Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study of Particle Dynamics in a Rotating Drum with Flights

Abstract

Rotary dryers are widely used in various industries. Although numerous research efforts have focused on characterizing the dynamics of these equipments, the design of rotating dryers is complex, and theoretical studies are necessary to gain an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of particles in these dryers. This paper aims to investigate the particle dynamic behavior in a rotating drum with flights, based on CFD and experimental results. In the numerical study it was used the Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase model along with the kinetic theory of granular flow. The holdups of solids in the flights were compared with experimental data, using a methodology created specifically for this purpose. The simulated results were in good agreement with the experimental data and the present work has shown that the Eulerian approach has been able to predict the fluid dynamics behavior in different operating conditions.