CFD Modeling of Solid-Liquid Suspension Flow in a Horizontal Pipe
Multi-scale and/or multi-disciplinary approach to process-product innovation
CFD & Chemical Engineering- II (T3-4b)
Keywords: solid-liquid suspension, in-line measurement, CFD modeling
Guangyu Yang1, Yuko Enqvist2, Haiyan Qu3, Marjatta Louhi-Kultanen3, Juha Kallas3 and Jinfu Wang1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, P.R.China
2VTT Processes, P.O.Box 1602, FI-02044 VTT, Finland
3Department of Chemical Technology, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851, Lappeenranta, Finland
gyang@tsinghua.edu.cn, yuko.enqvist@vtt.fi, haiyan.qu@lut.fi, Marjatta.Louhi@lut.fi, Juha.kallas@lut.fi
The present work focuses on the three-dimensional CFD modeling of the solid-liquid suspension flow in a horizontal pipe. The suspension flow was simulated with commercial software CFX-5.7 based on the Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase flow model. The k- turbulence model, together with particle-induced turbulence model, was used to simulate the solid-liquid suspension flow. The momentum transfer between the solid and liquid phases including drag force, shear-induced lift force and virtual mass force, together with buoyancy force were considered in the model. For the solid phase, the particle size distribution was described with seven size classes and each size class was considered as a separate flow phase.
In the experimental work, an in-line imaging probe was installed to the pipe to take sequences of images, which were then analyzed with a digital image processing method to obtain the particle size distribution in the pipe. In order to select the optimum probe position for obtaining the representative particle size distribution, the spatial size distributions of the particles near the in-line imaging probe were predicted with CFD simulation at the different flow rates of suspension and the various locations of the probe. The simulation results clearly show that the low vertical position of in-line imaging probe in the horizontal pipe can capture the large particles, and the flow rate of suspension should reach a critical value in order to obtain the well-dispersed suspension for in-line measurement of particle size distribution.
See the full pdf manuscript of the abstract.
Presented Tuesday 18, 16:00 to 16:20, in session CFD & Chemical Engineering- II (T3-4b).
