Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation of the Impact of Wall Treatment on Fluidization in a Liquid-Solid Fluidized Bed

Abstract

This work investigates the influence of wall treatment on the prediction accuracy of the k-ε and k-ω models, as well as the solid volume fraction, in a solid-liquid fluidized bed. The objective of the study is to explore the effects of different y+ values on the performance of these turbulence models and the prediction of solid-liquid fluidized bed behavior. Using the Eulerian-Eulerian approach, a multiphase flow model was employed to simulate the behavior of solid particles and liquid in a fluidized bed. The standard conservation equations of continuity and momentum were solved to describe the flow dynamics. The research findings indicate that the k-ε model exhibits higher sensitivity to near-wall mesh refinement when predicting y+ values compared to the k-ω model. The k-ω model, however, demonstrates reasonably accurate predictions within the y+ range of 30 to 45. Furthermore, the k-ε model outperforms the k-ω model in predicting solid volume fractions when the near-wall region is refined. These results highlight the significance of wall treatment and near-wall mesh refinement in accurately predicting turbulent flow behavior in liquid-solid fluidized beds. The study contributes to a better understanding of the performance of turbulence models and their applicability to solid liquid fluidized beds.