Simulating particle settling in inclined narrow channels with the unresolved CFD-DEM method

Zeng，Junsheng1; Tang，Pengfei2; Li，Heng3; Zhang，Dongxiao4

2021-03-01

10.1103/PhysRevFluids.6.034302

Physical Review Fluids   影响因子和分区

2469-990X

Acceleration of particle settling in inclined containers, known as the Boycott effect, is a common natural phenomenon, which can significantly affect the particle conveying process. Particularly for proppant transport constrained in narrow channels, physical mechanisms related to this effect remain undetermined. In this study, an Eulerian-Lagrangian method, i.e., the unresolved computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method, has been adopted to simulate the particle settling process in inclined narrow channels, with an aim to deepen the understanding of the Boycott effect on proppant settling. The simulation results illustrate that two types of granular-induced instabilities dominate the sediment settling process in inclined fractures, which are analogous to Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and Rayleigh-Taylor instability, respectively. Due to the instabilities, spatial inhomogeneity of the particle phase, i.e., particle clustering, is clearly observed. Based on parametric studies, it is proven that there exists a critical inclination angle where the acceleration ratio reaches a maximum, which ranges from 2 to 6 in this work. Moreover, the critical angle can shift between 60 ° and 75 ° as physical properties change, such as fluid viscosity, particle size, and particle density.

SCI ; EI

英语

通讯

WOS:000652857100002

20211410169402

Computational fluid dynamics ; Lagrange multipliers ; Proppants ; Two phase flow

Oil Field Production Operations:511.1 ; Fluid Flow, General:631.1 ; Computer Applications:723.5

2-s2.0-85103469993

Scopus

1.Intelligent Energy Laboratory,Frontier Research Center,Peng Cheng Laboratory,Shenzhen,518000,China
2.Energy and Resources Engineering,College of Engineering,Peking University,Beijing,100871,China
3.School of Earth Resources,China University of Geosciences,Wuhan,730074,China
4.School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China

Zeng，Junsheng,Tang，Pengfei,Li，Heng,et al. Simulating particle settling in inclined narrow channels with the unresolved CFD-DEM method[J]. Physical Review Fluids,2021,6(3).

Zeng，Junsheng,Tang，Pengfei,Li，Heng,&Zhang，Dongxiao.(2021).Simulating particle settling in inclined narrow channels with the unresolved CFD-DEM method.Physical Review Fluids,6(3).

Zeng，Junsheng,et al."Simulating particle settling in inclined narrow channels with the unresolved CFD-DEM method".Physical Review Fluids 6.3(2021).