Numerical Simulation of

Cyclone Separation by a Hybrid

Eulerian/Lagrangian Model

Vienna, Austria, 29th April 2015

Stefan Pirker and Simon Schneiderbauer

Department of Particulate Flow Modelling

Johannes Kepler University | Linz | Austria
 Cyclone Simulation
Content

1. Motivation
Cyclone Separation
Eulerian and Lagrangian Models - Two separated worlds ?

2. Hybrid Modelling
Modelling Poly-dispersity the Hybrid Model !
Modelling Sub-grid Heterogeneities
Modelling Small Particles: Agglomeration
Modelling Large Particles: Wall Roughness
Modelling Chemical Reactions
Modelling Particle Sheeting

3. Conclusion/Outlook

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 Cyclone Simulation
Motivation

Regime 1
Individual Particles in
Anisotropic Turbulence

Separation efficiency (-)

Regime 2
Dense Particle Strand

Historical patent Governing Physics

Mass loading (-)

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 Cyclone Simulation
Model Portfolio

1. Discrete Particle Model

18 g CD Re p
Ordinary differential equations d
up u g u p g fMag ,
dt p d p2 24
Particle-particle interaction by d
xp up ,
soft sphere model dt
d
p mTorque
Limited number of interacting dt
particles!

Newton
F1,n

F2,t
p1

p2 n F c d

F1,t
F2,n

www.liggghts.com | www.cfdem.com
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 Cyclone Simulation
Model Portfolio

2. Two-Fluid Model

Transport equations t
p p p pu p 0,

for mass,
t
p pu p p pu pu p pp p p p g s Kqp u p uq
momentum and
p p p
energy p p u p p P D
t

The effect of particle-particle collisions on the macroscopic solid

phase flow is modelled by e.g. kinetic theory

Limitation by description of
poly-disperse particles

Navier Stokes
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 Cyclone Simulation
Model Portfolio

Oesterle,
Sommerfeld:
Virtual Collision
Model

Discrete Particle Models

Pirker: Popoff, Braun:
Two Fluid Models

Hybrid Model Dense Discrete

Lagrangian
Phase Model
Eulerian

Snider, Patanker:
MP-PIC Model
(Baracuda)

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 Cyclone Simulation
Hybrid Model

Our Hybrid Model is a Two-Fluid Model with additional Tracer Particles

Lagrangian tracer particles experience a collisional force acting in direction of

the solid phase flow
3 1 e ps s s d p d s g0
2

f Eu u p us u p us

4 p d p3 s d s3

Discrete Continuous Hybrid

The Two Fluid Model is based on a

particle diameter field:

Pirker et al., Acta Mech., 2009

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 Cyclone Simulation
Hybrid Model

H=15m

We could predict particle separation in wall neigbouring particle strands,

but we dramatically under-estimated* separation efficiency.
* 75% instead of 98% !!
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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Sub-grid Heterogeneities

Consider a fluid-particle system inside a cube the macroscopic

behaviour can be described by filtered quantities of (i) solid velocity, (ii)
gas velocity, (iii) solid porosity, (iv) granular temperature,

Sub-grid heterogeneities influence fluid-particle drag force

Schneiderbauer S., Puttinger S. & Pirker S. (2013) AIChE J.

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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Sub-grid Heterogeneities
Considerable
Wg = 0.21m/s overestimation of bed
ds = 150m expansion (80%)
s = 2500kg/m3

es coarse grid (D = 64ds)

es resolved (D = 8ds)

> O(106) cells < O(104) cells

> 4 weeks for < 1 day for 10s
10s on 32 CPUs on 8 CPUs
Speedup
> O(102)

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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Sub-grid Heterogeneities

In recent years research groups in China, US, The Netherlands and

France proposed heterogeneity based sub-grid drag models

CD-Lab Model
Kuipers group

Lis group
(EMMS)
Sundaresans
group (Princeton)

Simonins group

Schneiderbauer S., Puttinger S. & Pirker S. (2013) AIChE J.

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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Sub-grid Heterogeneities

In recent years research groups in China, US, The Netherlands and

France proposed heterogeneity based sub-grid drag models

EMMS
Princeton

bi / bWY

Kuipers CD-Lab
Simonin

Schneiderbauer S., Puttinger S. & Pirker S. (2013) AIChE J.

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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Sub-grid Heterogeneities
Snapshots at t = 10s:
each sub-grid drag modification estimates the bed expansion adequately

yield as sharp and distinct bubbles as the fine grid sim. yields smooth
blurred
bubbles

Fine grid simulation

1. Lu et al. Chemical Engineering Science. 2009; 64:34373447. 2. Wang J et al. Chemical Engineering Science. 2010;65:21252131. 3. Igci Y, Sundaresan S. Industrial &
Engineering Chemistry Research. 2011; 50:1319013201. 4. Parmentier et al. AIChE Journal. 2012; 58:10841098. 5. Schneiderbauer et al. Comparative analysis of sub-grid drag
modifications for dense gas - particle flows in bubbling fluidized beds. AIChEJ (accepted for publication). 2013. 6. Milioli et al. Filtered two-fluid models of fluidized gas-particle
flows: new constitutive relations. AIChE Journal (accepted for publication). 2013;.

JKU Department of Particulate Flow Modelling www.particulate-flow.at

 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Sub-grid Heterogeneities

New idea by Sundaresan (Princeton): Have a look on the turbulent

energy of unresolved clusters
An increasing filtered relative velocity first (i) results in an increased
turbulent energy of the unresolved structures (and a subsequent drag
reduction) until the turbulent fluctuations reach a level that destroyes the
clusters again (which then leads to an increased drag)

Thats it! This new finding has the potential to merge existing theories on
sub-grid heterogeneities

Schneiderbauer S., Sundaresan S. (2015) to be submitted

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 Cyclone Simulation
Two Fluid Model Improvements

Our hybrid model benefits from a significantly improved Two

Fluid Model basement

Two Fluid Model (TFM) accounting for rapid distortion and

slow granular flow regimes1.
Sub-models accounting for the effect of sub-grid heterogeneities on
drag and solid stresses2,3.
Wall boundary model accounting for
sliding and static friction4,5.
Wall boundary model accounting for
wall roughness6. 1 Schneiderbauer, S. et al., Chem Eng. Sci., 2012.
2 Schneiderbauer, S. et al., AIChE Journal, 2013.
3 Schneiderbauer, S. et al., AIChE Journal, 2014.
4 Schneiderbauer, S et al., Int J. Multiphase Flow, 2012.
5 Soleimani, A. et al., Int J. Multiphase Flow, 2014.
6 Soleimani, A. et al., Powder Techn., to be published 2015.

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 Cyclone Simulation
Model Portfolio

Oesterle,
Sommerfeld:
Virtual Collision
Model

Discrete Particle Models

Pirker: Popoff, Braun:
Two Fluid Models

Hybrid Model Dense Discrete

Lagrangian
Phase Model
Eulerian

Schneiderbauer:
Hybrid Model
with Sub-grid Snider, Patanker:
Corrections MP-PIC Model
(Baracuda)

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 Cyclone Simulation
First Results

High Efficiency Cyclone High Throughput Cyclone

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 Cyclone Simulation
First Results

Formation of particle strands

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 Cyclone Simulation
First Results

Cumulative Particle Size

Distribution (-)

Particle diameter (m)

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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Agglomeration

Particle agglomeration (i.e. small particles attach to larger ones)

significantly influences the fractional separation efficiency of small
particles
Agglomeration possibility depends on collision frequency and can be
defined by a population balance model on a fraction to fraction basis

which inevitably results in a very

complex model

In our Hybrid Model we decided to

rigorously simplify this model

Schellander, Pirker & Schneiderbauer, Chem Eng. Sci., 2013

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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Agglomeration

Our simplified agglomeration kernel only considers agglomeration of small

particles to the local mean particle diameter.
d23,Eul
Global agglomeration rate is based 6
maggl nLag Caggl e 10
nEul
on only one empirical parameter.

Fractional separtion efficiency

Fractional Separation Efficiency (-)
Fractional separtion efficiency Fractional separtion efficiency
1 1 1

0.9 0.9 0.9

0.8 0.8 0.8

0.7 0.7 0.7

0.6 0.6 0.6

0.5 0.5 0.5

0.4 0.4 0.4

0.3 0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2 0.2

0.1
C=0 0.1 C = 0.01 0.1
C = 0.1
0 0 0
-1 0 1 2 -13 0 1 2 -13 0 1 2 3
10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10
particle diameter in um particle diameter in um particle diameter in um
Particle Diameter (m)

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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Wall Roughness

Wall roughness is reported to significantly alter rebound statistics of

especially larger particles (which are further influenced by their rotation).

The effect of this altered rebound can

be modelled by virtually inclining the
wall at the impact point.

Sommerfelds virtual wall model.

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 Cyclone Simulation
Modelling Wall Roughness

Increased wall roughness leads to a higher percentage of escaping large

particles, which can be expressed by the d-90 (black) and d-98 (red)
limiting diameter.

-6 -6
x 10 x 10
6 6

5.5 d-98 = 4.34 m5.5 d-98 = 4.43 m

Particle Diameter (m)

5 5
Particle diameter (m)

Particle diameter (m)

4.5 4.5

4 4

3.5 3.5

3 3

2.5 2.5
dp 90% dp 90%
d-90 = 3.65 m
dp 98% d-90 = 3.82 m
dp 98%
2 2
85 86 87 88 89 90 100
91 102 104 106 108 110 112
Time (s) Time (s)
Time (s)

Smooth Cyclone Walls Rough Cyclone Walls

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 Cyclone Simulation
Conclusion / Outlook

We proposed a comprehensive Two Fluid Model for the simulation of

particle separation in gas-solid cyclones.
Modelling sub-grid heterogeneities is crucial for predictive capability of
the Two Fluid Model.
Poly-dispersity can be introduced to the Two Fluid Model by additionally
tracing discrete particles.
Additional Sub-models can account for Agglomeration, Wall
Roughness, Chemical Reactions and Sheeting

We think that our Hybrid Model is ready for the prediction of industrial
processes!

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Thank you for your attention !

Stefan Pirker
www.particulate-flow.at

Department of Particulate Flow Modelling

Johannes Kepler University | Linz | Austria