Assessment of particle-tracking models for dispersed particle-laden flows implemented in OpenFOAM and ANSYS FLUENT

Figures & data

Figure 1. Classification of coupling schemes and interaction between particles and turbulence according to Elghobashi (1994) for (1) one-way coupling, (2) two-way coupling where particles enhance turbulence production, (3) two-way coupling where particles enhance turbulence dissipation, and (4) four-way coupling.

Table 1. Numerical methods, schemes and boundary conditions in ANSYS FLUENT and OpenFOAM.

	ANSYS FLUENT	OpenFOAM
Numerical methods steady
Solver	Pressure-based	simpleFoam
Pressure–velocity coupling	SIMPLE	SIMPLE
Multigrid	AMG	GAMG
Under-relaxation factors	0.3 – pressure	0.3 – pressure
	0.7 – momentum	0.7 – momentum
	0.8 – turbulence	0.7 – turbulence
Numerical methods transient
Solver	Pressure-based	pimpleFoam
Pressure–velocity coupling	SIMPLE	PIMPLE
Spatial discretization
Pressure	Standard	linearUpwind
Convective terms	Second-order upwind	linearUpwind
Gradient	Green–Gauss node-based	Gauss linear

Figure 2. Geometry of the BFS according to Fessler and Eaton (1999).

Table 2. Flow properties for the BFS.

Channel flow		BFS flow
Channel height		Step height
Channel width		w/H	17:1
h/H	5:3

Source: Fessler and Eaton (1999).

Table 3. Applied meshes.

Name	Dimension	Cells in z direction	Boundary condition front and back
Mesh A	2D	0	–
Mesh B	3D	1	Empty
Mesh C	3D	1	Symmetry
Mesh D	3D	10	Symmetry

Table 4. Boundary and initial conditions for the BFS case.

Continuous phase
Inlet	Profile with
Outlet
Wall
Dispersed phase
Particle diameter
Particle density
Particle mass flow rate
Injection velocity

Figure 3. Comparison of the flow profiles of the continuous phase behind the BFS from simulations in ANSYS FLUENT and OpenFOAM and experiments according to Fessler and Eaton (1999), for the velocity distribution of the main component (top), and distribution of the velocity fluctuation (bottom).

Note: The baseline locations of the profiles are at .

Figure 4. Comparison of the velocity profiles of the dispersed phase in the main direction behind the BFS from simulations in ANSYS FLUENT and OpenFOAM on meshes A, B and C and experiments according to Fessler and Eaton (1999).

Note: The baseline locations of the profiles are at .

Figure 5. Comparison of the velocity profiles of the dispersed phase in the main direction behind the BFS from simulations in ANSYS FLUENT and OpenFOAM on mesh D and experiments according to Fessler and Eaton (1999).

Note: The baseline locations of the profiles are at .

Figure 6. Geometry of the CBB test case according to Borée et al. (2001).

Table 5. Boundary and initial conditions for the CBB case.

Continuous phase
Central jet inflow	Profile with
Annular jet inflow	Profile with
Outlet
Wall
Dispersed phase
Particle diameter
Particle density
Particle mass flow rate
Injection velocity

Figure 7. Comparison of the velocity distribution along the symmetry line in the main flow direction of the continuous phase in the CBB from simulations in ANSYS FLUENT and OpenFOAM and experiments according to Borée et al. (2001).

Figure 8. Comparison of the velocity distributions in the main flow direction of the continuous phase in the CBB from simulations in ANSYS FLUENT and OpenFOAM and experiments according to Borée et al. (2001).

Note: The baseline locations of the profiles are at .

Figure 9. Comparison of the velocity distributions in main flow direction of the dispersed phase in the CBB from simulations in ANSYS FLUENT and OpenFOAM and experiments according to Borée et al. (2001).

Note: Baseline locations of the profiles are at .

Fessler, J. R., & Eaton, J. (1999). Turbulence modification by particles in a backward-facing step flow. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 394, 97–117. doi: 10.1017/S0022112099005741

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Borée, J., Ishima, T., & Flour, I. (2001). The effect of mass loading and interparticle collisions on the development of the polydispersed two-phase flow downstream of a confined bluff body. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 443, 129–165. doi: 10.1017/S0022112001005134

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