Three-dimensional Simulation of Gas/Solid Flow in Spout-fluid Beds with Kinetic Theory of Granular Flow

A three-dimensional Eulerian multiphase model, with closure law according to the kinetic theory of granular flow, was used to study the gas/solid flow behaviors in spout-fluid beds. The influences of the coefficient of restitution due to non-ideal particle collisions on the simulated results were tested. It is demonstrated that the simulated result is strongly affected by the coefficient of restitution. Comparison of simulations with experiments in a small spout-fluid bed showed that an appropriate coefficient of restitution of 0.93 was necessary to simulate the flow characteristics in an underdesigned large size of spout-fluid bed coal gasifier with diameter of lm and height of 6m. The internal jet and gas/solid flow patterns at different operating conditions were obtained. The simulations show that an optimal gas/solid flow pattern for coal gasification is found when the spouting gas flow rate is equal to the fluidizing gas flow rate and the total of them is two and a half times the minimum fluidizing gas flow rate. Besides, the radial distributions of particle velocity and gas velocity show similar tendencies; the radial distributions of particle phase pressure due to particle collisions and the particle pseudo-temperature corresponding to the macroscopic kinetic energy of the random particle motion also show similar tendencies. These indicate that both gas drag force and particle collisions dominate the movement of particles.

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.

Coupling of discrete-element method and smoothed particle hydrodynamics for liquid-solid flows

Particle based methods can be used for both the simulations of solid and fluid phases in multiphase medium, such as the discrete-element method for solid phase and the smoothed particle hydrodynamics for fluid phase. This paper presents a computational method combining these two methods for solid-liquid medium. The two phases are coupled by using an improved model from a reported Lagrangian-Eulerian method. The technique is verified by simulating liquid-solid flows in a two-dimensional lid-driven cavity.

Numerical Simulation on Gas-Solid Two-Phase Turbulent Flow in FCC Riser Reactors(Ⅰ) Turbulent Gas-Solid Flow-Reaction Model

Gas-solid two-phase turbulent flows,mass transfer,heat transfer and catalytic cracking reactions areknown to exert interrelated influences in commercial fluid catalytic cracking(FCC)riser reactors.In the presentpaper,a three-dimensional turbulent gas-solid two-phase flow-reaction model for FCC riser reactors was devel-oped.The model took into account the gas-solid two-phase turbulent flows,inter-phase heat transfer,masstransfer,catalytic cracking reactions and their interrelated influence.The k-V-k_P two-phase turbulence modelwas employed and modified for the two-phase turbulent flow patterns with relatively high particle concentration.Boundary conditions for the flow-reaction model were given.Related numerical algorithm was formed and a nu-merical code was drawn up.Numerical modeling for commercial FCC riser reactors could be carried out with thepresented model.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Dilute Gas-Solid Flow inside a 90°Horizontal Square Pipe Bend

A pneumatic test rig is built to test a curved 90° square bend in an open-circuit horizontal-to-horizontal suction wind tunnel system. Sand particles are used to represent the solid phase with a wide range of particle diameters. Velocity profiles are constructed by measuring the gas velocity using a 3-hole probe. Flow patterns inside the bend duct are introduced using sparks caused by burning sticks of incense with the air flow inside the piping system for flow visualization purpose. Numerical calculations are performed by Lagrangian-particle tracking model for predicting particle trajectories of dispersed phase, and standard k-ε model for predicting the turbulent gas-solid flows in bends. Comparisons made between the theoretical results and experimental data for the velocity vectors and particle trajectories show good agreement.

Critical Stokes Number for Gas-Solid Flow Erosion of Wind Turbine Airfoil

Wind turbine blades are inevitable to be eroded in wind-sand environment,so it is crucial to identify the flow conditions under which the erosion happens.Here,the effect of the sand diameter on wind turbine airfoil is first investigated.When the sand diameter is less than 3μm,the sands will bypass the airfoil and no erosion occurs.When the sand diameter is larger than 4μm,the sand grains collide with the airfoil and the erosion happens.Thus,there must be a critical sand diameter between 3μm and 4μm,at which the erosion is initiated on the airfoil surface.To find out this critical value,aparticle Stokes number is introduced here.According to the range of the critical sand diameter mentioned above,the critical value of particle Stokes number is reasonably assumed to be between 0.007 8and 0.014.The assumption is subsequently validated by other four factors influecing the erosion,i.e.,the angle of attack,relative thickness of the airfoil,different series airfoil,and inflow velocity.Therefore,the critical range of Stokes number has been confirmed.

Numerical Simulation of Gas-Solid Flow in Square Cyclone Separators with Downward Exit

Cyclone separators are widely used in industrial applications. The separation efficiency and pressure drop are the most important parameters to evaluate the performance of processing system. In the simulations,the flow behavior of gas and particles within a square cyclone separator is simulated by means of computational fluid dynamics. The RNG k- ε model and the Reynolds stress model( RSM) are used to model gas turbulence. The flow behavior is examined in the term of tangential velocity components,static pressure and pressure drop contour plots for flow field and solid volume fraction. The effects of the turbulence model and solid volume fraction on the square cyclone are discussed. The results indicate that the pressure drop increases with the increase of solid volume fraction,and increase with the increase of inlet velocities for two turbulence models, moreover,the simulations results are compared with pressure field. For all runs,the RSM model gives a higher pressure drop compared to the RNG k- ε model. The RSM model provides well the forced vortex and free vortex,and captures better the phenomena occurring during intense vortex flow in the presence of walls within cyclone separators.

A study on periodic boundary condition in direct numerical simulation for gas–solid flow

Direct numerical simulation(DNS) of gas–solid flow at high resolution has been carried out by coupling the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM) for gas flow and the discrete element method(DEM) for solid particles. However,the body force periodic boundary condition(FPBC) commonly used to cut down the huge computational cost of such simulation has faced accuracy concerns. In this study, a novel two-region periodic boundary condition(TPBC) is presented to remedy this problem, with the flow driven in the region with body force and freely evolving in the other region. With simulation cases for simple circulating fluidized bed risers, the validity and advantages of TPBC are demonstrated with more reasonable heterogeneity of the particle distribution as compared to the corresponding case with FPBC.

CFD Simulation of Dilute Gas-Solid Flow in 90^oSquare Bend

Gas-solid two-phase flow in a 90? bend has been studied numerically. The bend geometry is squared cross section of (0.15 m × 0.15 m) and has a turning radius of 1.5 times the duct's hydraulic diameter. The solid phase consists of glass spheres having mean diameter of 77 μm and the spheres are simulated with an air flowing at bulk velocity of 10 m/s. A computational fluid dynamic code (CFX-TASCflow) has been adopted for the simulation of the flow field inside the piping and for the simulation of the particle trajectories. Simulation was performed using Lagrangian particle-tracking model, taking into account one-way coupling, combined with a particle-wall collision model. Turbulence was predicted using k-ε model, wherein additional transport equations are solved to account for the combined gas-particle interactions and turbulence kinetic energy of the particle phase turbulence. The computational results are compared with the experimental data present in the literature and they were found to yield good agreement with the measured values.

Numerical simulation on gas-solid flow during circulating fluidized roasting of bauxite by a computational particle fluid dynamics method

A full-cycle numerical simulation of a circulating fluidized bed(CFB)by the use of the computational particle fluid dynamics(CPFD)method has been developed.The effects of the presence or absence of the secondary air,different secondary air positions,and different secondary air ratios on the gas–solid flow characteristics were explored.The results show that the presence of the secondary air makes a core-annular structure of the velocity distribution of particles in the fluidized bed,which enhances the uniformity of particles’distribution and the stability of fluidization.The position and the ratio of the secondary air have a significant impact on the particle distribution,particle flow rate,and gas flow rate in the fluidized bed.When the secondary air position and ratio are optimal,the particles,particle flow rate,and air flow rate in the CFB are evenly distributed,the gas–solid flow state is good,and the CFB can operate stably.

Criterion of gas and solid dual-phase flow atomization crash in molten metal

A self-invented atomization process, in which molten metal is atomized into powder by a high-velocity gas stream carrying solid particles as the atomization medium, was introduced. The characteristics of powders prepared by common gas atomization and dual-phase flow atomization under similar conditions were compared. The experimental results show that the dual-phase flow-atomized powders have average particle sizes that are one-half that of the common gas-atomized particles;additionally, they possess a finer microstructure and higher cooling rate under the same atomization gas pressure and the same gas flow. The Weber number in the crash criteria of liquid atomization is adopted to measure the crash ability of the atomization media. The Weber number of the dual-phase flow atomization medium is the sum of that of the gas and the solid particles. Furthermore, the critical equation of the crash model in dual-phase flow atomization is established, and the main regularities associated with this process were analyzed.

NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON LIQUID-SOLID FLOW IN A HYDROCYCLONE

Hydrocyclones are widely used in industry, of which the geometrical design using CFD techniques is gaining more popularity in recent years. In this study, the Euler-Euler approach and the Reynolds stress model are applied to simulate the liquid-solid flowfield in a hydrocyclone. The methodology is validated by a good agreement between experimental data and numerical results. Within the research range, the simulation indicates that the liquid-solid separation mainly occurs in the conical segment, and increasing conical height or decreasing cylindrical height helps to improve the grade efficiencies of solid particles. Based on these results, two of the same hydrocyclones are designed and installed in series to establish a liquid-solid separation system. Many experiments are then conducted under different conditions, in which the effects of the water cut and the second hydrocyclone on the separation are investigated. The results also confirm that smaller solid particles are more susceptible to the inlet conditions, and the second hydrocyclone plays a more important role as the water cut reduces.

Influence of Cohesive Zone Shape on Solid Flow in COREX Melter Gasifier by Discrete Element Method

Based on the principle of discrete element method （DEM）, a 2D slot model of a COREX melter gasifier was established to analyze the influence of cohesive zone shape on solid flow, including mass distribution, velocity distribution, normal force distribution and porosity distribution at a microscopic level. The results show that the co- hesive zone shape almost does not affect the particle movement in the upper shaft and deadman shape. The particles in the lower central bottom experience large normal force to support the particles above them, while particles around the raceway and in the fast flow zone exhibit weak force network. The porosity distribution was also examined under three kinds of cohesive zones. Like the velocity distribution, the whole packed bed can be divided into four main re- gions. With the increase of cohesive zone position, the low porosity region located in the root of cohesive zone increa- ses. And the porosity distribution becomes asymmetric in the case of biased cohesive zone.

Numerical simulation and experimental validation of gas–solid flow in the riser of a dense fluidized bed reactor

Gas-solid flow in the riser of a dense fluidized bed using Geldart B particles （sand）, at high gas velocity （7.6-15.5 m/s）s） and with comparatively high solid flux （140-333.8 kg]m^2 s）, was investigated experimentally and simulated by computational fluid dynamics （CFD）, both two- and three-dimensional and using the Gidaspow, O＇Brien-Syamlal, Koch-Hill-Ladd and EMMS drag models, The results predicted by EMMS drag model showed the best agreement with experimental results. Calculated axial solids hold-up profiles, in particular, are well consistent with experimental data. The flow structure in the riser was well represented by the CFD results, which also indicated the cause of cluster formation. Complex hydrody-namical behaviors of particle cluster were observed. The relative motion between gas and solid phases and axial heterogeneity in the three subzones of the riser were also investigated, and were found to be consistent with predicted flow structure. The model could well depict the difference between the two exit configurations used, viz., semi-bend smooth exit and T-shaped abrupt exit. The numerical results indicate that the proposed EMMS method gives better agreement with the experimental results as compared with the Gidaspow, O＇Brien-Syamlal, Koch-Hill-Ladd models. As a result, the proposed drag force model can be used as an efficient aporoach for the dense zas-solid two-ohase flow.

DEM Simulation of Solid Flow Including Asymmetric Phenomena in COREX Shaft Furnace

Based on the principles of the discrete element method （DEM）, a scaled-down model was established to analyze burden descending behavior, including asymmetric phenomena, throughout an entire COREX shaft furnace （SF）. The applicability of the DEM model was validated by determining its accordance with a previous experiment. The effects of discharge rate and abnormal conditions on solid flow were described in terms of solid flow pattern and microscopic analysis. Results confirmed that the solid flow of the COREX SF can be divided into four different flow regions; the largest normal force exists at the top of the man-made dead zone, and the weak force network exists in the funnel flow region. The basic solid flow profile was identified as a clear Flat→U→W type. Increasing the dis- charge rate decreased the quasi-stagnant zone size, but did not affect the macroscopic motion of particles or the shape of patterns above the bustle. For asymmetric conditions, in which particles were discharged at different rates, the solid flow patterns were asymmetric. Under an abnormal condition where no particles were discharged from the left outlet, a sizeable stagnant zone was formed opposite to the working outlet, and ＂motionless＂ particles located in the left stagnant zone showed potential to increase the period of static contacts and sticking effect.

PIV MEASUREMENT OF THE GAS-SOLID FLOW PATTERN IN A CFB RISER

Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) is a valuable measuring tool for studyingmultiphase flows, such as liquid-gas and gas-solid flow. It can be used to carry out manyhydrodynamic studies, in particular, to determine accurately the gas solid flow structure in CFB(Circulating Fluidized Beds). In this paper, the technique characteristics was described in applyingthe PIV to measure the gas-solid flow in circulating fluidized beds. A primary experiment wascomple-ted on a CFB unit with the PIV, yielding the velocity vector fields of high-density particlesfor different gas-solid superficial velocities and solid recycle rates. Velocities of thetransported particles were calculated with cross-correlation method. The major factors influencingthe successful measurement of particle velocity with the PIV technique were also described.

Differentially weighted direct simulation Monte Carlo method for particle collision in gas-solid flows

In gas-solid flows, particle-particle interaction （typical, particle collision） is highly significant, despite the small particles fractional volume. Widely distributed polydisperse particle population is a typical characteristic during dynamic evolution of particles （e.g., agglomeration and fragmentation） in spite of their initial monodisperse particle distribution. The conventional direct simulation Monte Carlo （DSMC） method for particle collision tracks equally weighted simulation particles, which results in high statistical noise for particle fields if there are insufficient simulation particles in less-populated regions. In this study, a new differentially weighted DSMC （DW-DSMC） method for collisions of particles with different number weight is proposed within the framework of the general Eulerian-Lagrangian models for hydrodynamics. Three schemes （mass, momentum and energy conservation） were developed to restore the numbers of simulation particle while keeping total mass, momentum or energy of the whole system unchanged respectively. A limiting case of high-inertia particle flow was numerically simulated to validate the DW-DSMC method in terms of computational precision and efficiency. The momentum conservation scheme which leads to little fluctuation around the mass and energy of the whole system performed best. Improved resolution in particle fields and dynamic behavior could be attained simultaneously using DW-DSMC, compared with the equally weighted DSMC. Meanwhile, computational cost can be largely reduced in contrast with direct numerical simulation.

Study of fluid cell coarsening for CFD-DEM simulations of polydisperse gas–solid flows

Particle polydispersity is ubiquitous in industrial fluidized beds,which possesses a significant impact on hydrodynamics of gas-solid flow.Computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method(CFD-DEM)is promising to adequately simulate gas-solid flows with continuous particle size distribution(PSD)while it still suffers from high computational cost.Corresponding coarsening models are thereby desired.This work extends the coarse-grid model to polydisperse systems.Well-resolved simulations with different PSDs are processed through a filtering procedure to modify the gas-particle drag force in coarse-grid simulations.We reveal that the drag correction of individual particle exhibits a dependence on filtered solid volume fraction and filtered slip velocity for both monodisperse and polydisperse systems.Subsequently,the effect of particle size and surrounding PSD is quantified by the ratio of particle size to Sauter mean diameter.Drag correction models for systems with monodisperse and continuous PSD are developed.A priori analysis demonstrates that the developed models exhibit reliable prediction accuracy.

Numerical Simulation of Gas-Solid Two-Phase Flow in Reverse Blowing Pickup Mouth

Pickup mouth is a key component for the service performance of a street sweeper. Computational fluid dynamics( CFD) technology,as an analysis tool in fluid flow simulation,is employed in this work because it can greatly shorten the design period. To obtain higher simulation accuracy,the gas-solid coupling inside the process cannot be neglected during numerical simulation.Our optimization procedure considers the influence of structure and operational parameters. It is recommended that the outlet diameter is less than 0. 42 of the width and the outlet inclination angle is 110°for structure parameters. The dust collection efficiency is improved when the reverse flow rate is 70% of the total volume,the sweepertraveling speed is 10 km / h,and the pressure drop is 2 400 Pa.Simulation results exhibit well consistency with the physical experimental results.

Gas-solid flow in a high-density circulating fluidized bed riser with Geldart group B particles

We carried out experiments to explore and characterize the gas-solid flow dynamics of Geldart group B particles in a dense circulating fluidized bed riser. By reducing the pressure drop across the solid control valve and increasing the solid inventory in the storage tank, a high solid circulation rate and a solid holdup above 0.075 throughout the riser were simultaneously achieved. At a solid-to-gas mass flux ratio of approximately 105, flow transitioned from fast fluidization to a dense suspension upflow. In the axial direction of the riser, solid holdup had an exponential profile, increasing with increasing solid circulation rate and Jot decreasing superficial gas velocity. From the riser＇s center to its wall, the solid holdup increased markedly, exhibiting a steep parabolic profile. Increasing the solid circulation rate increased the radial non-uniformity of the solid concentration, while increasing the superficial gas velocity had the opposite effect, In our dense circulating fluidized bed riser, Geldart group B particles had similar slip characteristics to Geldart group A particles,