Collisions in a liquid fluidized bed

Collisional phenomena in a solid–liquid flow were studied in terms of two parameters: the collision frequency and the coefficient of restitution. Experimental measurements of these parameters were conducted inside a liquid fluidized bed by particle tracking in an index-matched array. Collision detection was based on the use of a peak acceleration threshold of the instantaneous speed of colored tracers. The measurements of collision frequency were compared with the theoretical expression derived from the kinetic theory for granular flow (KTGF). The normal and tangential restitution coefficients were measured from the trajectories before and after contact for both particle–particle and particle–wall collisions. A comparison with previous theoretical and experimental works is presented and discussed

Modeling and simulation of inertial drop break-up in a turbulent pipe flow downstream of a restriction.

This work deals with the modeling of drop break-up in an inhomogeneous turbulent flow that develops downstream of a concentric restriction in a pipe. The proposed approach consists in coupling Euler–Lagrange simulations of the drop motion to an interface deformation model. First the turbulent flow downstream of the restriction is solved by means of direct numerical simulation. Single drop trajectories are then calculated from the instantaneous force balance acting on the drop within the turbulent field (one-way coupling). Concurrently, the interface deformation is computed assuming the drop to behave as a Rayleigh–Lamb type oscillator forced by the turbulent stress along its trajectory. Criterion for break-up is based upon a critical value of drop eformation. This model has been tested against experimental data. The flow conditions and fluids properties have been chosen to match those experimental investigations. Both turbulent flow statistics and break-up probability calculations are in good agreement with experimental data, strengthening the relevance of this approach for modeling break-up in complex unsteady flow

Dynamics of laminar pressure-driven channel flows laden with neutrally buoyant finite-size particles.

Since the pioneering work of Reynolds (1883), much effort has been allocated on the topic of laminar-turbulent transition regime in a single-phase flow, with special focusing on the unstable and intermittent natures of this regime (Mullin, 2011). The transition regime of dispersed flows carried less attention even though dispersed flows are used in many industrial processes. As for suspensions of neutrally buoyant particles, Matas et al. (2003) observed changes in the values of the critical Reynolds numbers depending on both the solid volume fraction and the particle-to-pipe sizeratio. Typically, the transition occurs at lower Reynolds numbers when the flow carries macro-sized particles at dilute to moderate concentrations (up to 25%). On the contrary, the critical Reynolds numbers of the onset of transition is shifted towards greater values when particles are micro-sized and their concentration is higher. In this work, we aim at understanding the mechanisms lying behind the shift of the laminar-turbulent transition regime down to lower critical Reynolds numbers in suspension flows of macro-sized particles. Fully-coupled numerical simulations are used to investigate the interactions between neutrally-buoyant finite-size particles and a transitional channel flow. To our knowledge, other than the simulations of Shao et al. (2012) and Garcia-Villalba et al. (2012) performed in turbulent channel flows, there are no direct numerical simulations performed on fluctuating suspension flows in channels or pipes with finite-size particles. The numerical method chosen for this work is the Force-Coupling Method (FCM) (Maxey and Patel, 2001, Lomholt and Maxey 2003). It is fully-resolved in the sense that the fluid equations are solved at a length-scale smaller than the particle radius. In a first step, the laminarization process of a single-phase flow initially turbulent at Re=6000 is statistically characterized (Re is based on the average flow velocity, the channel height and the kinematic viscosity). In a second step, particles are randomly added to the fluctuating channel flow at a solid volume fraction of 5%, the size ratio of particle diameter to channel height being 1/16. The starting point of the calculation of the suspension flow is a snapshot taken from the single-phase flow case at Re=1625 (the smallest Reynolds number at which the flow does not relaminarize)

The effect of neutrally buoyant finite-size particles on channel flows in the laminar-turbulent transition regime

The presence of finite-size particles in a channel flow close to the laminar-turbulent transition is simulated with the Force Coupling Method which allows two-way coupling with the flow dynamics. Spherical particles with channel height-to-particle diameter ratio of 16 are initially randomly seeded in a fluctuating flow above the critical Reynolds number corresponding to single phase flow relaminarization. When steady-state is reached, the particle volume fraction is homogeneously distributed in the channel cross-section (φ=5%) except in the near-wall region where it is larger due to inertia-driven migration. Turbulence statistics (intensity of velocity fluctuations, small-scale vortical structures, wall shear stress) calculated in the fully coupled two-phase flow simulations are compared to single-phase flow data in the transition regime. It is observed that particles increase the transverse r.m.s. flow velocity fluctuations and they break down the flow coherent structures into smaller, more numerous and sustained eddies, preventing the flow to relaminarize at the single-phase critical Reynolds number. When the Reynolds number is further decreased and the suspension flow becomes laminar, the wall friction coefficient recovers the evolution of the laminar single-phase law provided that the suspension viscosity is used in the Reynolds number definition. The residual velocity fluctuations in the suspension correspond to a regime of particulate shear-induced agitatio

Inertia-driven particle migration and mixing in a wall-bounded laminar suspension flow

Laminar pressure-driven suspensionflows are studied in the situation of neutrally buoyant particles at finite Reynolds number. The numerical method is validated for homogeneous particle distribution (no lateral migration across the channel): the increase of particle slip velocities and particle stress with inertia and concentration is in agreement with former works in the literature. In the case of a two-phase channel flow with freely moving particles, migration towards the channel walls due to the Segré-Silberberg effect is observed, leading to the development of a non-uniform concentration profile in the wall-normal direction (the concentration peaks in the wall region and tends towards zero in the channel core). The particle accumulation in the region of highest shear favors the shear-induced particle interactions and agitation, the profile of which appears to be correlated to the concentration profile. A 1D model predicting particle agitation, based on the kinetic theory of granular flows in the quenched state regime when Stokes number St = O(1) and from numerical simulations when St < 1, fails to reproduce the agitation profile in the wall normal direction. Instead, the existence of secondary flows is clearly evidenced by long time simulations. These are composed of a succession of contra-rotating structures, correlated with the development of concentration waves in the transverse direction. The mechanism proposed to explain the onset of this transverse instability is based on the development of a lift force induced by spanwise gradient of the axial velocity fluctuations. The establishment of the concentration profile in the wall-normal direction therefore results from the combination of the mean flow Segré-Silberberg induced migration, which tends to stratify the suspension and secondary flows which tend to mix the particles over the channel cross section

Laminar-turbulent transition of channel flows: the effect of neutrally buoyant finite-size particles

Numerical simulations were performed on channel flows laden with resolved finite-size neutrally buoyant particles at moderate volumetric concentration. In the case of fluctuating flows close to laminar-turbulent transition, the particle volume fraction is homogeneously distributed in the channel except an accumulation layer in the near-wall region (particle migration is driven by inertia). Particles increase the level of perturbations close to the wall leading to significant enhancement of both the velocity fluctuations and the wall friction coefficient. Additionally, particles break down the large-scale flow structures into smaller, more numerous and sustained eddies. When the flow Reynolds number is decreased, flow relaminarization occurs at critical Reynolds number RecS (based on the effective suspension viscosity) significantly below the critical Reynolds number Rec of single-phase flow transition. In the case of laminar flows, the suspension segregates into pure fluid and particle laden wall layers due to cross-stream migration. An instability is observed characterized by the formation of dune-like patterns at the separation between pure fluid and concentrated suspension. Increasing the Reynolds number yields transition to turbulence at a threshold above RecS

Coalescence of contaminated water drops at an oil/water interface: Influence of micro-particles

The effect of micro-particles and interface aging on coalescence of millimetre-sized water drops with an oil/water interface is studied over long times. The system is not pure and interface contamination grows with time, resulting in a slow but continuous decrease of interfacial tension over time (from 35 to 10 mN/m), which is measured in situ using an original technique. Without added micro-particles, coalescence times are randomly distributed and uncorrelated to drop diameter or interfacial tension. In presence of 10 !m size hollow glass particles at the oil/water interface, coalescence times become more reproducible and show a clear dependence upon drop diameter and interface aging. Results are consistent with a classical drainage model assuming that the critical thickness at which interstitial film ruptures scales as the micro-particle diameter, a result that tends to validate the bridging scenario. Interestingly, the film retraction speed during the coalescence process does not follow theoretical predictions in a planar geometry. High-speed imaging of the retracting film reveals that the hole rim is bending upward while retracting, resulting in a strong slowdown of retraction speed. This is caused by the difference of interfacial tension between oil/drop freshly formed interfaces and the aged oil/water interface

Shape oscillations of an oil drop rising in water: effect of surface contamination

Inertial shape oscillations of heptane drops rising in water are investigated experimentally. Diameters from 0.59 to 3.52 mm are considered, corresponding to a regime where the rising motion should not affect shape oscillations for pure immiscible fluids. The interface, however, turns out to be contaminated. The drag coefficient is considerably increased compared to that of a clean drop due to the well-known. Marangoni effect resulting from a gradient of surfactant concentration generated by the fluid motion along the interface. Thanks to the decomposition of the shape into spherical harmonics, the eigenfrequencies and the damping rates of oscillation modes n = 2, 3, 4 and 5 have been measured. Frequencies are not affected by contamination, while damping rates are increased by a considerable amount that depends neither on drop instantaneous velocity nor on diameter. This augmentation, however, depends on the mode number: it is maximum for mode two (multiplied by 2.4) and then relaxes towards the value of a clean drop as n increases. A previous similar investigation of a drop attached to a capillary has not revealed such an increase of the damping rates, indicating that the coupling between rising motion and surface contamination is responsible for this effect

Drop breakup modelling in turbulent flows

This paper deals with drop and bubble break-up modelling in turbulent flows. We consider the case where the drop/bubble slip velocity is smaller than or of the order of the turbulent velocity scales, or when the drop/bubble deformation is mainly caused by the turbulent stress (atomisation is not addressed here). The deformation of a drop is caused by continuous interactions with turbulent vortices; the drop responds to these interactions by performing shape-oscillations and breaks up when its deformation reaches a critical value. Following these observations, we use a model of forced oscillator that describes the drop deformation dynamics in the flow to predict its break-up probability. Such a model requires a characterization of the shape- oscillation dynamics of the drop. As this dynamics is theoretically known only under restrictive conditions (without gravity, surfactants), CFD two-phase flow simulations, based on the Level-Set and Ghost Fluid methods, are used to determine the interface dynamics in more complex situations: deformation of a drop in the presence of gravity, bubble-vortex interactions. Results are compared with experimental data. The perspectives to apply this model to breakup in emulsification processes are also discussed

Transition à la turbulence des écoulements de suspension (simulations numériques et analyse physique)

Le travail de cette thèse aborde le sujet de l influence des particules non-pesantes et de taille macroscopique sur les écoulements en canal dans des conditions proches du seuil de la transition laminaire-turbulent. Les suspensions sont faiblement concentrées (fraction volumique = 5%). Le couplage hydrodynamique existant entre la phase dispersée et la phase continue est résolu numériquement par la Force-Coupling Method, et les particules sont suivies d une façon lagrangienne. Dans un écoulement laminaire de Couette ou de Poiseuille plan, nous montrons que les contraintes induites par la phase solide augmentent avec l inertie, et l influence de la concentration est plus faible qu en régime de Stokes. Les particules avancent avec un retard dans la direction de l écoulement et migrent à travers les lignes de courant (effet Segré-Silberberg en Poiseuille). Les vitesses de migration et de glissement s amplifient avec l inertie et sont du même ordre de grandeur quand Rep = O(1). Quand les particules sont lâchées librement dans un écoulement de Poiseuille plan en-deça du seuil critique de transition à la turbulence, la suspension initiale- ment homogène ( = 5%) devient stratifiée, après un temps d écoulement de plusieurs dizaines d unités de temps (rapport de la hauteur du canal sur la vitesse moyenne de l écoulement). Après une centaine d unités de temps, nous observons le développement d une instabilité à l interface entre la zone chargée en particules et la zone de fluide pur. Des motifs dunaires prennent place dans la direction de la vorticité. Ces motifs sont soutenus par des écoulements secondaires d intensités faibles mais non-nulles. Dans un écoulement au-dessus du seuil de transition, nous avons étudié les profils des phases continues et dispersées et réalisé des visualisations 3D afin de comprendre pourquoi les particules macroscopiques diminuent le nombre de Reynolds critique de relaminarisation de l écoulement. Nous observons que les particules provoquent une augmentation significative des fluctuations de vitesses dans les directions transverses et qu elles modifient les structures rotationnelles de l écoulement, qui deviennent plus petites, plus nombreuses et plus énergétiques (plus grandes vitesses de rotation). Le coefficient de frottement pariétal de l écoulement de suspension en régime de transition est supérieur à celui de l écoulement monophasique. Quand le nombre de Reynolds est diminué et que l écoulement devient finalement laminaire, le coefficient de frottement pariétal rejoint la loi laminaire d un écoulement monophasique, à condition de substituer la viscosité effective de la suspension à la viscosité du fluide dans l expression du nombre de Reynolds. D après nos résultats, la turbulence de l écoulement de suspension est conservée jusqu à des nombres de Reynolds bien inférieurs à celui de l écoulement monophasique en canal, en accord avec les observations ex- périmentales de Matas, Morris et Guazzelli (PRL, 2003) pour une géométrie cylindrique. Par ailleurs, nous montrons que selon le sens de la transition, laminaire -> turbulent ou turbulent -> laminaire, le nombre de Reynolds critique de transition d un régime à l autre n est pas le même. Nous n avons pas observé d influence significative de la concentration en ce qui concerne la valeur du nombre de Reynolds critique de relaminarisation pour les deux concentrations étudiées ( = 2.5% et 5%).This PhD addresses the influence of macroscopic and neutrally buoyant particles on the channel flows close to the laminar-turbulent transition regime. The suspension flow is moderately concentrated (solid volumetric concentration _ = 5%). The hydrodynamic coupling between the dispersed and carrier fluid is numerically resolved using the Force-Coupling Method approach. Particle trajectories are obtained by lagrangian tracking. In laminar wall-bounded flows, we show that the stress induced by the solid phase increases with inertia, and that the effect of the concentration is weaker than in the Stokes regime. The particles lag the flow and they migrate across the streamlines (Segré-Silberberg effect in Poiseuille flow). The migration and slip velocities are of the same order of magnitude for Rep = O(1). When the particles are freely suspended in a Poiseuille flow below the transition threshold, the initially homogeneous suspension (_ = 5%) becomes stratified after several ten time units (channel height/average flow velocity). After a hundred time units, the different rheological properties of the suspension segregated parts induce an instability yielding the formation of dune-like patterns, sustained by weak but finite secondary flows. In the fluctuating flow regime, we studied the profiles of the continuous and dispersed phase and realized 3D visualizations in order to understand why finite size particles delay the relaminarization threshold. The particles induce a significant increase of the velocity fluctuations in the transverse directions and they modify the rotational flow structures, which become smaller, more numerous and more energetic (larger rotation velocity). The wall-friction coefficient of the suspension flow in the transition regime is larger than the single-phase flow case. When the Reynolds number is decreased and the flow becomes laminar, the friction coefficient recovers the laminar law of a single phase flow provided that the fluid viscosity is replaced by the effective suspension viscosity in the Reynolds number definition. Our results clearly show that the two-phase channel flow turbulence is conserved down to a threshold well below the single phase flow limit, in agreement with the observations of Matas, Morris et Guazzelli (PRL, 2003) for a cylindrical geometry. In addition, we show that according to the transition direction, i.e. laminar 7! turbulent or turbulent 7! laminar, the switch from a regime to another does not occur at the same critical Reynolds number. Finally, in the limit of moderately concentrated (_ = 2.5 5%) suspension flow in a channel, the concentration has no significant influence on the critical Reynolds number.TOULOUSE-INP (315552154) / SudocSudocFranceF