Settling velocities of particulate systems: 11. Comparison of the phenomenological sedimentation–consolidation model with published experimental results

Abstract

In one space dimension, the phenomenological theory of sedimentation–consolidation processes predicts the settling behaviour of a flocculated suspension in dependence of two constitutive material-specific functions, the Kynch batch flux density function and the effective solid stress. These functions depend only on the local solids concentration. In this paper, we determine these functions from published data of several experimental studies. The mathematical model is then solved numerically making use of these functions. The numerical results are compared to the respective measurements. General good agreement between numerical and experimental data confirms the validity of the phenomenological theory.