Numerical analysis of wall shear stress in a rotating drum based on two fluid model

Abstract

A better understanding of the interaction between particle and the wall in rotating drums is of great interest. Two Fluid Model (TFM) coupled with kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF) is used for investigating the wall shear stress of particle phase in a rotating drum. The distribution characteristic of wall shear stress and the effects of operation parameters and contact parameters on wall shear stress are analyzed. The results show that except the fluctuation of wall shear stress with time, its distribution is basically fixed which corresponds to the stable granular flow. The wall shear stress increases with increasing rotational speed and fill level while the degree of increase gradually decreases. With increasing of specularity coefficient which is defined as the average fraction of relative tangential momentum transferred in a particle-boundary collision, the position of shoulder region of granular flow changed a little while the position of toe region is relatively fixed. The distribution of wall shear stress has no essential difference and only a slight increase of its average value with increasing angle of friction with a constant specularity coefficient. Fig. 2. The distribution of wall shear stress of the rotating drum at different times at 65 rpm. • Wall shear stress was studied using TFM coupled with KTGF. • The effect of operation parameters on wall shear stress is analyzed. • The effect of contact parameters on wall shear stress is analyzed.