ANSYS CFX

Particle Transport Model

Technical Brief
Multiphase Flow Modeling Because better understanding of multiphase flow will in
crease yield, extend longevity and permit the assessment of new designs or proce
sses, ANSYS CFX computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software contains industry-le
ading technology providing accurate and robust models for multiphase flows. ANSY
S CFX is available in the ANSYS Workbench environment providing a common interface an
d file management system with other ANSYS tools. The multiphase flow models with
in ANSYS CFX include capabilities for: Free surface Multi-fluid analysis, includ
ing chemical reactions Multiple size group Cavitation Particle transport
Many fluid flows involve the transport of particulates. These can be solid parti
cles in a gas or liquid, liquid drops in a gas, or gas bubbles in a liquid. Depe
nding on the size of the particles, this type of flow can be modeled as a single
-phase multi-component flow, as Eulerian multiphase flow or using the ANSYS CFX
particle transport model feature. Examples of fluid flows involving particulates
that are best modeled using the particle transport model, include water sand mixtur
es in which erosion is of interest, water spray into an air stream, oil droplet
injection in a combustion chamber and coal particulates burning in an air mixtur
e.
The ANSYS CFX particle transport model has the ability to model complex geometry
, as shown in the model of a wet SO2 scrubber. Picture courtesy URS Corporation.
In the ANSYS CFX particle transport model, a representative sample of the actual
particles in the flow is tracked through the flow. Differential equations for t
he position and velocity of each particle are solved, and the effect of the part
icles on the fluid is calculated as source terms for the fluid momentum equation
s, given that each sample particle represents many actual particles in the flow.
The equations take into account the various forces that can act on the particle
, such as drag and gravity. Additional physical models for the particles can be
included by calculating further differential equations for particle temperature,
or for masses of different constituents of the particles. The particle mass can
change due to processes such as evaporation (for example water droplets, oil dr
oplets) or chemical reactions (for example combusting coal particles) with the f
luid. Other effects that can be modeled include droplet breakup and wall erosion
. Additional effects on the particle can be modeled by the user, either through
the built-in expression language, or by user subroutines.
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Technical Brief
In comparison with the multi-component or multiphase methods of modeling particl
e-laden flows, the ANSYS CFX particle transport model is especially useful when
the particles have a range of sizes, often in the range of 10 microns to a milli
meter. Further, as each representative particle is tracked, its diameter, temper
ature, constituent masses and other particle properties are known precisely. Thi
s makes the ANSYS CFX model a most convenient way of calculating heat and mass t
ransfer to and from particles, in addition to reactions including particles.
Particle transport modeling with ANSYS CFX software was used by the University o
f Canterbury, New Zealand, to predict the trajectory of pollen around a kiwi fru
it flower. Increasing the number of pollen grains fertilizing the flower can inc
rease fruit size.
Understanding flow using particle transport modeling can assist design by showin
g the complex trajectories of particles bouncing off an object such as a valve a
s well as where the valve might be eroded due to the impact of the particles.
Transient particla tracking includes interoperability across transient rotor sta
tor interface.
One of the important features of particle transport modeling in ANSYS CFX softwa
re is that it can be run in parallel. The parallelization concept used for the p
article solver is based on the same domain decomposition approach used by the fl
uid solver. This means that each partition solves only particles in its own cont
rol volumes. Particles crossing partition boundaries are communicated between th
e partitions. Results obtained from a serial and parallel run are identical, eve
n if particle tracks are perturbed by turbulent dispersion. Special effort has b
een dedicated to the development of a novel and intelligent load management proc
edure in order to maintain excellent parallel performance with the particle tran
sport model a significant achievement for the rather difficult combination of a pa
rticle solver and a domain decomposition parallelization approach. Thus, particl
e transport models and complex Eulerian models running together can be paralleli
zed with high efficiency. The ANSYS CFX particle transport capability delivers t
he ability to track the flow of discrete phases in a variety of industries inclu
ding power generation, aerospace, HVAC, automotive and many others. This enables
the engineer to accurately model the interaction between the phases both to obt
ain greater insight into the physical processes taking place and to achieve bett
er overall predictions of their flows. Moreover, because of the parallel algorit
hm within ANSYS CFX software, this can all be done very efficiently within simul
ations on as fine a grid as required for the continuous phase solution.
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ned herein may be trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners. 2006
ANSYS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. cfx-particle_transport_Dec06