Research on the influence of the suction force on spherical particles in suction flow

Abstract

While scholars are aware of the suction force of particles (FDn) in gas-solid flow, until recently, most researchers have considered the drag force (FD) to be FDn, and there are few application functions for the calculation of FDn; this will affect the design of air-suction seeders, check valves, or other machines based on particle absorption. Therefore, it is necessary to re-build an applicable function of FDn and verify the equivalence between FDn and FD. In the present study, the empirical formula of FDn, which includes the suction hole diameter (D), particle diameter (dp), distance from the particle center to the suction hole (Lp), pressure difference (ΔP), gas density (ρg), and gas viscosity (μg), is established via dimensional analysis, and the application scope is 0.571 ≤ D/dp ≤ 1, 0.5 ≤ L/dp ≤ 0.634, and 3000 Pa ≤ ΔP ≤ 5000 Pa. Some conjectures are provided based on the comparison of the results of CFD simulations and experiments. For instance, FDn may be a combination of multiple forces, one of which is the dominant force FD. This research introduces a new method and device for measuring FDn for use by other researchers, and contributes to the existing research on particle absorption.