Hydrodynamic and thermal fields analysis in gas–solid two-phase flow

Abstract

The present work aims to investigate numerically the flowfield and heat transfer process in gas–solid suspension in a vertical pneumatic conveying pipe. The Eulerian–Lagrangian model is used to simulate the flow of the two-phases. The gas phase is simulated based on Reynolds Average Navier–Stokes equations (RANS) with low Reynolds number k– ε model, while particle tracking procedure is used for the solid phase. An anisotropic model is used to calculate the Reynolds stresses and the turbulent Prandtl number is calculated as a function of the turbulent viscosity. The model takes into account the lift and drag forces and the effect of particle rotation as well as the particles dispersion by turbulence effect. The effects of inter-particles collisions and turbulence modulation by the solid particles, i.e. four-way coupling, are also included in the model. Comparisons between different models for turbulence modulation with experimental data are carried out to select the best model. The model is validated against published experimental data for velocities of the two phases, turbulence intensity, solids concentration, pressure drop, heat transfer rates and Nusselt number distribution. The comparisons indicate that the present model is able to predict the complex interaction between the two phases in non-isothermal gas–solid flow in the tested range. The results indicate that the particle–particle collision, turbulence dispersion and lift force play a key role in the concentration distribution. In addition, the heat transfer rate increases as the mass loading ratio increases and Nusselt number increases as the pipe diameter increases.