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Fluid-phase velocity fluctuations in gas-solid flows
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
  • Mohammad Mehrabadi, Iowa State University
Degree Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2012
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Mechanical Engineering
First Advisor
Shankar Subramaniam
Subject Categories
Abstract

Fluid-phase velocity fluctuations in fixed beds and freely evolving suspensions are quantified using particle-resolved direct numerical simulation (PR-DNS). The flow regime corresponds to homogeneous gas-solid systems typically encountered in fluidized beds, with high solid to fluid density ratios and particle diameters being greater than dissipative length scales. The contribution of turbulent and pseudo-turbulent fluctuations to the level of fluid-phase velocity fluctuations is quantified in flow past fixed particle assemblies. The simulations are then extended to freely evolving suspensions with elastic and inelastic collisions. For the parameter ranges considered here (volume fraction 0.1 and 0.2, particle to fluid density ratio 100 and 1000, coefficient of restitution in the range 0.7-1.0), the level of gas-phase velocity fluctuations in freely evolving suspensions differs by only 10% from the value for a fixed bed at the same solid volume fraction and mean slip Reynolds number. Quantification of the Reynolds stress indicates that the second moments of the gas-phase velocity fluctuations are anisotropic, corresponding to unidirectional axisymmetric velocity fluctuations. The anisotropy increases with Reynolds number to a maximum in the range between 10 to 40, and then decreases. In addition, the anisotropy decreases with increasing solid volume fraction for all cases considered in this study. The Reynolds stress is decomposed into isotropic and deviatoric parts, and their dependence on solid volume fraction and Reynolds number is quantified and explained.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-180810-323
Copyright Owner
Mohammad Mehrabadi
Language
en
Date Available
2012-10-31
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
65 pages
Citation Information
Mohammad Mehrabadi. "Fluid-phase velocity fluctuations in gas-solid flows" (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mohammad_mehrabadi/1/