Two-Phase Flow Modeling of a Dense Suspension
Application ID: 2161
Liquid-solid mixtures (suspensions) are important in a variety of industrial fields, such as oil and gas refinement, paper manufacturing, food processing, slurry transport, and wastewater treatment. Several different modeling approaches have been developed by the CFD community, ranging from discrete, particle-based methods to macroscopic, semi-empirical two-phase descriptions.
This model illustrates how to set up a macroscopic two-phase flow model in COMSOL Multiphysics using the Mixture Model interface. The model accounts for not only buoyancy effects but also shear-induced migration; that is, the tendency of particles to migrate toward regions of lower shear rate.
The model simulates the flow of a dense suspension consisting of light, solid particles in a liquid placed between two concentric cylinders.
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
- COMSOL Multiphysics® and
- either the CFD Module, or Fuel Cell & Electrolyzer Module
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Tabella delle Funzionalità and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.