Multiphase Flow Modeling Industry Solutions

Reliable and accurate modeling of many industrial processes

requires accounting for interactions between two or more phases.
The simultaneous flow of phases in a domain is called multiphase
flow; examples include conversion of crude to high-value petroleum
products in a refinery, combustion of coal to generate energy in a
power plant, and combustion of gasoline droplets in an internal
combustion engine.
Multiphase simulation of feed nozzles in
The successful design of equipment and processes that involve distillation columns for a petroleum refinery
multiphase flows crucially depends on accurately predicting the Courtesy Petrobras.
interactions (mechanical, thermal and chemical) between the
phases. Since most of these processes are impossible to observe,
engineers rely on models and experiments to gain insight into
improving efficiency, throughput, safety and reliability — factors
important to a company’s bottom line. This knowledge can aid in
scaling up and retrofitting existing equipment as well as improving
processes. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software from ANSYS
incorporates most physical models required to describe multiphase
flows, offering a virtual view inside these processes.

Multiphase flows are broadly classified as either segregated or

dispersed. In segregated flows, the phases flowing through the
domain are separated by macroscopic interfaces, often comparable to Comparison of experiment (grey) and simu-
the size of the domain. For dispersed flows, at least one of the phases lation (color) at different times following
a dam break; white regions correspond to
is a small droplet, bubble or particle. breaking waves in the experiment
Courtesy Technical University of Berlin.
Segregated Flows
The sloshing of fuel in an automobile, the flow of oil and gas in
a pipeline, the impact of waves on seafaring vessels and offshore
platforms, and the movement of ink in a printer are a few examples
of segregated flows. The volume of fluids (VOF) model and the
level-set method are typically used to simulate problems that
involve the evolution of interfaces. In these algorithms a single
momentum equation is solved for the mixture along with the explicit
reconstruction of the interphase between individual phases. ANSYS
CFD software has an extensive array of sophisticated interface
Comparison of droplet size observed in
tracking schemes that can be reliably used to model a wide variety of
experiment and simulations based on
industrial problems. These models require virtually no empirical input, experiments of Nisisako et al. [1] for
thereby enhancing the accuracy and reliability of model predictions. production of emulsions in a microfluidic
T-junction
 Industry Solutions
Calculations using the coupled VOF
option converge faster for problems
that require time-independent solutions
Gas Holdup
4 m Experiment
12 m Experiment
4 m Simulation
12 m Simulation
Predictions of holdup profiles of gas in a
gas lift system using experiments of Guet
[3] and ANSYS CFD simulations at two
different heights from the sparger
The effect of hardware on distribution of
droplets and catalyst is simulated to under-
stand the under-par performance of a riser
reactor using the Euler–granular model.
Courtesy KBC Advanced Technologies.
Microfluidics
Ink jet printers, lab-on-a-chip devices and cooling circuits for
microelectronics involve multiphase flow in sub-millimeter-length
channels. This type of flow is dominated by surface tension and wall-
adhesion forces. The geometric reconstruction scheme available in
ANSYS CFD allows for the accurate treatment of surface tension in
these flows.
Coupled VOF for Steady-State Flows
The flow of water around a ship hull and the stratified flow of water in
a pipe allow for steady-state solutions. For such problems, ANSYS CFD
has pioneered numerical algorithms that allow for coupled calculation
of volume fraction along with pressure and momentum, providing a
speedy and accurate solution. When coupled with boundary conditions,
such as those that generate waves or represent boundaries at pressure
outlets, these coupled calculations enhance the ability to dependably
simulate real-life problems.
Dispersed Flows
The motion of bubbles in a slurry bubble
column reactor, gasoline droplets from
spray in an internal combustion engine,
and catalyst particles in a fluid catalytic
cracker are all examples of dispersed
multiphase flows. Due to the unresolved
subgrid nature of these particles, empirical
The effect of inlet piping
models — such as drag, virtual mass forces
on overall performance of
or lift forces — are used to describe the
a horizontal three-phase
interaction between phases. ANSYS CFD
separator can be studied
pioneered numerical and physical models
using the Eulerian multi-
for simulating these problems using an
phase model.
unstructured grid [2].
Courtesy Swift TG Solutions.
Granular Flows
The dispersed phase takes the form of
solid particulates in examples such as a
fluid catalytic cracker, regenerator, or any
application that includes a solid suspension.
These particles exhibit a fluid-like character
due to the emergent behavior of many
individual particles. The rheology of these
particles is a function of the flow condition
and must be addressed as part of the The Euler-granular model
solution. ANSYS CFD uses the kinetic theory is used to understand the
of granular flow, as well as frictional models mixing of particles during
at high volume fractions, to accurately suction phase in a mixer for
determine the flow behavior of interacting processing nuclear waste.
solid particles. Courtesy Bechtel National Inc.
Population Balance
In unit operations in which granulation and crystallization occur and in
reactors such as bubble columns, or for oil–water separators or sprays,
the size of the dispersed phase changes due to physical phenomena
such as breakage and coalescence. This size change, in turn, affects the
flow dynamics. ANSYS CFD provides a wealth of models to account Industry Solutions
for size change processes using the framework of population balance
models. Sizes can be calculated by tracking mass fraction in either
discrete sizes or in the form of statistical moments.

Multi-Fluid VOF Model

When simulating multiphase flows, situations can arise in which neither
the fully segregated VOF model nor the interpenetrating Eulerian multi-
fluid model is adequate to describe flow dynamics. The frothy nose of
an air–water slug or the motion of an air bubble through a slurry of fine
particles illustrate applications in which regions of mixed flow coexist
with large regions of segregated flow. For solving such problems, a
hybrid model that describes the physics between the mixed dispersed The motion of a swarm of bubbles
phases as well as the physics at interfaces for segregated phases is built through a slurry of fine particles is simu-
into ANSYS CFD. lated using the multi-fluid VOF model.
The fine solids (red) are dispersed within
Multiphase Turbulence Models the water phase, while air bubbles (cyan)
The effect that turbulence has on multiphase problems is as profound are segregated from the water phase.
as its impact on single-phase problems. Extensions to the single-
phase turbulence models, such as Tchen’s model for secondary phase
turbulence and the particle-induced turbulence model, are available
to better model multiphase turbulence. The effect of turbulence
fluctuations on particle dispersion is available in both Favre-averaged
and volume fraction-weighted formulations. For segregated flows using
the VOF model, out-of-the-box ANSYS CFD accounts for turbulence
damping at interfaces, which leads to better predictions for many
turbulent gas–liquid flows (for example, in a slug catcher). The effect of an increase in throughput of
a slug-catcher is simulated. Appropriate
Multiphase Reactions treatment of turbulence at the interface
One of the most important applications is crucial for these simulations.
for multiphase flow is chemical reactions Courtesy BG Group.
or thermodynamic changes to the phases.
ANSYS CFD provides templates to easily model
homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions as
well as phase change processes. The software
also includes the ability to customize kinetics
for these processes. Out-of-the-box models
are available for some common phase change
processes such as cavitation and boiling
models.

Dense Lagrangian Models

Lagrangian tracking of particles in multiphase
systems provides an economical model for
handling the wide particle size distribution
Nucleate boiling down- The Euler-granular model helps in under-
that naturally occurs in fluidized beds and
stream of spacers in fuel standing the complex chemical interactions
bubble columns, for example. The dense
rod bundle assembly between the formation of clusters and
discrete phase (DDPM) model extends the Courtesy Dr. E. Krepper, FZ Dresden. the overall effectiveness of the reactor.
Eulerian multiphase models in ANSYS CFD
Studies suggest that increasing reactivity
by allowing for phases to be represented by of the catalysts does not always result in a
a Lagrangian description for all volume fractions up to the maximum proportional increase in the effectiveness
packing. This feature is unique to ANSYS CFD and provides solution to of the reactor.
problems that involve the need to model particle tracks as well as those Courtesy SINTEF Material and Chemistry.
involving a wide range of particle sizes.
 Industry Solutions
Simulation of cavitation around a rotating
propeller compared with actual conditions
Courtesy University of Tokyo.
Flow of catalyst particles in a fluid catalytic
cracker as predicted by the DDPM model
in ANSYS FLUENT. This model can capture
the presence of clusters and streaks in a
relatively coarse mesh.
Pressure drop in a fluid catalytic cracker riser
is predicted by the DDPM model and
compared with experiment. The pressure
drop in a fluidized bed is directly correlated
to the holdup of particles.
ansys.com
The ANSYS Multiphase Team
The multiphase development team is engaged in R&D projects and
actively collaborates with academic experts and leaders in the research
community, such as the Research Center Dresden-Rossendorf, Institut of
Safety Research (FZD) in Dresden, Germany; University of Technology,
Munich (TUM), Germany; University of Applied Sciences Zittau-Görlitz,
ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland; and KTH Royal Institute of Technology,
Stockholm, Sweden.
ANSYS has also collaborated with well known researchers in the United
States including Professor Mike Dudukovic of the Chemical Reactions
Engineering Laboratory (CREL) at Washington University in St. Louis
and Professor Rodney Fox of Iowa State University. This work has not
only led to the enhancement of physical models within the ANSYS
multiphase solver, but has resulted in widely cited publications
on bubble column validation [4], stirred tanks, liquid–solid risers
and implementation of moment methods in the population
balance model [5].
ANSYS multiphase application specialists play an important role
in bridging the gap between customers and developers as well as
encouraging customers to use simulation best practices. This interaction
enables ANSYS to transfer new technologies into the latest software
releases. Successful application of multiphase technology depends on
a wide range of factors — from understanding numerics to physical
model implementation. The ANSYS multiphase team makes every effort
to ensure that the quality of the implementation meets the highest
standard, providing customers with reliable, proven results.
ANSYS offers a robust, advanced and scalable set of multiphase flow
models to effectively address a broad spectrum of needs.
References
[1] Nisisako, T.; Torri, T.; Higuchi, T. Droplet Formation in a
Micro-Channel Network. Lab Chip, 2002, Vol 2, No 1, pp. 24-26.
[2] Vasquez, S.; Ivanov, V. A Phase Coupled Method for Solving Multiphase Problems
on Unstructured Meshes. Proc. of ASME FEDSM 2000: ASME 2000 Fluids
Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, June 11–15, 2000.
[3] Guet, S. Bubble Size Effect on the Gas Lift Technique. Ph.D. Thesis, Delft University
of Technology.
[4] Sanyal, J.; Sergio Vásquez, Roy, S:, Dudukovic, M.P. Numerical Simulation of Gas–
Liquid Dynamics in Cylindrical Bubble Column Reactors. Chemical Engineering
Science, 1999, Vol. 54, Issue 21, pp. 5071–5083.
[5] Sanyal, J.; Marchisio,D.L.; Fox, R.O.; Dhanasekharan, K. On the Comparison
Between Population Balance Models for CFD Simulation of Bubble Columns.
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2005, Vol. 44, Issue 14, pp. 5063–5072.
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