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Monodisperse particle-laden exchange flows in a vertical duct

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2018

N. Mirzaeian
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering Technology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
K. Alba*
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering Technology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: kalba@uh.edu

Abstract

We study buoyancy-driven exchange flow of two mixtures in a vertical narrow duct (two-dimensional channel as well as pipe) theoretically. While the light mixture is assumed always to be a pure fluid, the heavy mixture can be selected as either a pure or a particle-laden fluid. A small width-to-length ratio considered for the duct ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}\ll 1$ ) has been used as the perturbation parameter in developing a lubrication model (negligible inertia). In particular, we have adopted the methodology of Zhou et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 94, 2005, 117803) for free-surface particle-laden film flows and extended it to a lock exchange system in confined geometry under the Boussinesq approximation. The resulting model is in the form of the classical Riemann problem and has been solved numerically using a robust total variation diminishing finite difference scheme. Both pure and particle-laden cases are investigated in detail. It is observed that the interface between the two fluids takes a self-similar shape at long times. In the case that both heavy and light fluids are pure, the dynamics of the flow is governed by two dimensionless quantities, namely the Reynolds number, $Re$ , and the viscosity ratio, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$ , of the light and heavy fluids. The interpenetration of the heavy and light layers increases with $Re$ but decreases with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$ . Also, the heights of the heavy and light fronts change with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$ but remain unchanged with $Re$ . In the case of the particle-laden flow, however, four additional dimensionless parameters emerge, namely the initial volume fraction of particles, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}$ , the ratio of particle diameter to duct width, $r_{p}$ , and the density ratios of particles to carrying fluid, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}$ , and of light fluid to carrying fluid, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$ . The effect of these parameters on the dynamics of the flow has been quantified through a systematic approach. In the presence of solid particles, the interface between the heavy and light layers becomes more curved compared to the case of pure fluids. This modification occurs due to the change of heavy mixture viscosity alongside the duct. Novel particle-rich zones are further discovered in the vicinity of the advancing heavy and light fronts. These zones are associated with different transport rates of the fluid and solid particles. The degree of particle enrichment remains the same with $Re$ , is enhanced by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$ , $r_{p}$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$ , and is slightly diminished with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}$ . On the other hand, the stretched exchange zone between the heavy and light fronts grows with $r_{p}$ , $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$ and $Re$ , but decays with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}$ , $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}$ .

Information

Type
JFM Papers
Copyright
© 2018 Cambridge University Press 
Figure 0

Figure 1. Schematic of the symmetric particle-laden exchange flow in a vertical 2D duct used in the lubrication model analysis. Note that dimensional notations are used in the figure. The interface shape is illustrative only.

Figure 1

Table 1. List of dimensional independent input parameters of the problem.

Figure 2

Table 2. List of dimensionless independent input parameters of the problem.

Figure 3

Figure 2. Variation of the flux function, $q$, in (3.17) with interface height, $h$, for pure fluids ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=r_{p}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=0$) and (a) $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$ at various values of $Re$, and (b) $Re=20$ at various values of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$. Owing to the choice of scaling used, the results in the pure fluids limit do not depend on $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$.

Figure 4

Figure 3. (a) Evolution of the interface height, $h$, with time, $t=[0,1,2,\ldots ,10]$, in exchange flow of two iso-viscous fluids ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$) at $Re=20$. Other parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=r_{p}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=0$. The blue dashed line shows the solution at $t=10$ for $\text{d}x=0.002$, which is almost indistinguishable from that of $\text{d}x=0.02$. (b) Dependence of the derivative of the flux function, $q_{h}$, on $h$ for the same parameters as in (a). The equal-area rules (5.4) and (5.5) can successfully predict the heavy and light front heights, $h_{Hf}\approx 0.482$ and $h_{Lf}\approx 0.736$, as well as velocities, $V_{Hf}\approx 0.366$ and $V_{Lf}\approx -0.575$. (c) Collapse of the interface height profiles using similarity parameter, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}=x/t$. The red line shows the similarity solution obtained from (5.6).

Figure 5

Figure 4. Comparison of the interface height, $h$, at $t=10$ for (a) $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$ at different values of $Re$, and (b) $Re=20$ at different values of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$. Other parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=r_{p}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=0$. (c) Streamwise velocity profile, $u$, plotted at locations $x=-6,-2,2,5$ corresponding to different interface heights, $h=1,0.669,0.534,0$, for the $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=2$ case in panel (b).

Figure 6

Figure 5. Variation of (a) heavy front height, $h_{Hf}$, and (b) light front height, $h_{Lf}$, versus $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$ for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=r_{p}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=0$ and all values of $Re>0$. Panels (c) and (d) show the corresponding frontal velocities, $V_{Hf}$ and $V_{Lf}$, of (a) and (b), respectively, at different values of $Re$.

Figure 7

Figure 6. Evolution of the (a) interface height, $h$, and (b) particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, profiles with time, $t=[0,0.01,0.02,\ldots ,0.1]$. The parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0.3$, $Re=0.1$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$, $r_{p}=0.06$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=1.9$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}=1.25$. The blue dashed lines show the solution at $t=0.1$ for $\text{d}x=2\times 10^{-6}$, which is almost indistinguishable from that of $\text{d}x=2\times 10^{-7}$. The lower left inset in (a) shows the corresponding interface profile in the pure fluid case obtained for the same $Re$ and $m$ values. The upper right inset in (a) and the one in (b) show the collapse of the profiles using the self-similarity parameter, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}=x/t$.

Figure 8

Figure 7. Change in (a) interface height, $h$, and (b) particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, with $x$ at $t=0.1$ and various values of the precursor film thickness, $b$. Other parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0.3$, $Re=0.1$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$, $r_{p}=0.06$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=1.9$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}=1.25$. The inset in (a) shows the corresponding interface profiles to the pure fluid case obtained for the same $Re$ and $m$ values.

Figure 9

Figure 8. Change in (a) interface height, $h$, and (b) particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, with $x$ at $t=0.1$ and various values of the Reynolds number, $Re$. Other parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0.3$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$, $r_{p}=0.06$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=1.9$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}=1.25$. The inset in (a) shows the corresponding interface profiles to the pure fluid case obtained for the same $Re$ and $m$ values.

Figure 10

Figure 9. Change in (a) interface height, $h$, and (b) particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, with $x$ at $t=0.1$ and various values of the initial particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}$. Other parameters used are $Re=0.1$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$, $r_{p}=0.06$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=1.9$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}=1.25$. The inset in (a) shows the corresponding interface profiles to the pure fluid case obtained for the same $Re$ and $m$ values.

Figure 11

Figure 10. Change in (a) interface height, $h$, and (b) particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, with $x$ at $t=0.1$ and various values of the light-to-carrying-fluid viscosity ratio, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$. Other parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0.3$, $Re=0.1$, $r_{p}=0.06$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=1.9$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}=1.25$. The inset in (a) shows the corresponding interface profiles to the pure fluid case obtained for the same $Re$ and $m$ values.

Figure 12

Figure 11. Change in (a) interface height, $h$, and (b) particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, with $x$ at $t=0.1$ and various values of the particle-radius-to-half-duct-width ratio, $r_{p}$. Other parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0.3$, $Re=0.1$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=1.9$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}=1.25$. The inset in (a) shows the corresponding interface profile to the pure fluid case obtained for the same $Re$ and $m$ values.

Figure 13

Figure 12. Change in (a) interface height, $h$, and (b) particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, with $x$ at $t=0.1$ and various values of the particle-to-carrying-fluid density ratio, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}$. Other parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0.3$, $Re=0.1$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$, $r_{p}=0.06$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}=1.25$. The inset in (a) shows the corresponding interface profile to the pure fluid case obtained for the same $Re$ and $m$ values.

Figure 14

Figure 13. Change in (a) interface height, $h$, and (b) particle volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$, with $x$ at $t=0.1$ and various values of the light-to-carrying-fluid density ratio, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$. Other parameters used are $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0.3$, $Re=0.1$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=1$, $r_{p}=0.06$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}=1.9$. The inset in (a) shows the corresponding interface profile to the pure fluid case obtained for the same $Re$ and $m$ values.

Figure 15

Figure 14. Schematic of axisymmetric particle-laden exchange flow in a vertical pipe.

Figure 16

Figure 15. Comparison of the pipe interface height profile, $h$, for (a) pure fluid ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0$) and (b) particle-laden cases ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}_{0}=0.3$) against the results of the 2D channel presented earlier in figures 3 and 6, respectively. The inset in panel (b) depicts the corresponding profile of volume fraction, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$.