Engineering topics

Fox, Rodney O.

Publications and source records attributed to Fox, Rodney O..

4 records

DOE OSTI2019

A moment-based kinetic theory model for polydisperse gas–particle flows

Starting from a generalized population balance equation and the Boltzmann–Enskog collision model for hard spheres, a kinetic theory model for polydisperse gas–particle flows is introduced. Here, polydispersity results from spherical particles with the same material density but different diameters. The particle size distribution (PSD) of the particles is allowed to evolve in space and time due to physical processes such as mixing. In order to treat a continuous PSD, the particle-phase model is formulated in terms of the moments of the PSD, and velocity moments conditioned on the particle size. Velocity moments up to second order are included, resulting in transport equations for the mass, momentum and granular temperature, all conditioned on the particle size. In the numerical implementation, the PSD is represented using quadrature-based moment methods (QBMM). With QBMM, a continuous PSD can be treated using a relatively small number of moments as compared to class or sectional methods. In this work, a realizable numerical algorithm for solving the moment system in a finite-volume code is proposed, valid for dilute systems wherein frictional forces are negligible. The ability of the proposed model to describe polydisperse gas–particle systems is demonstrated using cluster-induced turbulence and riser flow.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2017

Verification of Eulerian-Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations for turbulent fluid-particle flows

Here, we present a verification study of three simulation techniques for fluid–particle flows, including an Euler–Lagrange approach (EL) inspired by Jackson's seminal work on fluidized particles, a quadrature–based moment method based on the anisotropic Gaussian closure (AG), and the traditional two-fluid model. We perform simulations of two problems: particles in frozen homogeneous isotropic turbulence (HIT) and cluster-induced turbulence (CIT). For verification, we evaluate various techniques for extracting statistics from EL and study the convergence properties of the three methods under grid refinement. The convergence is found to depend on the simulation method and on the problem, with CIT simulations posing fewer difficulties than HIT. Specifically, EL converges under refinement for both HIT and CIT, but statistics exhibit dependence on the postprocessing parameters. For CIT, AG produces similar results to EL. For HIT, converging both TFM and AG poses challenges. Overall, extracting converged, parameter-independent Eulerian statistics remains a challenge for all methods.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2017

A solution algorithm for fluid–particle flows across all flow regimes

Many fluid–particle flows occurring in nature and in technological applications exhibit large variations in the local particle volume fraction. For example, in circulating fluidized beds there are regions where the particles are closepacked as well as very dilute regions where particle–particle collisions are rare. Thus, in order to simulate such fluid–particle systems, it is necessary to design a flow solver that can accurately treat all flow regimes occurring simultaneously in the same flow domain. In this work, a solution algorithm is proposed for this purpose. The algorithm is based on splitting the free-transport flux solver dynamically and locally in the flow. In close-packed to moderately dense regions, a hydrodynamic solver is employed, while in dilute to very dilute regions a kinetic-based finite-volume solver is used in conjunction with quadrature-based moment methods. To illustrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed solution algorithm, it is implemented in OpenFOAM for particle velocity moments up to second order, and applied to simulate gravity-driven, gas–particle flows exhibiting cluster-induced turbulence. By varying the average particle volume fraction in the flow domain, it is demonstrated that the flow solver can handle seamlessly all flow regimes present in fluid–particle flows.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS2003

Quadrature Moments Method for the Simulation of Turbulent Reactive Flows

A sub-filter model for reactive flows, namely the DQMOM model, was formulated for Large Eddy Simulation (LES) using the filtered mass density function. Transport equations required to determine the location and size of the delta-peaks were then formulated for a 2-peak decomposition of the FDF. The DQMOM scheme was implemented in an existing structured-grid LES solver. Simulations of scalar shear layer using an experimental configuration showed that the first and second moments of both reactive and inert scalars are in good agreement with a conventional Lagrangian scheme that evolves the same FDF. Comparisons with LES simulations performed using laminar chemistry assumption for the reactive scalar show that the new method provides vast improvements at minimal computational cost. Currently, the DQMOM model is being implemented for use with the progress variable/mixture fraction model of Pierce. Comparisons with experimental results and LES simulations using a single-environment for the progress-variable are planned. Future studies will aim at understanding the effect of increase in environments on predictions.

Raman, Venkatramanan↗