Particle Volume Fraction Research Articles

Effect of particle size and replacement ratio on mechanical performance of cementitious mortar containing ground recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (GRABS) waste plastics

While waste plastics have been used as a natural sand aggregate replacement in cementitious mortar as a sustainable option to mitigate global accumulation of plastic waste in landfills, fundamental mechanical properties like compressive, tensile, and shear must be known to advance design and practical application of these cement-concrete composites as suitable building construction materials. Experimental testing is conducted to reveal to what extent the cementitious composite properties are altered, thereby influencing their overall mechanical performance, when both ungraded and graded ground recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (GRABS) plastic are employed as substitutes for natural aggregates. The novelty of this research lies in its pioneering investigation to quantify the effects of varying particle sizes and volume fractions of waste plastics acquired through mechanical recycling and their influences on the mechanical properties of mortars containing plastics as a composite material. The results from fresh and hardened material properties are compared to conventional mortar properties to examine the impact of various GRABS particle sizes and volume fractions on the overall material strength. While replacing sand with waste plastic generally reduced mechanical properties, the resulting mixes still met the minimum compressive strength (4060 psi [28 MPa]) as per ASTM C150 standards for Portland cement. Notably, graded plastic particles with sizes less than 0.024 in [0.6 mm] demonstrated an overall improvement in mechanical properties compared to ungraded particles. Failure mechanisms responsible for compressive, tensile, and shear damage development are discussed by analyzing the fracture surfaces, which provide insight into the intricate relationship between waste plastic size and distribution on the mechanical behavior of mortar. The findings indicate that GRABS waste plastics, when combined with sand at appropriate particle sizes and volume fractions, have the potential to create tailored mixes to meet minimum mix design standards for construction applications.

Establishment of particle motion model and study of particle volume fraction distribution in the turbo air classifier based on DSMC

In order to study the particles' motion law and collision behavior in the flow field of the turbo air classifier, A particle motion simulation platform is developed using Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) based on the Visual Studio. The particle-eddy interaction model, the particle-wall collision model, and the inter-particle collision Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) solver are implemented. The results show that the deviation between calculated cut size d50 and experimental d50 using DSMC is smallest compared to DSMC, DDPM and DPM. DSMC has better acceleration performance compared to DDPM. The more particles need to be calculated, the more significant this advantage is. The influences of feeding rate on particle volume fractions and inter-particle collision number are analyzed. The increase of feeding rate leads to the increase of the particle volume fractions and inter-particle collision number.

Precipitation prediction and strengthening investigation of the non-equimolar TiVNbMoCr high entropy alloys

This study designed a series of TiVNbMoCr alloys under the VEC constraint. Based on the thermodynamic calculation, the precipitation behavior was predicted, and the precipitation strengthening was experimentally investigated and discussed. The results showed that below 600°C, the designed alloys with VEC from 4.30 to 4.60 are metastable at a single β phase state. With low VEC, the HCP-structured α phase precipitates from the BCC-structured β phase with a coherent interface between them. With high VEC, TiCr2 (C15-Laves phase) precipitates from the β phase companying with the α phase. The prediction results are well consistent with the experimental results. Aged at 400°C for 60h, the alloys with VEC of 4.30 and 4.35 contained large volume fraction of the large-sized α phase, playing a great role in strengthening. The alloys with VEC of 4.55 and 4.60 exhibited small-sized precipitation particles acting in strengthening in terms of the Orowan mechanism, and the yield strength depends mainly on the volume fraction and size of precipitation particles, as well as the intrinsic strength of the β matrix that can be predicted by the Varvenne model based on the MD calculation. To some extent, the intrinsic ductility of the β matrix determines the tensile plasticity of the alloys with high VEC. Although favoring for strengthening, more TiCr2 precipitates are not conducive to tensile plasticity.

Microstructural evolution and corrosion behavior of non-isothermally heat treated hypoeutectic Al-Si-Cu alloy

In the present work the effect of non-isothermal heat treatments on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of a hypoeutectic Al-Si-Cu die-cast alloy was studied. The microstructural aspects were examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion behavior was studied by potentiodynamic polarization tests. In the as-cast condition, the microstructure consisted of needle-like Si particles and Fe-rich intermetallics, besides the Al matrix. The non-isothermal treatments promoted spheroidization of Si particles, decreasing its volume fraction. The corrosion resistance was affected by concentration of the Si particles. The corrosion mechanism is discussed based on the microstructural evolution of the Al-Si-Cu alloy. The main influencing factor was the volume fraction of Si particles. The non-isothermally treated samples exhibited lower corrosion current density than the as-cast alloy, showing superior corrosion resistance.

Three-dimensional particulate volume fraction reconstruction in the fluid based on the Lambert–Beer physics information neural network

The measurement of particle volume fraction in flow fields is of great significance in scientific research and engineering applications. As one of the particle detection techniques, the light extinction method is widely used in measuring nano-particles volume fraction in flow fields due to its simplicity and non-contact nature. In particular, in complex reactive flow fields like combustion reactions, the volume fraction of soot particulate and other particles can be accurately measured and reconstructed via the light extinction method that based on the Beer–Lambert law. This is crucial for exploring combustion phenomena, understanding their internal mechanisms, and reducing pollutant emissions. However, due to the enormous computational burden, current algebra reconstruction techniques struggle to achieve high-precision three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of particles. Therefore, this paper originally proposes a 3D reconstruction algorithm based on the Beer–Lambert law physical information neural networks (LB-PINNs). By incorporating physical information as constraints into the particle reconstruction process, it is possible to achieve high-precision 3D reconstruction of particles in complex flow field environments with low computational cost. Meanwhile, to address the trade-off issues of reconstruction accuracy and smooth noise resistance in previous reconstruction algorithms, i.e., Tikhonov regularization, this paper employs dynamically adjusted regularization parameters in the LB-PINN algorithm. This approach ensures smooth noise-resistant processing while maintaining reconstruction accuracy, significantly reducing computation time and resource consumption. According to the experimental results, LB-PINNs demonstrate superior performance compared to previous reconstruction algorithms when reconstructing the soot volume fraction in complex reacting flow fields, i.e., combustion flame scenarios.

Preparation and formation mechanism of (W) WC/Fe bundle reinforced iron matrix composites

To address the issue of strength and toughness inversion in traditional metal matrix composites, which are reinforced by uniformly distributed ceramic particles, this research developed a novel space bundle configuration of reinforced iron matrix composite using tungsten wire (W) and tungsten carbide (WC). This composite was prepared using a lost foam casting process combined with in-situ reaction. Microstructural analysis revealed that WC particles are distributed along the tungsten wire, with larger particles at the center and smaller ones at the edges. The formation of the reinforcement occurs in two stages: first, a solid-liquid reaction between the solid tungsten wire and molten iron during the lost foam casting process, promoting WC formation at high temperatures and carbon potential; second, an in situ solid-solid reaction where Fe diffuses and Fe3W3C decomposes, forming a composite structure of WC and α-Fe. The composite obtained at 1100°C for 9 hours exhibited a compressive strength of 836.59 MPa and a fracture strain of 18.69%, representing increases of 48.46% and 48.69% respectively compared to grey cast iron (GCI). The (W) WC/Fe bundle reinforcement effectively enhances the strength and toughness of the composite through the high volume fraction and gradient distribution of WC particles, combined with the synergistic effect of α-Fe. This research provides a new strategy for improving the mechanical properties of composite materials and resolving the issue of strength-toughness inversion.

Detailed comparison of recent—and dissimilar—effective-medium models incorporating dependent scattering

We compare the predictions of two recently derived effective-medium models for the effective refractive index of a turbid suspension of particles. The two formulas are notoriously dissimilar; both are based on the quasi-crystalline approximation, but the approximations used beyond this point are entirely different. Nevertheless, for dilute suspensions both reduce to the well-established van de Hulst formula. The dissimilarities between the formulas are evident for dense suspensions, where dependent-scattering effects are important. When they might coincide is, therefore, not clear. The purpose of this work is to explore the range of particle parameters and volume fractions for which both models are applicable. Our results show that, rather surprisingly, the models produce very similar curves of the real and imaginary parts of the effective refractive index for volume fractions up to 0.4 and for particles comparable to, and larger than, the wavelength, as well as for a fairly large range of refractive-index contrasts between the particles and the surrounding medium. These results significantly increase our confidence in the validity of both models.

Influence of concentration on thermophoresis of spherical aerosol particles within a Brinkman medium

Abstract We are examining the thermophoretic movement of a uniform mixture of spherical aerosol particles, all with the same properties, as they are situated within a porous material. These particles can have various thermal conductivity and surface characteristics. This analysis focuses on situations where the Péclet and Reynolds numbers are small. The influence of particle interactions is carefully considered by using a unit cell model, a well-established method known for its accurate predictions in the context of sedimentation for monodisperse suspensions of spherical particles. The porous medium is represented as a Brinkman fluid characterized by a Darcy permeability, which can be determined directly from experimental observations. This medium is considered to be uniform and isotropic, and the solid matrix is in thermal equilibrium with the fluid flowing through the voids of the medium. The Knudsen number is assumed to be low, enabling the description of fluid flow through the porous medium using a continuum model that includes temperature jump, thermal creep, frictional slip, and thermal stress slip at the aerosol particle’s surface. The conservation equations for energy and momentum are individually tackled within each cell. In this model, each cell represents a spherical particle enclosed by a concentric shell of surrounding fluid. The thermophoretic particle migration velocity is determined across different cases. We derive analytical expressions for this average particle velocity, expressing it in terms of the particle volume fraction. It is observed that different cell models yield somewhat varied results for particle velocity. Generally, with a fixed permeability parameter characterizing the porous medium, an increase in the thermal stress slip coefficient tends to decrease the normalized thermophoretic velocity across the different cell models. The results are in good agreement with the available data as documented in the existing literature. Additionally, a parallel examination of aerosol sphere sedimentation is provided.

A multi-level-variable correlated mechanistic model system for irradiation-induced multi-scale volume growths of U-10Mo/Zr dispersion nuclear fuels

Irradiation-induced volumetric deformations in dispersion nuclear fuels arouse a critical concern in nuclear fuel design. Utilizing the concepts from mesomechanics and homogenization, a multi-level-variable correlated mechanistic model system called the Dispersion Fuel Swelling Analysis Model System (DFSAMS) is developed for the irradiation-induced multi-scale volume growths of U-10Mo/Zr dispersion nuclear fuels. These models could directly correlate the macroscopic irradiation-induced volume growth strain with the dynamically varying multi-level information, including the obtained particle volume fractions, the current porosities of recrystallized zones of fuel grains, the macroscale porosities of fuel particles, the average numbers of fission gas atoms within fuel bubbles, the average bubble pressures and the macroscale pressures of fuel particles related to the macroscale hydrostatic pressures of dispersion fuels. The obtained theoretical results align favorably with finite element predictions and a diverse range of experimental data, demonstrating the effectiveness of the newly developed model system. It is indicated that: (1) the irradiation creep performance of the Zr matrix becomes the predominant factor influencing the macroscale volume growth deformations of U-10Mo/Zr dispersion fuels, due to the differed resistance to volumetric deformations of U-10Mo particles; (2) the as-fabricated bubbles of fuel particles will gradually decrease in size under the macroscale hydrostatic pressures due to the irradiation creep deformations occurring in the surrounding solid skeleton, contributing negatively to the macroscale volumetric expansion of U-10Mo/Zr dispersion fuels, especially in cases with higher initial porosity. The important theoretical models are supplied here for efficient numerical simulation of the irradiation-induced thermal-mechanical coupling behaviors in U-10Mo/Zr dispersion fuel elements.

Coating flow of a liquid film with colloidal particles on a vertical fiber

A thin liquid film of colloidal suspension is considered which is spreading down on a vertical cylinder under the effect of gravity. A precursor film model is employed at the three-phase contact line to relieve the stress singularity. The curvature pressure leads to the formation of a capillary ridge at the contact-line. Bulk and surface colloids are assumed to be present in the liquid film. The interfacial pattern is governed by the film evolution equation, obtained by simplifying mass and momentum balance equations within the lubrication assumption, while rapid vertical diffusion is assumed for the advection–diffusion equation of the bulk concentration. Fluid viscosity and diffusivity are considered to be functions of the particle volume fraction. The effects of the bulk and surface colloids on the spreading film dynamics are systematically studied. The presence of bulk colloids leads to the thinning of the capillary ridge for smaller inlet bulk colloid concentrations. On the other hand, a larger inlet bulk concentration leads to the formation of a secondary advancing front behind the capillary ridge in the film profile. A reduced contact point velocity is observed with an increase in the upstream bulk concentration. Surface concentration is found to result in a hump-like structure behind the capillary ridge in the upstream direction due to solutal Marangoni stress. The Marangoni stress also hinders the surface-tension-driven spreading, resulting in a smaller contact line velocity. Reducing the Bond number results in unstable film profiles, which lead to a wave-like structure in the region with no bulk concentration gradients.

Study of hybrid nanofluid flow in a porous medium over an exponentially stretching sheet under Joule heating and thermal radiation: Finite difference

The significant purpose of present investigation of the behavior of a nanofluid's in magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD), mass transfer, Joule heating, and boundary layer transfer characteristics over an exponentially stretching sheet in a porous medium and thermal radiation effects. The article's goal is to look at the fluid flow and heat transmission characteristics from a sheet of hybrid nanoparticles. The partial differential equations (PDEs) that were derived for the mathematical model were converted using the proper similarity transformation into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The hybrid nanofluid composed of 97 % of ethyl glycol (EG) and the volume concentration of Magnetite (Fe3O4) and Copper(Cu) are ranging from 0.5 % to 2.5 % both respectively. The effects of thermal radiation, stretching rate, Joule heating, porous medium permeability, and nanoparticle volume fraction on the flow and heat transmission properties are investigated by numerical simulations using the finite difference method (FDM). The analysis reveals that the inclusion of nanofluids enhance the thermal conductivity and enhance the heat transfer rate. Additionally, the influence of variable viscosity on the flow behavior and thermal characteristics are examined graphically. The effects of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity are examined, as it has significance in optimizing system under various thermal and magnetic effects. This study offers a pathway to develop more efficient thermal management solutions, by contributing to technological advancement and energy saving. The key findings of present study reveal that the temperature profile rises significantly due to Joule heating effects. The Nusselt number reveal an improvement of about 12 % when the volume fraction of nano particles is increased by 1–4 % indicating the enhancement in heat transfer efficiency. Similarly, the velocity profile was influenced by porous medium permeability as 11 % increase in porosity result a 18 % decrease in velocity profile.By using parametric research, the role of physical parameters in determining the local skin-friction coefficient, temperature, nanoparticle volume percentage, and longitudinal velocity profiles, local Nusselt number, and local Sherwood number are thoroughly examined. A graphic representation of the velocity, temperature, and concentration distribution findings is presented.

Effect of Er on the Hot Deformation Behavior of the Crossover Al3Zn3Mg3Cu0.2Zr Alloy

The effect of an erbium alloying on the hot deformation behavior of the crossover Al3Zn3Mg3Cu0.2Zr alloy was investigated in detail. First of all, Er increases the solidus temperature of the alloy. This allows hot deformation at a higher temperature. The precipitates resulting from the Er alloying of the Al3Zn3Mg3Cu0.2Zr alloy were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy. Erbium addition to the alloy produces the formation of more stable and fine L12-(Al3(Zr, Er)) precipitates with a size of 20–60 nm. True stress tends to increase with a decline in the temperature and an increase in the deformation rate. The addition of Er leads to decreases in true stress at the strain rates of 0.01–1 s−1 due to particle-stimulated nucleation softening mechanisms. The effective activation energy of the alloy with the Er addition has a lower value, enabling an easier hot deformation process in the alloy with an elevated volume fraction of the intermetallic particles. The addition of Er increases the strain rate sensitivity, which makes the failure during deformation less probable. The investigated alloys have a significant difference in the dependence of the activation volume on the temperature. The flow instability criterion allows better deformability of Er-doped alloys and enables the alloys to be formed more easily. The evenly distributed particles prevent the formation of shear bands with elevated storage energy and decrease the probability of crack initiation during the initial stages of hot deformation when only one softening mechanism (dynamic recovery) is working. The microstructure analysis proves that dynamic recovery is the main softening mechanism.

Influence of microstructural and loading direction on the ductility and anisotropy of Ni-based superalloys

The influences of phase coarsening and loading direction on the ductility of Ni-based superalloys with phase coarsening are investigated, and the relationship between their microstructural and macroscopic mechanical properties is also explored in detail. It is found that the precipitation phase and the corresponding phase coarsening significantly influence the ductility of alloys. Furthermore, anisotropic features in ductility are observed after phase coarsening. Generally, as the volume fraction of precipitation particles or the degree of phase coarsening increases, the ductility of alloys gradually decreases; and it initially increases and then decreases gradually with the increase of loading angle, presenting an inverted ‘V’ shape. Comparatively, for the alloys with lower volume fraction of precipitation particles and higher degree of phase coarsening, the ductility shows different variation trends with the degree of phase coarsening and loading angle compared with that in materials with other microstructure features, taking the minimum value at the loading angle of 45°. The variations of ductility are closely connected to the characteristics of precipitate shape, size and distribution. The microstructure evolution and the loading direction significantly affect the initiation and movement of dislocations within the material, and result in various macroscopic ductility characteristics in the Ni-based superalloys.

Study on the effects of electrode volume fraction and electrode particle radius on dynamic electrochemical-thermal-aging coupling characteristics of lithium cell based on cylindrical cell design method

Electrode volume fraction and electrode particle radius are important electrode parameters for the lithium cell design and deeply influence the electrochemical-physical processes inside lithium cell, which is still insufficiently clear. In order to obtain the effects of electrode parameters on lithium cell, a combine method of the dynamic electrochemical-thermal-aging coupling model and cylindrical cell design was proposed. Simulation was conducted at charge rate 1C. Cell temperature, current density and Solid-Electrolyte-Interface at ambient temperature 25 °C, and total strain energy density and lithium plating at ambient temperature −5 °C were analyzed. As electrode volume fraction or electrode particle radius increases, maximum temperature and maximum temperature difference of lithium cell increase. When electrode volume fraction increases from 0.3 to 0.7, maximum temperature of cell increases by 2.6 °C at least. Current density peak increases with the increase of the positive electrode volume fraction or electrode particle radius. When electrode volume fraction increases from 0.3 to 0.7, current density peak increases by 44 %∼74 %. As electrode volume fraction increases, total strain energy density Ws decreases in the early stage of charge, while increases in the late stage of charge. As the negative (or positive) electrode particle radius increases, Ws of the negative (or positive) electrode increase, while Ws of the positive (or negative) electrode decreases. Solid-Electrolyte-Interface thickness increases with the increase of the electrode volume fraction or electrode particle radius. The effect range of negative electrode volume on lithium plating is 0.5 ∼ 0.7. The lithium metal thickness increase with the increase of the positive electrode volume fraction. As the negative or positive electrode particle radius increases, the lithium metal thickness increase or decrease, respectively.

CFD-DEM coupled study of erosion resistance characteristics of ribbed walls

Industrial bulk material transfer systems are exposed to high erosion risk due to prolonged scouring by particle flow. In order to improve the erosion resistance of the system components, this study proposes a wear-resistant improvement scheme by adding square and triangular ribs on the wall surface. A coupled CFD-DEM method was used to analyse the abrasion characteristics of particle flow hitting the flat and ribbed wall surfaces at different particle incidence angles, particle velocities and particle volume fractions. The results show that square ribbed plate is more targeted to reduce the erosion ratio of the groove surface and transfer the risk to the ribs, whereas triangular ribbed plate provides an optimal balance between sacrificial velocity and erosion resistance of the ribbed structure; moreover, square ribbed plate is slightly more capable of transferring the maximum wear to the ribs to reduce the risk of perforation of the wall surface. As the particle velocity increased from 5 m/s to 25 m/s, the triangular ribbed plate reduced the erosion ratio by up to 45 %; both square and triangular ribbed plate groove surfaces reduced the maximum wear rate by about 65 % and 35 %, respectively. With the increase of particle volume fraction from 0.025 % to 0.125 %, the erosion ratios of the square and triangular ribbed plates decreased rapidly by up to 16 % and 73 %, respectively; the groove surface of the square ribbed plate decreased by about 63 % of the maximum wear rate, while the groove surface of the triangular ribbed plate decreased by up to 48 % of the maximum wear rate.

Quantification of the hetero-contact formation process for a CuO/CeO2 hetero-aggregate model system prepared by double flame spray pyrolysis

In hetero-aggregates, different materials form sintered hetero-contacts, which lead to new material properties. In this study, the influence of process parameters on the formation of hetero-contacts in Double Flame Spray Pyrolysis (DFSP) was quantified. The mixing of jets was monitored by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements as well as by thermocouples and compared to the single flame setting. Overlap of the jets was evaluated using tracers to visualize the mixing zone. Ten CuO/CeO2 model material samples were prepared with different flame inclination angles, nozzle distances and different particle volume fractions. Mixing on hetero-aggregate level was quantified using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) evaluations of STEM images, Temperature-Programmed Reduction (TPR) and Differential Centrifugal Sedimentation (DCS) disk centrifugation to determine cluster sizes and hetero-coordination numbers as mixing quantifiers. Here, good correlations between the differently measured quantifiers were observed.

Instabilities and particle-induced patterns in co-rotating suspension Taylor–Couette flow

The first experimental results on pattern transitions in the co-rotation regime (i.e. the rotation ratio $\varOmega = \omega _o/\omega _i > 0$ , where $\omega _i$ and $\omega _o$ are the angular speeds of the inner and outer cylinders, respectively) of the Taylor–Couette flow (TCF) are reported for a neutrally buoyant suspension of non-colloidal particles, up to a particle volume fraction of $\phi = 0.3$ . While the stationary Taylor vortex flow (TVF) is the primary bifurcating state in dilute suspensions ( $\phi \leq ~0.05$ ), the non-axisymmetric oscillatory states, such as the spiral vortex flow (SVF) and the ribbon (RIB), appear as primary bifurcations with increasing particle loading, with an overall de-stabilization of the primary bifurcating states (TVF/SVF/RIB) being found with increasing $\phi$ for all $\varOmega \geq ~0$ . At small co-rotations ( $\varOmega \sim 0$ ), the particles play the dual role of stabilization ( $\phi < 0.1$ ) and destabilization ( $\phi \geq ~0.1$ ) on the secondary/tertiary oscillatory states. The distinctive features of the ‘particle-induced’ spiral vortices are identified and contrasted with those of the ‘fluid-induced’ spirals that operate in the counter-rotation regime.

Preparation, characterisation, physical, and compression testing of sucrose based closed-cell aluminium foam

ABSTRACT Aluminium foam can be used as a porous and lightweight material having comparatively high impact energy absorption. To reduce the death rate caused by collisions of vehicles, there is a need of analysing the crash-worthiness properties of materials. In this present work, the Aluminium foam was prepared using the powder metallurgy method for the crash-worthiness analysis. The Al6061 powder as a matrix material having particle sizes ranging from 5 to 30 µm and Sucrose particles as a space-holding material were mixed. The compaction process was done up to a pressure of 450 MPa to make the green compact and was further subjected to sintering up to a temperature of 500 °C for 1 hour resulting into the Aluminium foam. The compressive strength significantly decreased by 26.56%, 51.39%, 72.49%, and 64.34% approximately while volume fractions of sucrose particles varied as 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. On the other hand, the measured maximum porosity was found as 51.8% approximately in the Aluminium foam corresponding to the addition of 50% sucrose particles by volume. Out of all the examined samples, the foam developed by containing 20% (vol.) sucrose has exhibited the maximum strain energy absorption, specific energy absorption (SEA), and crushing force efficiency (CFE).

An Open-Source Code for High-Speed Non-Equilibrium Gas–Solid Flows in OpenFOAM

This paper details the development and verification tests of an open-source code named hy2LPTFoam intended for solving high-speed non-equilibrium gas-particle flows in OpenFOAM. The solver, based on hy2Foam for high-speed non-equilibrium gas flow, integrates multiple particle force models, heat transfer models, the diffusion-based smoothing method, and the MPPIC method. The verification tests incorporate interactions between shock waves and particle curtains with varying particle volume fractions, a JPL nozzle generating a two-phase gas–particle flow, and a Mars entry body with two particle inflow mass fractions. The tests yield good physical agreement with numerical and experimental data from the literature.

Spouting behavior of binary mixtures of spherocylindrical and spherical particles in a spouted bed

Gas-solid spouted bed systems involving biomass utilization have received much attention in recent years. In actual biomass industrial processes, some fine inert particles are usually added to assist the fluidization of biomass particles. However, the flow mechanisms of binary particle systems containing biomass particles in spouted beds are still poorly understood so far. In this study, spherocylindrical particles representing biomass particles and spherical particles representing inert particles were used as the objects of study. The macroscopic and microscopic flow characteristics were explored based on CFD-DEM modeling when the volume fractions of spherocylindrical particles in the binary particle mixtures were 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 %, respectively. The results showed that the minimum spouting velocities (Ums) were in the range of 150–173 m/s, but did not show a correlation with the different particle systems. During fluidization in binary particle systems, separation of spherocylindrical and spherical particles occurs. There is no significant correlation between the particle systems with different volume fractions of spherocylindrical particles and particle orientation. As the volume fraction of spherocylindrical particles increases, the average bed height of the particles decreases and the translational kinetic energy of the particles decreases/rotational kinetic energy increases. Furthermore, the wall effect influences the spherocylindrical particle orientation and volume fraction, driving the spherocylindrical particles near the wall surface toward the vertical direction.