Numerical investigation of flow and energy dissipation for granular materials in moving bed heat exchangers based on μ(I) theory

Abstract

A comprehensive Eulerian model based on μ(I) rheology theory is established to describe the granular flow inside moving bed heat exchangers (MBHEs). The established model is validated, and the rheological parameters involved in μ(I) model are determined using the experimental results of velocity distributions for three kinds of typical granular materials in a thin silo. Detailed results regarding the particle velocity, solid volume fraction, particle intergranular shear stress, resistance, and energy dissipation of three different granular flows in a staggered-arranged MBHE and an aligned-arranged MBHE are revealed and discussed. The relationship among dimensionless dissipation, velocity, and pressure in the transition zone is analyzed to demonstrate the influences of granular properties and pipe arrangement on granular flow.