Abstract
Particle–fluid flows are ubiquitous in nature and industry. Understanding the dynamic behaviour of these complex flows becomes a rapidly developing interdisciplinary research focus. In this work, a numerical modelling approach for complex particle–fluid flows using the discrete element method coupled with the lattice Boltzmann method (DEM-LBM) is presented. The discrete element method and the lattice Boltzmann method, as well as the coupling techniques, are discussed in detail. The DEM-LBM is thoroughly validated for typical benchmark cases: the single-phase Poiseuille flow, the gravitational settling and the drag force on a fixed particle. In order to demonstrate the potential and applicability of DEM-LBM, three case studies are performed, which include the inertial migration of dense particle suspensions, the agglomeration of adhesive particle flows in channel flow and the sedimentation of particles in cavity flow. It is shown that DEM-LBM is a robust numerical approach for analysing complex particle–fluid flows.
Highlights
Particulate flows are extensively encountered in nature and industrial processes, attracting tremendous engineering research interests in almost all areas of sciences [1,2,3], including astrophysics, chemical engineering, biology, life science and so on
Studies of particulate flows can be classified into three categories based on the types of approach: (1) continuum modelling, which extends the continuum mechanics of single-phase fluid to describe the particle transportation, leading to a representative population balance method [4,5]; (2) developing the kinetic theory of particulate flow [6] based on the averaged equations for multi-particle systems, which generalise the dynamics of particle–particle collision processes; (3) discrete particle modelling, which solves the particle’s motion individually based on certain interaction laws
The third approach is classified as Lagrangian particle method and has many different variations, including the discrete element method (DEM), dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), molecular dynamics (MD) and Brownian dynamics (BD)
Summary
Particulate flows are extensively encountered in nature and industrial processes, attracting tremendous engineering research interests in almost all areas of sciences [1,2,3], including astrophysics, chemical engineering, biology, life science and so on. Studies of particulate flows can be classified into three categories based on the types of approach: (1) continuum modelling, which extends the continuum mechanics of single-phase fluid to describe the particle transportation, leading to a representative population balance method [4,5]; (2) developing the kinetic theory of particulate flow [6] based on the averaged equations for multi-particle systems, which generalise the dynamics of particle–particle collision processes; (3) discrete particle modelling, which solves the particle’s motion individually based on certain interaction laws. A numerical approach to model complex particle–fluid flow using a coupled DEM-LBM is introduced. Mr and Mt are the rolling and twisting resistance torques, respectively. rp represents the particle radius n, ts and tr are the unit vectors in the normal, tangential and rolling direction at the contact point, respectively
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