Numerical investigation of drag property for fluid flow through packed beds of super-quadric chip-like particles

Abstract

Drag property of fluid flow through chip-like particles is essential for describing the microscale flow pattern of this unique system, yet it is not well developed. In this work, a correlation of drag force (Fd) specific for the super-quadric chip-like particles is formulated under the conditions of porosity ε = 0.48–1.0 and Reynolds number Re = 10–200, using the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and discrete element method (DEM). The LBM-DEM model is validated against previous data with an average deviation of 5% (max ∼15%). The results indicate that the ε and Re are two dominant parameters that determine the Fd on chip-like particles. A new Fd correlation consists of ε and Re is developed. Comparisons are conducted between this Fd correlation with previous approximate correlations including Di Felice-Holzer/Sommerfeld hybrid drag model for arbitrary-shaped particles and Chen/Müller drag model specific for cubes, indicating that an accurate description of the particles' shapes is vital in providing suitable Fd information. The new Fd correlation can be applied to Euler-Euler simulations of industrial-scale processes of chip-like particles involved in fluid flow systems such as end-of-life (EoL) solar panels recycling and biomass chips gasification.