Dynamics of particles suspended in a yield stress fluid flowing in a pipe

✍ Scribed by Othmane Merkak; Laurent Jossic; Albert Magnin

• Publisher: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 433 KB
• Volume: 54
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0001-1541
• DOI: 10.1002/aic.11454

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

This study seeks to understand the basic mechanisms governing the dynamics of a solid particle in a Poiseuille flow field of a viscoplastic fluid. An experimental set‐up to create flows with a prescribed flow rate and enable the particles to be visualized in three dimensions was designed and validated. The absence of slip at the interfaces between flows and particles was characterized. The Reynolds numbers are low, gravity effects negligible and plastic effects significant. The ratio of pipe diameter to particle diameter is 8. The dynamics of a particle in a velocity field depends strongly on its position in the sheared wall zone or in the moving rigid zone. The effect of rigid and sheared zones on particle behavior was examined. Changes in particle translation and rotation velocities were quantified. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008