Horizontal laminar flow of coarse nearly-neutrally buoyant particles in non-Newtonian conveying fluids: CFD and PEPT experiments compared

The horizontal flow of coarse particle suspensions in non-Newtonian carrier fluids was numerically simulated using an Eulerian–Eulerian CFD model. This study was concerned with nearly-neutrally buoyant particles of 5 and 10 mm diameter conveyed by fluids of Ellis rheology in laminar flow, in a 45 mm diameter pipe at concentrations up to 41% v/v. CFD predictions of solid phase velocity profiles and passage times were compared to experimental data obtained by a Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) technique and Hall effect sensors, and a very good agreement was obtained considering the complexity of the flows studied. CFD predictions of solid–liquid pressure drop were compared to a number of relevant correlations gleaned from the literature. Only one of them showed a good agreement over the whole range of conditions studied. Other correlations generally showed large deviations from CFD, and their limitations in predicting the influence of solids concentration and particle size have been demonstrated. Overall, it emerged that for the flows studied, CFD was capable of giving predictions of pressure drop which were probably better and more reliable than the correlations available in the literature.