Computational Fluid Dynamics Discrete Element Method Research Articles

Hydromechanical analysis of slurry infiltration with coupled CFD–DEM method

AbstractThe tunnel face stability is closely related to the migration behavior and clogging mechanism of the slurry particles in granular soils, which is not yet fully understood. In this study, the coupled computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD–DEM) is adopted to investigate the infiltration behavior of slurry at the particle scale. The full Johnson–Kendall–Roberts (JKR) contact model describing interparticle behavior that accounts for cohesion present even when particles are microseparated after collisions is adopted for clay‐clay or clay‐sand particles and the Hertz–Mindlin model is used for sand‐sand particles. Through simulations, the mechanism of the slurry particle's blockage is identified as physical, frictional and cohesive modes, and slurry particle migration usually undergoes the process of aggregation‐destruction‐migration‐reassembly. Meanwhile, the influences of pressure, cohesive force, and particle shape on infiltration are also analyzed. The results indicate that high pressure lengthens the infiltration path and increases the infiltration rate. The increase in cohesion enhances the effective clogging of the sand column by the slurry, and particles with smaller sphericity are more likely to clog in the sand column. These findings may enhance our understanding of the slurry infiltration mechanism and its practical application in TBM tunneling.

Silver Recovery from Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Solar Cells using Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactors.

Silver can be recycled from the end-of-life (EoL) crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV), yet the recycling and its technology scale-up are still at an early stage especially in continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR). In this work, the silver recovery from the solar cells is technically understood and optimised in the CSTR system from the point of view of silver recovery efficiency, through integrating experimental and numerical investigations. Specifically, based on the experiments, a kinetics model is developed and SEM surface morphology is characterised; and a Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) particle-scale model is integrated with the kinetics model and validated against the fluid-flow pattern and silver leaching performance results from lab measurements. The validated CFD-DEM model is then applied to understand the particle-scale behaviour of silver leaching in the CSTR system in terms of hydrodynamics and AgNO3 distribution under different impeller speeds. The simulation results show that the silver leaching performance is improved in an improved CSTR design with a lower impeller position and doubled impeller layers. This work reveals the effectiveness and underlying hydrodynamics of silver leaching in CSTR systems and lays a foundation for improving silver recovery in PV recycling. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Sustainable dye extraction: Annatto powder production in a fountain confined spouted bed

AbstractThis study proposes an efficient and sustainable process for annatto powder production using a fountain confined spouted bed. With widespread applications in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, conventional extraction methods face environmental and economic challenges. Our study explores a solvent‐free and eco‐friendly approach using mechanical attrition within a fountain confined spouted bed, offering a cost‐effective solution for annatto cultivation. We systematically investigated the impact of four parameters—fountain confiner position and length, draft tube diameter, and airflow velocity—employing experimental design, multiple regression analysis, particle swarm optimization, and computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD‐DEM) simulations. The proposed optimization condition shows significantly higher collision intensity, improving annatto powder production compared to other central composite design tests. This study contributes to developing of a sustainable and economically viable method for dye production, with potential implications for annatto‐producing regions globally.

Effects of natural fracture reopening on proppant transport in supercritical CO2 fracturing: A CFD-DEM study

The reopening of natural fractures reshapes the proppant beds in hydraulic fractures, especially at fracture intersections, critically influencing subsequent proppant migration. However, studies on the effects of proppant bed shapes on post-reopening proppant migration are limited. To address this gap, a moving wall boundary technique is integrated into a Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) framework to model natural fracture reopening, enabling an in-depth analysis of how proppant bed reshaping impacts subsequent proppant migration during supercritical CO2 fracturing. Results reveal that proppant migration into natural fractures is governed by both drag force-induced and gravity-induced rolling mechanisms, with the latter exerting a more significant effect. The gravity-induced rolling mechanism is enhanced by five key factors: (a) the generation of a well-developed proppant pack in proximity to the intersection; (b) the inadequately filled V-shaped gully; (c) the increased proppant transport capacity within the natural fracture; (d) the reduced bypassing of proppants at the intersection; and (e) the improved ability of proppants to enter the natural fracture. The enhanced gravity-induced rolling mechanism significantly increases the proppants flowing into natural fractures: by 35.6% between the central and rearward section cases, 168.9% from mild to severe plugging cases, 39.1% with a wider natural fracture width (1.5 mm–2.5 mm), 20.3% with decreased hydraulic fracture flow rate (0.35 m/s to 0.25 m/s), and 33% with reduced fluid temperature (160 °C–40 °C). These findings underscore the impact of natural fracture reopening on subsequent proppant migration, offering valuable insights for optimizing fracturing designs.

Particle dynamic behaviors in bubble curtain barriers blocking the diffusion of sediment

Bubble curtains are linear multiphase plumes that are used in industry and engineering to reduce diffusive flows between two zones. The circulating shear flow generated by the bubble plume can effectively create a particle barrier in the water; thus, it is also widely used to suppress the diffusion of suspended particles during dredging operations. To clarify the interaction mechanism between the bubble curtain and suspended particles under pressure-driven flow, experimental studies and numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the particle dynamics in the flow field around the bubble curtain. In this study, we established a formal analogy between a bubble curtain and an air curtain and qualitatively identified four typical distribution zones of the particles in the flow field. Based on the quantitative measurements and theoretical considerations, the optimal operating conditions and the upper limit of effectiveness of the bubble curtain were determined. In addition, the blocking behavior and efficiency of bubble plumes on particles with different ReU and FrUgnumbers and different particle properties were simulated via the computational fluid dynamicsdiscrete element method (CFDDEM) numerical simulation method.

Simulating aerosol droplet dynamics and coalescence in tracheal intubation insights from a CFD-DEM analysis of PSAR tube interactions

This study employed the Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) to investigate targeted droplet delivery in tracheal intubation. Our findings reveal that droplet behavior and deposition patterns are significantly influenced by droplet size. Smaller droplets (3 μm and 5 μm) closely follow airflow, showing similar deposition patterns in both CFD-DEM and CFD-DPM simulations. In contrast, larger droplets (7.5 μm and 10 μm) demonstrate increased deposition, particularly in the bent section of the Point Source Release tube (PSAR tube), due to enhanced inertia following collisions and coalescence. The study highlights that larger droplets experience a higher frequency of coalescence, especially in curved tube sections. This leads to altered droplet size distribution at the outlet, affecting deposition in the lower respiratory tract. These insights are crucial for optimizing inhalation therapy devices, emphasizing the importance of considering droplet interactions in CFD simulations to accurately predict aerosol behavior in pulmonary drug delivery systems.

Impact of several coarse-graining models on a pilot-scale fluidized bed behavior using discrete element method–computational fluid dynamics

Impact of several coarse-graining models on a pilot-scale fluidized bed behavior using discrete element method–computational fluid dynamics

Fully coupled discrete element method for graded particles transport in pipes

Hydraulic conveying of graded particles is much more complex than that of uniform particles but is not fully understood. A fully coupled computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method model is established for the hydraulic conveying of graded particles, which integrally considers the particle–fluid and particle–particle interactions and turbulence modulation from particles. The proposed model accounts for the stochastic motion of particles by the discrete random walk method and applies the diffusion averaging algorithm to obtain particle concentration in arbitrary cells for smooth and cell-independent data fields on unfavorable cells (fluid cell size ≤ particle size). The particle–fluid drag force is applied to slurry flows through densely packed particle beds due to the consideration of porosity modification. The proposed model well performs in simulating the hydraulic conveying of dense graded particles. Dynamics in slurry mixtures of bi-disperse particles are investigated regarding different particle size compositions. The results show obvious stratification between coarse and fine particles, e.g., fine particles settling at the pipe bottom elevate the coarse particles and form a “lubrication layer” with high velocity. The torque caused by particle–particle/wall contact is greater than the torque caused by the fluid. The pipe cross section is divided into four regions according to the particle angular velocity. The effect of particle concentration on liquid motion is small because the difference in local particle concentration is relatively small, but the maximum pressure drop corresponds to a critical particle size composition.

Effects of operating parameters and particle friction on water usage of deep-sea manganese nodules hydraulic conveying equipment

One of the primary concerns for commercialising deep-sea mining is the environmental impact associated with the pumping seawater. Therefore, this study developed an unresolved coupled model of Computational Fluid Dynamics - Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) to explore water usage under various operating conditions. The model was validated by experimental results from previous research. The study specifically focused on examining the effects of particle friction on the particle output rate and water usage. The results indicated that to minimise the usage of seawater, the injecting speed should be set at a relatively high value to achieve a high discharge rate, such as 3 m/s in this work. The injecting speed for large particles can be set lower than that for small particles. It is recommended to set the pumping flow rate at a relatively low value, as long as it can generate enough lift force to transport the particles.

Wurster fluidised-bed coating: Coarse-graining technique within CFD-DEM in conjunction with heat and mass transfer

In this study, we use a combined CFD-Discrete Element Method to assess predictive capabilities and numerical implications of a coarse-graining technique in Wurster fluidised-bed coaters. We investigated both hydrodynamics and heat and mass transfer and conducted simulations of a full three-phase system for the original and three coarse-grained systems, analysing velocity distributions, macroscopic solid stresses, moisture content and phase temperatures. We achieved a logarithmic simulation speed-up by aggregating up to 64 original particles into each coarse grain. This was accomplished while maintaining fidelity to the original CFD-DEM system in terms of reproducing with high accuracy macroscopic granular flow properties in different regions of a coater (drying, tube and bed regions). By integrating a liquid spray and humid air, we demonstrated that the phase temperatures were accurately predicted within the coarse-grained system, with a high capability of delivering liquid spray distributions with the same uniformity and drying. We also give arguments for choosing a certain degree of coarse-graining as a compromise between a desired reduction of computational costs and a trustworthy reproduction of granular-flow physics encountered in different regions of a Wurster bed. Our findings pave the way to using CFD-DEM to industrially-scaled Wurster-bed systems, which is currently unfeasible due to prohibitive computational costs.

Structural Design of Pressurized Tube Based on the Discrete Element Method–Computational Fluid Dynamics Coupled Simulation

In order to elucidate the impact of pressurized tubes’ structures on the sowing performance of pneumatic seed delivery systems, the EDEM–CFD coupled simulation method was employed to analyze the influence of pressurized tube parameters, including length (L), corrugation depth (S), corrugation width (K), and the number of corrugations, on seed movement characteristics, distribution uniformity, and airflow patterns. Simulation-validated experiments were conducted to study the impact of the optimal pressurized tube structure on seeding performance. The results indicate that pressurized tubes significantly enhance the uniformity coefficient of seed distribution, reduce seed velocity, and decrease the coefficient of variation in distribution uniformity. When pressurized tube parameters, specifically length (L), corrugation depth (S), corrugation width (K), and the number of corrugations, are set at 800 mm, 8 mm, 50 mm, and 6, respectively, the uniformity coefficient of seed distribution exceeds 95%, and the coefficient of variation in seed discharge consistency for each row is less than 3.2%. Moreover, the seed velocity at the outlet of the pressurized tube, the relative velocity of two-phase flow, and pressure loss are all minimal, indicating superior seeding performance. This research provides valuable insights into the analysis of seed movement characteristics within pressurized tubes and the optimization of their structural parameters.

Controlling of cellular substructure and its effect on mechanical properties of FeCoCrNiMo0.2 high entropy alloy fabricated by selective laser melting

Fine cellular substructures are typical microstructure feature of high entropy alloys (HEAs) produced via selective laser melting (SLM), playing a pivotal role in improving the mechanical properties. Nonetheless, the controlling of cellular substructure and its impact on the mechanical properties remains ambiguous. This study investigates the effect of energy densities on the cellular substructure evolution and mechanical properties of the FeCoCrNiMo0.2 HEA. It is found the increase in energy density causes a decrease in temperature gradient (G) and solidification rate (R) in molten pool, consequently leading to the increase of cellular substructure size and the intensification of Mo segregation at cellular substructure boundaries. The cellular substructure size (d) can be described by formula d=80(GR)−1/3, in which G and R can be obtained from discrete element method - computational fluid dynamics (DEM-CFD) simulation. The strength of the FeCoCrNiMo0.2 HEA is significantly affected by dislocation strengthening (σd) and segregation strengthening (σs), which are further determined by the cellular substructure size and the Mo segregation, respectively. The increase of cellular substructure size leads to the decrease of σd, while the intensification of Mo segregation results in the increase of σs. The competition between these two strengthening effects leads to an optimized and excellent tensile property of 707 MPa in yield strength, 947 MPa in ultimate tensile strength and 34 % in fracture elongation at a moderate energy density of 47 J/mm3. The findings provide guidance towards the advancement of high-performance high entropy alloys fabricated by SLM in terms of cellular substructure controlling.

Research on the Grinding Process of Superhard Particles in the Fluidized Bed Opposed Jet Mill Based on the CFD-DEM Methodology

The process of superhard particle breakage in the grinding zone of the fluidized bed opposed jet mill is investigated using the CFD-DEM (computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method) coupling method with the Tavares UFRJ Breakage Model in the present study. The effects of structural and operational parameters, such as target plate structure, nozzle position, air inlet velocity, and feed rate, on the equipment stress distribution, airflow velocity, pressure field, particle velocity, and cumulative particle size distribution are thoroughly studied to determine the optimal structural and operational parameters. Experimental validation is conducted, including scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation of particle morphology and analysis of particle size distribution of ground product particles. The simulation results indicate that the wear rate of the structure without a target plate is lower than that of the structure with a target plate in the grinding central zone. Therefore, the structure without a target plate is chosen for further investigation. The cumulative particle size distribution after grinding is influenced by nozzle position, air inlet velocity, and feed rate. The particle D50 is positively correlated with nozzle spacing and feed rate, while it is negatively correlated with air inlet velocity. The optimal grinding effect is achieved when the distance between the nozzle and the center of the grinding zone ranges from 52.5 mm to 72.55 mm, the air inlet velocity is 950 m/s, and the feed rate is 10.5 g/s. Through experimental investigation, it has been observed that when the feed rate is 10 g/s, the particle size distribution becomes more uniform. Furthermore, consistent trends in the cumulative particle size distribution in the experiment and simulation results can be found, which validates the present numerical model. It was observed that particles at low feed rates retain certain angular edges, while particle roundness increases at high feed rates.

Numerical Modeling of Foam Carrying Sand Transport in Multifactor Horizontal Wells.

The solution of wellbore multiphase flow models has an important position in oil-gas field development. However, the solution of multiphase flow models often involves a series of complicated situations such as interphase mass and energy transfer, surface problems, and so on. Foam carrying sand particles in the wellbore is a solid, liquid, and gas three-phase cylinder flow problem. To solve this problem, we developed a computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method model based on the traditional N-S equations to track the streamline of the foam fluid and sand particles in the wellbore. On this basis, we investigated the influence of three factors, i.e., foam and sand properties and wellbore parameters, on the sand carrying rate of foam. The results show that whether the sand mound at the bottom of wells that can be dispersed is mainly affected by the properties of foam. The location of sand deposition in the wellbore and the effectiveness of foam in sand transportation are mainly influenced by the wellbore parameters and sand properties.

Fully Coupled CFD–DEM Simulation of Oil Well Hole Cleaning: Effect of Mud Hydrodynamics on Cuttings Transport

This paper presents a coupled computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD–DEM) simulation to predict cuttings transport by the drilling fluid (mud) in different oil well drilling conditions. The mud rheology is expressed by the Herschel–Bulkley behaviour and modelled in a Eulerian framework (CFD), while the cuttings are modelled using the Lagrangian approach (DEM). In this work, the effects of drill string rotation, inclination angle, cutting size, mud rheology, and annular velocity on cleaning efficiency are investigated. It is found that increasing the well deviation from vertical to horizontal leads to a higher cuttings concentration. However, at low annular velocity, the cuttings concentration for the inclined (45-degree) annulus is found to be higher than the horizontal one due to the sliding motion of cuttings on the lower section of the annulus. Overall, the drill pipe rotation has little effect on decreasing the cuttings concentration, but the effect is more pronounced at low annular velocity.

A modified CFD-DEM method for accurate prediction of the minimum fluidization velocity

Monodisperse fluidized bed experiments have been carried out on 13 kinds of particles with different particle sizes in a cylindrical fluidized bed. The accuracy of nine commonly used monodisperse drag models, including the Gidsapow, BVK, and Zhou–Fan models is verified. It is found that the Zhou–Fan model is the most accurate at low and moderate values of the particle Reynolds number. It is found that with the traditional computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD-DEM) method it is difficult to obtain an accurate minimum fluidization velocity owing to difficulty in obtaining an accurate value of the minimum fluidization solid volume fraction. A modified method is proposed to increase the accuracy of prediction of the minimum fluidized solid volume fraction by using a virtual particle size in the calculation of the particle collision process. The effectiveness of the modified method is verified by comparing the CFD-DEM simulation results with experimental results for Geldart-D particles. The relative error of the minimum fluidization velocity is found to be reduced from 24.6% to 2%.

Gas–solid flow mechanism of spherocylindrical particles with various aspect ratios in spouted bed

Spherocylindrical particles encompass elongated spherical particles, such as biomass particles utilized in thermal reactions and capsule pills in the pharmaceutical industry, along with various other particles found in industrial production processes. Understanding the flow behavior of spherocylindrical particles within a spouted bed holds significant practical importance. This study delves into investigating the fluidization characteristics of spherocylindrical particles with varying aspect ratios within a spouted bed. Key parameters studied include particle void fraction, velocity, orientation, and mixing. These were analyzed using the computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method, and the simulation model's accuracy was verified through high-speed photography experiments. The findings revealed distinct void fraction distributions at different locations within the bed. Particles in the higher-bed region exhibited larger void fractions with flatter peaks compared to those in the lower-bed region. Moreover, the correlation between particle aspect ratio and void fraction varied at different heights within the bed. Notably, there was no significant correlation observed between particle aspect ratio and particle velocity. However, the larger the particle aspect ratio/gas velocity, the better the particle mixing quality. Additionally, gas velocity and particle aspect ratio had little effect on particle orientation, but there was a tendency for particle orientation angles to hover around 45°–60° near the wall region.

Design of closed loop for reproduction of gas-dominated hydrate flow.

The study presents a novel setup for measuring the flow regime of hydrate particles in a gas-dominated flow, which is of interest for applications such as natural gas transportation. A closed-flow loop, driven by a novel internal fan, enables continuous observation of hydrate particle behavior in a gas flow. The experimental setup allows the production and insertion of HFC134a gas hydrate particles with diameters of 10-50μm into the gas flow loop via a bypass loop. The performance curve of the internal fan is validated, and its suitability for achieving the required flow speed (5m/s) is demonstrated. Through an observation window using camera systems, the flow regime of glass beads is successfully visualized and analyzed. To validate the experimental data, a coupled computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method model is used to simulate the particle flow density distribution. The study findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the experimental setup in characterizing the flow regime of hydrate particles in a gas-dominated flow.

Effects of nozzle angles of a double-row jet collector on harvesting performance

Owing to its high collection efficiency, the double-row jet collector is an important application in industrial operations. Presently, few studies on its collection efficiency and impact from its front and rear nozzle angles are available. In this paper, the computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method is employed to numerically study the jet parameters of a typical double-row jet collector from three aspects: flow characteristics, particle movement and collection efficiency. Defining α as the front nozzle and β as the rear nozzle, five different combinations of jet angles were first selected and an optimal configuration of the front nozzle at 30°and the rear nozzle at 55° was last obtained, the simulation results were confirmed via the performance experiment. The influence of the change in the front and rear jet angles on the flow field of the collection is shown, and the results indicate that of the angle α and β, α plays a dominant role, while β has relatively little influence on the whole collecting process, which guides for the optimal design.

Novel drag and Nusselt number models based on direct numerical simulations of a bidisperse gas–solid system

AbstractFlow and heat transfer in a bidisperse gas–solid system with freely moving spheres are simulated by particle‐resolved direct numerical simulation (PR‐DNS). Gas–solid coupling is enforced by the direct‐forcing immersed boundary method. Compard with the DNS database, it is found that the existing polydisperse drag correction model developed from static systems combined with various monodisperse drag models underestimates the drag force on dynamic arrays of particles. The existing Nusselt number correction model developed from static systems combined with various monodisperse models overestimates the Nusselt number of dynamic arrays of particles. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the effects of the granular temperature on the drag force and Nusselt number are negligible. Novel polydisperse drag and Nusselt number models are derived based on the database. The advantages of the derived polydisperse drag and Nusselt number models are demonstrated and confirmed by comparing the results of the computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method using various drag and Nusselt number models with experimental or additional PR‐DNS data.