CFD-DEM Simulation of Propagation of Sound Waves in Fluid Particles Fluidised Medium

• Main Authors: H Khawaja, S Scott
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Multi-Science Publishing 2016-09-01
• Series: International Journal of Multiphysics
• Online Access: http://journal.multiphysics.org/index.php/IJM/article/view/165

In this work, speed of sound in 2 phase mixture has been explored using CFD-DEM (Computational Fluid Dynamcis - Discrete Element Modelling). In this method volume averaged Navier Stokes, continuity and energy equations are solved for fluid. Particles are simulated as individual entities; their behaviour is captured by Newton's laws of motion and classical contact mechanics. Particle-fluid interaction is captured using drag laws given in literature. The speed of sound in a medium depends on physical properties. It has been found experimentally that speed of sound drops significantly in 2 phase mixture of fluidised particles because of its increased density relative to gas while maintaining its compressibility. Due to the high rate of heat transfer within 2 phase medium as given in Roy et al. (1990), it has been assumed that the fluidised gas-particle medium is isothermal. The similar phenomenon has been tried to be captured using CFD-DEM numerical simulation. The disturbance is introduced and fundamental frequency in the medium is noted to measure the speed of sound for e.g. organ pipe. It has been found that speed of sound is in agreement with the relationship given in Roy et al. (1990). Their assumption that the system is isothermal also appears to be valid.