On the macro- and micro-scale of dilute suspensions: A particle-based numerical investigation

Abstract

We consider the micro- and the macro-scale to investigate the motion of single grains in a dilute suspension under shear flow and Poiseuille flow to analyze effects like shear-wall migration and rolling of grains as observed in physical experiments. To be able to simulate the behavior of fresh concrete or mud flow, as realistically as possible, we are taking into account a non-Newtonian Bingham–Papanastasiou rheology for the carrier fluid. Due to a surface coupled approach, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) gives the opportunity to consider both, the motion of a solid particle, by tracking its center of mass and also surface points, and the interaction and influence on the near field of the velocity field in the fluid phase. We show an independence of the motion of solid grains from the surrounding carrier fluid. While the macroscopic flow reaches a stationary flow field quite fast, the motion of the solid grains still oscillates between parts of the fluid that flow with different velocities and does not show a stable steady state. Providing a comparison between the motion in a Newtonian and a non-Newtonian fluid, we point out the differences and thus the importance of the choice of the material model for the carrier fluid in numerical simulations.