FLUENT 6.

2
Product Presentation
Multiphase and Chemical Processes

Mikael Stallgård, FLUENT SE

mas@fluent.se
Multiphase Modeling Capability
- Overview -
Current Multiphase Models in FLUENT
Š Dispersed Phase Model
¾ Steady and Unsteady particle tracking
¾ Stochastic and Particle cloud model for turbulent dispersion
¾ Ability to include particle size distribution and include various forces
and physics for particles (reaction), many UDF’s and post processing
capabilities

Š Volume of Fluid Model

¾ Solves for the interface between g/l and l/l
¾ Advanced front tracking to resolve interface
¾ Effective for modeling the motion of large ( much bigger than grid)
bubbles
Current Multiphase Models in FLUENT
Š Mixture model
¾ A multi fluid model: Time dependent and 3D extension of drift flux
model
¾ Can effectively replace Eulerian Fluid/Fluid model where phases
reach equilibrium fast.

Š Eulerian-Eulerian/Eulerian-Granular Multiphase Model

¾ Solves momentum, enthalpy, and continuity equations for N phases
¾ Turbulence models for dilute and dense phase regimes.
¾ DEM
¾ 3rd party integration (EDEM) for Lagrarian particle tracking with
particle-particle integration, may now be coupled with Fluent6.2
Multiphase – New features in 6.2
FLUENT 6.2
Multiphase Flows/Major Enhancement
ƒ Multiphase species transport and chemical reactions
ƒ Support for all multiphase models
ƒ Allows mass transfer between species in different phases
ƒ Heterogeneous reaction rates specified with UDF
 Ozone Decomposition in a
Fluidized Bed
ƒ Particles in a fluidized catalytic
bed are used to convert ozone
(O3) to oxygen (O2)
ƒ FLUENT is used to study
fluidization and reaction in a single
simulation
ƒ The Eulerian granular multiphase
(EGM) model is used with
reactions in the gas phase
Ozone Decomposition in a Fluidized Bed

ƒ Rising bubbles of gas are

predicted by the transient
EGM calculation
ƒ Bubbles pass through bed
surface and enter the gas
space above
Ozone Decomposition in a Fluidized Bed

ƒ Gas phase reaction takes

place in bed region only
ƒ Cout/Cin of ozone (1 –
conversion) (pink) vs. gas
velocity compares well with
data (blue)

ƒ Saturation in gas holdup occurs when bed can no longer hold

more gas, even at higher velocities
ƒ FLUENT captures complex physics in a single simulation for
this important industrial application
FLUENT 6.2
Multiphase Flows
ƒ Multiphase species transport and chemical reactions
ƒ Support for all multiphase models
ƒ Allows mass transfer between species in different phases
ƒ Heterogeneous reaction rates specified with UDF

ƒ Reynolds stress (RSM) turbulence model for dilute

Eulerian multiphase flows
FLUENT 6.2
Multiphase Flows
ƒ Multiphase species transport and chemical reactions
ƒ Support for all multiphase models
ƒ Allows mass transfer between species in different phases
ƒ Heterogeneous reaction rates specified with UDF

ƒ Reynolds stress (RSM) turbulence model for dilute

Eulerian multiphase flows
ƒ Extensions for the granular model
ƒ Full PDE for granular temperature
ƒ Johnson and Jackson boundary condition
ƒ Additional new options for granular property specification
ƒ Support for granular model with mixture model
Multiphase/Mixture Model …

ƒ Mixture model
ƒ Secondary phase can now be granular
ƒ Applicable for solid-fluid simulations
ƒ Secondary phase cannot be “packed bed”
ƒ Granular physics added as follows
ƒ Add total granular pressure to momentum equation
ƒ Solids viscosity available for dispersed solid phase
ƒ Packing limit for solids
ƒ Only algebraic granular temperature is available
ƒ Applicability is mainly for liquid-solids multiphase systems.
Density difference should be small.
ƒ Slip velocity now contains dispersion due to turbulence.

Return
FLUENT 6.2
Multiphase/VOF
ƒ Volume-of-fluid (VOF) model enhancements
ƒ Species transport and chemical reactions

ƒ More efficient front tracking, HRIC

ƒ High Resolution Interface Capturing (HRIC) scheme
ƒ Allows larger time steps than geo-recon scheme
ƒ More diffuse than geo-recon
ƒ Provides sharper interface than QUICK
ƒ Available for structured and unstructured meshes
ƒ Application
ƒ Prediction of standing free surface waves in steady state

ƒ New open channel boundary condition

ƒ Support for inviscid flows

ƒ Improved surface tension robustness

Multiphase/VOF …
ƒ New HRIC scheme example of swirling fuel
injector

First Order Implicit HRIC Implicit

Interface Capture Using Implicit VOF

Velocity Vectors Colored by Volume Fraction

Second Order Implicit

Multiphase/VOF …

ƒ Front tracking/open channel BC: Hydrofoil

Experimental Photograph
Courtesy of IIHR, U. of Iowa

Contours of Z Coordinate on Free Surface

FLUENT 6.2
Multiphase Flows
ƒ Discrete phase model (DPM) enhancements
ƒ New wall film model
ƒ Particles impinge on a surface, splash and/or form a thin film
FLUENT 6.2
Wall Film Model: IC Engine

Spray Colored by Particle Velocity

Wall Film Height (mm)
DPM …
ƒ Wall film model
ƒ Particles impinge on a surface and form a thin film
Impinging
Fuel Droplet

Flow separation
Splashing and
Sheet Breakup
Convective
Heat Transfer
Evaporation Film Thickness
Shear Force

Fuel Film
Wall Conduction

Ref. Stanton
Int. J. of Heat &
Mass Transfer (1998)
FLUENT 6.2
Multiphase Flows
ƒ Discrete phase model (DPM) enhancements
ƒ New wall film model
ƒ Particles impinge on a surface, splash and/or form a thin film

ƒ Two-way particle-turbulence coupling

ƒ More accurate and efficient particle tracking

ƒ New tracking schemes
ƒ Error-controlled adaption of integration time-step
ƒ Automated tracking scheme selection
FLUENT 6.2
Multiphase Flows
ƒ Target applications include:
ƒ Bubble Column Reactors
ƒ Fluidized Bed Reactors
ƒ Automotive In-Cylinder Flows
ƒ Spray Nozzles and Atomizers
ƒ Ship Hydrodynamics
ƒ Fuel Injector Pumps
 Hydrocyclone
Separation of Solids
from Water

(Courtesy of
M Slack
Fluent Europe)
Hydrocyclone Application

ƒ The experimental cyclone study carried out by

Mondron et. al (1990) is used as a case study to
validate the simulation approach

ƒ 75mm diameter cyclone

ƒ Limestone and water slurry with 10.47 % by weight
solids with a size distribution
ƒ Open to atmosphere
ƒ Air is drawn into the underflow and exits through the
overflow via a stable air core.
Best Practice Modelling specific to Cyclones

ƒ The modelling challenges

ƒ 3 dimensional flow patterns
ƒ Anisotropic turbulence
ƒ Dispersed secondary phase
ƒ Both high and low volume loadings
ƒ Size distributions
ƒ Particle to Particle interactions
ƒ Low pressure central core
ƒ May result in a backflow of gas (air core) in hydrocyclone
ƒ Unstable flow structures may develop
ƒ Mesh
ƒ Numerical sensitivity
ƒ Radial Pressure distribution on over and underflow boundaries
Anisotropic Turbulence

Tangential velocity Axial velocity

+ k-epsilon, RNG, –— RSM, ∆ experiment [LDA]

 Transient flow structures
LES
Cyclone
Animations

Velocity magnitude Axial vorticity Velocity vectors

Multiphase Models

Air Core and

Particle trajectories
shown.
Multi-Phase Modelling (1)
Lagrangian particle tracking
ƒ Effective method for quantifying separation performance.
ƒ Can be carried out as a coupled calculation or as a post
processing exercise.
ƒ Must use sufficient particles to ensure insensitive result.
ƒ Release position/distribution at inlet will is reflected in
the predicted separation performance.
ƒ In a steady flow field particles which may have only
spent a fraction of a second in a toriodal re-circulation
are held there indefinitely.
ƒ Stochastic random kicks can be delivered to represent
the effect of turbulent flow structures
ƒ Does not account for the volume occupied by dispersed
material
ƒ No particle to particle interaction
Multi-Phase Modelling (2)
Algebraic Slip Mixture model
ƒ Solves a single set of momentum equations for both
continuous and dispersed phases, (same velocity).
ƒ Accounts for the occupied volume
ƒ Can not simulate phases travelling in different directions
ƒ Dispersed phase must achieve terminal velocity quickly

ƒ Computationally cheap
ƒ Can be used to solve for air core but does not account for
any interface effects, fluffy interface – cheap robust.
ƒ Adequate when phases remain suspended
ƒ Struggles to resolve high dispersed phase concentrations at
walls
Multi-Phase Modelling (3)

Eulerian-Eulerian-Granular model
ƒ The most definitive multiphase model which solves a
separate set of momentum equations for each phase.
ƒ Accounts for high volume loadings
ƒ Particle to Particle interaction
ƒ Accurate predictions of air core development

ƒ High CPU cost when combined with RSM turbulence

equations.
 RSM and Eulerian simulation results
Cokljat et. al. 2003

Mondron cyclone simulated using RSM and Eulerian-Eulerian

approach, 5 phases simulated on 70,000 cells took 4 days to
solve on 6 parallel CPU.
 Validation (Test Case)

Flow split
CFD 9%
Experiment 8.48

DPM particles (limestone) predicted

separation efficiency curve compared to
measured cyclone performance
Tangential velocity at 2 locations measured using LDA
compared to CFD predictions.
Templates
What are Templates?

ƒ Templates = process automation tools

ƒ Easy-to-use, customized interfaces
ƒ Run GAMBIT and FLUENT in the background
ƒ Address specific applications, customized and fine-tuned for
your specific processes
ƒ Facilitate the CFD process for both CFD engineers and non-
CFD engineers
ƒ Templates do not replace the role of the expert analyst in
defining the process, exploring the limits and fixing any
problems.
Why Templates?

ƒ To increase productivity
ƒ To enable broader use of
CFD
ƒ To standardize processes
Increased Productivity

ƒ Automate & streamline any repetitive portion of the CFD

analysis process
ƒ Save time of CFD experts for more advanced CFD
analysis projects
ƒ Reduce turnaround time, to enable many more CFD
calculations
ƒ Make parametric calculations possible, for studying
design modifications
Broader Use of CFD

ƒ Use CFD in the design process

ƒ Use CFD with optimization
ƒ Objective functions can be implemented in a template to perform
optimization tasks
ƒ Enable any degreed engineer to use CFD
ƒ No knowledge or training of the supporting packages
(GAMBIT,FLUENT,TGrid) is required
ƒ A few analysts can support or supervise the work of many design
engineers or process engineers
Standardize Processes

ƒ Capture engineering / process knowledge

ƒ Expert knowledge is embedded in the template
ƒ Best practices are built in, to ensure a better solution and faster
convergence
ƒ Optimum mesh topologies are hardwired
ƒ Ensure process consistency
ƒ A standardized CFD process produces results independent of
the user
ƒ Get comparable results from every regional office
Example: Cyclone template

ƒ Which methodology do you want ?

ƒ Physics vs. computational cost, complexity & stability
ƒ For design
ƒ Appropriate geometry description (circular inlet for demonstration
only)
ƒ RSM
ƒ Constant slurry density with ASMM air core prediction
ƒ DPM post processing used to calculate the separation
performance.
ƒ The tool automates the set up running and reporting of the results
Variety of cyclone geometries easily
created using scripts
Maintenance & Evolution

ƒ Initial template version is based on current ‘best

practices’ for given objectives
ƒ Templates will need to evolve over time
ƒ ‘Best practices’ may improve because of added knowledge
from using the template
ƒ Objectives may change
ƒ GAMBIT and FLUENT will change too
ƒ Template maintenance is part of the service provided
by Fluent Consulting
Future Modelling Developments
Future Activities

ƒ New solver technologies

ƒ Investigation on different matrices - coupling
ƒ Accuracy
ƒ Higher order schemes for time dependents problem
ƒ Need to reproduce convection without excessive numerical
smearing
ƒ Need to account for time limitation in higher order spatial
discretization.
Future Activities

ƒ Investigation on time dependent algorithm

ƒ Need to reduce dramatically the computational time
for large industrial cases.
ƒ Fractional steps method
ƒ Mixed Implicit-Explicit Schemes
ƒ PISO
Future Activities (DPM)

ƒ Improve robustness of current DPM

ƒ Extend to dense multiphase flows
ƒ Interpolate particle properties to the grid
ƒ Include volume fraction in the continuous phase
ƒ Include particle normal stress
ƒ Improve coupling with the continuous phase for a robust
solution

ƒ Intelligent Particles
ƒ Handle Polydispersed granular flows
Single Fluid Approach

ƒ Mixture, VOF and Cavitation Model will benefit

from the transient Non Iterative Algorithm (NITA)
ƒ Continuous improvement on physical modelling,
accuracy and boundary conditions
 Granular Flow Regimes

Elastic Plastic Viscous

Stagnant Slow flow Rapid flow

Stress is strain Stress is strain Stress is strain

dependent independent dependent

Elasticity Solid mechanics Kinetic theory

Future Activities

ƒ Currently the granular model is applicable to the viscous

regime
ƒ Extend validity of the model for frictional and elastic regime
ƒ Frictional Viscosity
ƒ Solids pressure and volume fraction relationship
ƒ Hypoplasticity models
ƒ Binary models for viscous regime
ƒ Polydispersed models for viscous regime
Turbulence in Multiphase

ƒ Models available in FLUENT

ƒ Mixture model, solves two equation turbulence model
based on the mixture of all phases
ƒ Dispersed Model, solves two equation turbulence model
for primary phase and assumes turbulence quantities for
dispersed phase
ƒ Full Κ−ε model for each individual phase
ƒ Mixture Reynolds stress model
ƒ Dispersed Reynolds stress model
Developments in Turbulence

ƒ Most model are just a simple extension of single

phase models
ƒ Starting from fundamental equation for the Reynolds
stresses in multiphase develop Explicit Algebraic
Stress Models capable of capturing the connection
between the phases in the eddy viscosity formulation.
ƒ Improvement on the modelling of dispersion
ƒ Improvement in the RSM
ƒ LES for multiphase
 Population Balance

ƒ This is a critical component in

modeling particulate systems
ƒ Dispersed phase systems play an
important role in many industrial
production processes
ƒ Three models are available for one
dispersed phase
ƒ Discretization Method
ƒ Standard Method of Moment
ƒ QMOM
ƒ Improvements on the kernels for
aggregation, breakage and growth
ƒ Extend to n phase
 Data Structure for Multiphase Models
ƒ Data Structure in multiphase models involve multiple domains:
ƒ Super Domain: This is the top-level domain contains all phase-independent and mixture
data: geometry, connectivity, property
ƒ Sub-Domains: Each phase has a sub-domain that inherits the mixture-specific data and
maintains the phase-specific data
ƒ Interaction Domain: To activate the phase interaction mechanisms

Sub-Domains Sub-Threads Interaction Domain

Secondary Phase Wall

Domains Wall
Wall
Solid-2
Solid-2
Fluid-2Wall Solid-2
Solid-2 Inlet
Fluid-2 Inlet
Primary Phase Fluid-2
Fluid-2 Outlet
Inlet
Inlet
Domain Porous
Porous Threads
Outlet
Outlet
Medium
Porous
Medium Threads
Outlet
Threads
Fluid-1
Fluid-1
Medium
Porous Fluid-1
Medium Solid-1
Solid-1 Fluid-1
Solid-1
Solid-1
Threads
Super
Domain
Coming Soon: FLUENT 6.3
FLUENT 6.3: Current Status

ƒ New feature version

ƒ Important new core numerics functionality
ƒ Enhanced physical modeling capabilities
ƒ Customer-requested enhancements

ƒ Development is currently underway

ƒ Release is estimated for late 2005

ƒ Let’s preview the new core numerics functionality that

we are working on in FLUENT 6.3…
FLUENT 6.3
New Core Numerics Functionality
ƒ Support for polyhedral meshes
ƒ Automatic cell agglomeration in the solver
ƒ Reduces original tetrahedral mesh by 3-5x
ƒ Results in faster convergence
FLUENT 6.3
Polyhedral Mesh: Simplified Sedan

Mesh Static Pressure

Original tet/hybrid mesh: 51,467 cells

New polyhedral mesh: 16,908 cells
FLUENT 6.3
New Core Numerics Functionality
ƒ Support for polyhedral meshes
ƒ Automatic cell agglomeration in the solver
ƒ Reduces original tetrahedral mesh by 3-5x
ƒ Results in faster convergence

ƒ Pressure-based coupled solver

ƒ Improved convergence and robustness for skewed/stretched
meshes and “stiff” problems
ƒ Convergence rates not sensitive to mesh size
ƒ Little need to change relaxation factors
ƒ Ability to switch on-the-fly to fully segregated solver
FLUENT 6.3
Pressure-Based Coupled Solver: Propeller

Iterations CPU (min) Memory (MB)

P-V Coupled
60 13 414
(FLUENT 6.3)
Segregated
1300 210 248
(FLUENT 6.2)

Solver Performance Comparison

Mesh size: 172,000 Cells
Static Pressure