Wall effects on a falling solid particle in an infinite channel

Abstract

We have examined the effects caused on the motion and sedimentation of a free falling solid particle by the hydrodynamic forces acting on the particle’s surface arising when particle is close to wall. Drag and lift coefficients for a settling particle inside a narrow domain are calculated. An Eulerian mesh is adopted for computing the motion of free moving solid particles through the domain. The combined particle and fluid mixture is treated with a fictitious boundary method approach. To avoid particle-wall collisions, an approach proposed by Singh, Glowinsk and coauthors is used to handle such interactions. The particulate flow is computed using multigrid finite element solver FEATFLOW (Finite element analysis tool for flow problems). Numerical experiments are performed by decreasing domain widths for a single falling particle. The size and density of the particle is varied to inspect the particle paths. The behavior of the particle and its interaction with wall while it is moving inside constricted domains is analyzed. Results for the drag and lift forces on the surface of particle are presented and compared with the reference values.