became more Geldart-A than-B type as their density or size decreased.

A flexible multiscale algorithm based on an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics method for complex viscoelastic flows

Viscoelastic flows play an important role in numerous engineering fields,and the multiscale algorithms for simulating viscoelastic flows have received significant attention in order to deepen our understanding of the nonlinear dynamic behaviors of viscoelastic fluids.However,traditional grid-based multiscale methods are confined to simple viscoelastic flows with short relaxation time,and there is a lack of uniform multiscale scheme available for coupling different solvers in the simulations of viscoelastic fluids.In this paper,a universal multiscale method coupling an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)and multiscale universal interface(MUI)library is presented for viscoelastic flows.The proposed multiscale method builds on an improved SPH method and leverages the MUI library to facilitate the exchange of information among different solvers in the overlapping domain.We test the capability and flexibility of the presented multiscale method to deal with complex viscoelastic flows by solving different multiscale problems of viscoelastic flows.In the first example,the simulation of a viscoelastic Poiseuille flow is carried out by two coupled improved SPH methods with different spatial resolutions.The effects of exchanging different physical quantities on the numerical results in both the upper and lower domains are also investigated as well as the absolute errors in the overlapping domain.In the second example,the complex Wannier flow with different Weissenberg numbers is further simulated by two improved SPH methods and coupling the improved SPH method and the dissipative particle dynamics(DPD)method.The numerical results show that the physical quantities for viscoelastic flows obtained by the presented multiscale method are in consistence with those obtained by a single solver in the overlapping domain.Moreover,transferring different physical quantities has an important effect on the numerical results.

Effects of weathering depth and thickness on rock failure:Experimental approach and particle flow code simulation

This study investigated the effects of weathering depth and thickness on the failure mechanisms of rock samples through experimental and numerical methods.The first configuration involved conducting artificial weathering on limestone using the freezing and thawing(F-T)for 40 cycles.The mechanical parameters of the samples were measured at the end of the 40th cycle.In the second configuration,a series of specimens underwent salt crystallization(S-C)tests for 20 cycles.Experimental results were validated using discrete element method(DEM).Next,the weathered limestone model with dimensions of 108 mm54 mm were prepared.The weathering layers were tested at four different thicknesses(i.e.2.5 mm,5 mm,7.5 mm,and 10 mm)and three different positions(at the surface,5 mm under the rock surface,and 10 mm under the rock surface).According to the results,weathering depth and thickness have a considerable effect on the failure process.The results also showed a correlation between the values of compressive strength and failure mechanisms associated with the weathering layer.The numerical results revealed that the tension crack was the dominant factor.Additionally,with increasing weathering thickness,Young's modulus,crack initiation stress,and final strength decreased in constant weathering depth.The results also demonstrated that the failure progress of the numerical models was similar to that observed in the laboratory.

Analyzing Thermal Stratification and Nanoparticle Shapes Influence on an EMHD Ternary Nanofluid Flow amidst Two Spinning Disks

The present study examines the thermal distribution of ternary nanofluid flow amid two spinning disks influenced by electric and magnetic fields. Keeping in view the shape of the particles, the electrically conducting ternary nanofluid is analyzed with variable thermophysical features. Three types of nanoparticles namely Copper, Aluminum Oxide, and Graphene with spherical, cylindrical, and platelet shapes are taken respectively and are immersed in a (50-50)% ratio of water and ethylene glycol mixture which acts as a base fluid. The anticipated problem is addressed by employing a reliable and user-friendly numerical bvp4c built-in collocation scheme. This solution is then showcased through illustrations and tables. Strengthening the radiation results in an enhanced heat transfer rate. Radial and azimuthal velocities once rotation of disks is enhanced. The key findings provide a strong theoretical background in photovoltaic cells, solar collectors, radiators, solar water heaters, and many other applications.

Modeling of gas-solid flow in a CFB riser based on computational particle fluid dynamics

A three-dimensional model for gas-solid flow in a circulating fluidized bed（CFB） riser was developed based on computational particle fluid dynamics（CPFD）.The model was used to simulate the gas-solid flow behavior inside a circulating fluidized bed riser operating at various superficial gas velocities and solids mass fluxes in two fluidization regimes,a dilute phase transport（DPT） regime and a fast fluidization（FF） regime.The simulation results were evaluated based on comparison with experimental data of solids velocity and holdup,obtained from non-invasive automated radioactive particle tracking and gamma-ray tomography techniques,respectively.The agreement of the predicted solids velocity and holdup with experimental data validated the CPFD model for the CFB riser.The model predicted the main features of the gas-solid flows in the two regimes;the uniform dilute phase in the DPT regime,and the coexistence of the dilute phase in the upper region and the dense phase in the lower region in the FF regime.The clustering and solids back mixing in the FF regime were stronger than those in the DPT regime.

Studies on gas turbulence and particle fluctuation in dense gas-particle flows

Particle fluctuation and gas turbulence in dense gas-particle flows are less studied due to complexity of the phenomena. In the present study, simulations of gas turbulent flows passing over a single particle are carried out first by using RANS modeling with a Reynolds stress equation turbulence model and sufficiently fine grids, and then by using LES. The turbulence enhancement by the particle wake effect is studied under various particle sizes and relative gas velocities, and the turbulence enhancement is found proportional to the particle diameter and the square of velocity. Based on the above results, a turbulence enhancement model for the particle-wake effect is proposed and is incorporated as a sub-model into a comprehensive two-phase flow model, which is then used to simulate dilute gas-particle flows in a horizontal channel. The simulation results show that the predicted gas turbulence by using the present model accounting for the particle wake effect is obviously in better agreement with the experimental results than the prediction given by the model not accounting for the wake effect. Finally, the proposed model is incorporated into another two-phase flow model to simulate dense gasparticle flows in a downer. The results show that the particle wake effect not only enhances the gas turbulence, but also amplifies the particle fluctuation.

Mechanisms for Particle Clustering in Upward Gas-Solid Flows

Two-dimensional unsteady cocurrent upward gas-solid flows in the vertical channel are simulated and the mechanisms of particles accumulation are analyzed according to the simulation results. The gaseous turbulent flow is simulated using the large eddy simulation (LES) method and the solid phase is treated using the Lagrangian approach, and the motion of the gas and particles are coupled. The formation of clusters and the accumulation of particles near the wall in dense gas-solid flows are demonstrated even if the particle-particle collisions were ignored. It is found that a cluster grows up by capturing the particles in the dilute phase due to its lower vertical velocity. By this way the small size clusters can evolve to large-scale clusters. Due to the interaction of gas and particles, the large-scale vortices appear in the channel and the boundary layer separates from the wall, which results in very high particle concentration in the near wall region and a very large-scale cluster formed near the separation point.

An improved CFD model of gas flow and particle interception in a fiber material

An improved CFD model of gas flow and particle interception in a fiber material which fiber size is Y-shape was developed in this work. The porous medium model was used to build the model of the whole size of fiber filter medium. Mixture model was adopted. The algorithm of particle interception in the whole size of fiber filter medium was derived and UDF(User Defined Function) that described kinds of particle filtering mechanisms in filter fibrous media was added to the Fluent default conservation equation as source term for simulation. The inertial resistance of the filter was taken into consideration, which provided a more precise measurement of the smoke flow and the particle interception in the filter under higher smoke speed conditions. The commercial software, Fluent 6.3, was used to simulate the smoke flow and particle interception in the filter in a single suction. The velocity and pressure profiles of smoke or nicotine particle in the filter, as well as nicotine particle volume fraction profile were well simulated. Finally, the comparisons of nicotine particle filtration efficiency between Fluent simulation results in this work and experimental results, as well as the model prediction in the literature were made to validate the simulation model. The comparisons showed that the particle entrapment model from simulation results was in good agreement with that from the experimental results. In addition, the Fluent simulation results are closer to reality both at the beginning and the end of the smoke process comparing with the model predicted results in the literature.

Flow characteristics by particle image velocimetry in liquefied natural gas vaporizer model with several baffles

Shell-and-tube vaporizers are the most commonly used and dominated types of vaporizers in liquefied natural gas （LNG） realm. Due to efficient performance, shell-side flow in this type of vaporizers has received considerable attention and has been investigated extensively. However, the detailed flow structure in the shell needs to be determined for reliable and effective design. Therefore, the objective of this study was to clarify the flow structure in shell by particle image velocimetry （PIV）. Experiments were conducted using two types of model; 15% baffle cut having inlet and outlet positions !n the direction of 90° to the cut and 30% baffle cut having inlet and outlet positions in the direction of 180° to the cut. Each test section is 169 mm in inner diameter and 344.6 mm in length. The flow features were characterized in different baffle cuts with regards to the velocity vector field and velocity distribution. The results show that the flow characteristics of 15% baffle cut type vaporizer are comparable to those of 30% baffle cut type vaporizer.

Effect of particle loading on heat transfer enhancement in a gas-solid suspension cross flow

Heat transfer between gas-solid multiphase flow and tubes occurs in many industry processes, such as circulating fluidized bed process, pneumatic conveying process, chemical process, drying process, etc. This paper focuses on the influence of the presence of particles on the heat transfer between a tube and gas-solid suspension. The presence of particles causes positive enhancement of heat transfer in the case of high solid loading ratio, but heat transfer reduction has been found for in the case of very low solid loading ratio (M s of less than 0.05 kg/kg). A useful correlation incorporating solid loading ratio, particle size and flow Reynolds number was derived from experimental data. In addition, the k-ε two-equation model and the Fluctuation-Spectrum- Random-Trajectory Model (FSRT Model) are used to simulate the flow field and heat transfer of the gas-phase and the solid-phase, respectively. Through coupling of the two phases the model can predict the local and total heat transfer characteristics of tube in gas-solid cross flow. For the total heat transfer enhancement due to particles loading the model predictions agreed well with experimental data.

Effect of Ballistic Bouncing of Gas Particles across a Microchannel on Rarefied Gas Flows

This paper proposes a novel computationally efficient method of modeling rarefied gas flow in microchannels based on the newly discovered and mathematically proven Ballistic Principle of the Property Balance in Space (BPPBS). The mechanism of influence of the effect of rarefication on the gas flow is specifically investigated. Also, a differential form of the momentum balance equation governing gas flow in the channel between two parallel plates due to the pressure gradient along the channel and its exact implicit solution in the form of an integral equation have been derived. The theory does not use the generalized concept of viscosity based on the variable mean free path (MFP) in the Knudsen layer (KL). Comparing the normalized flow rate as a function of the inverse Knudsen number according to the current theory and the experimental data shows good agreement in the range of the inverse Knudsen number from 0.01 to about 40. The correlation factor is found to be about 0.995. The results show that our approach based on the BPPBS offers substantial and practical advantages in modeling and simulation of rarefied gases. The validity of the widely disseminated claim of the geometry-dependent MFP in the KL was analyzed.

SIMULATION OF SUDDEN-EXPANSION AND SWIRLING GAS-PARTICLE FLOWS USING A TWO-FLUID PARTICLE-WALL COLLISION MODEL WITH CONSIDERATION OF THE WALL ROUGHNESS

A two-fluid particle-wall collision model with consideration of wall roughness is pro- posed.It takes into account the effects of the friction,restitution and in particular the wall roughness, and hence the redistribution of Reynolds stress in different directions,the absorption of turbulent en- ergy from the mean motion and the attenuation of particle motion by the wall.The proposed model is used to simulate sudden-expansion and swirling gas-particle flows and is validated by comparing with experimental results.The results show that the proposed model gives better results than those obtained by the presently used zero-gradient condition.Hence,it is suggested that the proposed model should be used as the wall boundary condition for the particle phase in place of the presently used boundary condition.

Analysis of choked two-phase flows of gas and particle in a C-D nozzle

Particle-gas two-phase flows show significantly different behaviors compared to single gas flow through a convergent-divergent nozzle. Non-equilibrium effects, thermal and velocity lag results to the inefficiency of nozzle performance. In the present studies, theoretical analysis and numerical simulations were carried out to investigate particle-gas flows in a C-D nozzle. Homogeneous equilibrium model that no lag in velocity and temperature occurs between particles and gas phase was used to derive mass flow rate and sound speed of multiphase flows. Two-phase flows are regarded as isentropic flows that isentropic relations can be used for homogeneous equilibrium model. Discrete phase model （DPM） where interaction with continuous phase and discrete random walk model were considered was used to calculate particle- gas flows. Particle mass loadings were varied to investigate their effects on choking phenomena of particle-gas flows. Mass flow rate and sound speed of mixture flows were theoretically calculated by homogeneous equilibrium model and compared with numerical results. Shock wave structure and particle number density were also obtained to be different at different particle mass loading and operating pressure conditions.

A two-scale second-order moment two-phase turbulence model for simulating dense gas-particle flows

A two-scale second-order moment two-phase turbulence model accounting for inter-particle collision is developed, based on the concepts of particle large-scale fluctuation due to turbulence and particle small-scale fluctuation due to collision and through a unified treatment of these two kinds of fluctuations. The proposed model is used to simulate gas-particle flows in a channel and in a downer. Simulation results are in agreement with the experimental results reported in references and are near the results obtained using the sin- gle-scale second-order moment two-phase turbulence model superposed with a particle collision model （USM-θ model） in most regions.

Influence of coherent structures in the gas-particle circular cylinder wake flow

To investigate the influence of coherent structures in the gas-particle wake flow, direct numerical simulation (DNS) method was adopted to compute a two-dimensional particle laden wake flow. A high accuracy spectral element method (SEM) was employed to simulate the gas flow field and a Lagrangian approach was used to compute the particles movement. Numerical results showed that at the same Stokes numbers, particles would be greatly impacted by the development of the coherent structure. But with different Stokes numbers, it can be seen that the large-scale vortex structures would influence the particle flow differently. While under different Reynolds numbers (150 and 200), there are no great changes in the particle laden flow.

Solid Particles Injection in Gas Turbulent Channel Flow

This paper represents a review of the recent researches that investigate the behavior of the gas turbulent flow laden with solid particles. The significant parameters that influence the interactions between the both phases, such as particle size, loading ratio and the gas velocity, have been extensively reviewed. Those parameters are presented in dimensionless numbers in which the applicability of studying its effect in terms of all circumstances of the gas turbulent channel flow at different condition is possible. The represented results show that the turbulence degree is proportional to the particle size. It was found that at the most flow conditions even at low mass ratio, the particle shape, density and size significantly alter the turbulence characteristics. However, the results demonstrate that the particle Reynolds number is a vital sign: the turbulence field becomes weaker if particle Reynolds number is lower than the critical limit and vies verse. The gas velocity has a strong effect on the particles settling along the channel flow and as a result, the pressure drop will be affected.

Measurement and simulation of the two-phase velocity correlation in sudden-expansion gas-particle flows

In this paper the present authors measured the gas-particle two-phase velocity correlation in sudden expansion gas-particle flows with a phase Doppler particle anemometer （PDPA） and simulated the system behavior by using both a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes （RANS） model and a large-eddy simulation （LES）. The results of the measurements yield the axial and radial time-averaged velocities as well as the fluctuation velocities of gas and three particle-size groups （30μm, 50μm, and 95μm） and the gasparticle velocity correlation for 30μm and 50μm particles. From the measurements, theoretical analysis, and simulation, it is found that the two-phase velocity correlation of sudden-expansion flows, like that of jet flows, is less than the gas and particle Reynolds stresses. What distinguishes the two-phase velocity correlations of sudden-expansion flow from those of jet and channel flows is the absence of a clear relationship between the two-phase velocity correlation and particle size in sudden-expansion flows. The measurements, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulation all lead to the above-stated conclusions. Quantitatively, the results of the LES are better than those of the RANS model.

Effect of gas flow on the nanoparticles transport in dusty acetylene plasmas

This article presents simulation results on the effects of neutral gas flow for nanoparticle transport in atmospheric-pressure,radio-frequency,capacitively-coupled,and acetylene discharge.The acetylene gas is set to flow into the chamber from the upper showerhead electrode.The internal energy of the gas medium therein is transferred into kinetic energy so the gas advection can be triggered.This is represented by the pressure volume work term of the gas energy converse equation.The gas advection leads to the gas temperature sink at the gas inlet,hence a large gas temperature gradient is formed.The thermophoresis relies on the gas temperature gradient,and causes the profile of nanoparticle density to vary from a double-peak structure to a single-peak one.The gas advection influences the properties of electron density and temperature as well and causes the drift-ambipolar mode profile of electron density asymmetric.In the bulk region,i.e.away from the inlet,the gas advection is more like one isovolumetric compression,which slightly increases the temperature of the gas medium at consuming its kinetic energy.