Learning Forum

[youssef.badran]

Hello,

I would like to simulate a mixing tank containing water, oil, and particles.

As the particles are hydrophobic, they adsorb onto the oil droplets upon collision.

What is the best way to model such a system, given that the particle volume fraction is not high? Should I use a population balance model for the oil, and how can I model particle attachment to the oil?

 

[Rob]

Have a look at the DPM model. Whilst you can't model collision between particles of different species you can model collision between multicomponent particles. PBM could also work but that's Eulerian so both computationally more expensive and scalar based. 

[youssef.badran]

Thank you very much for the information.

[jcooper]

Hi Youssef:

DPM is the ideal model for handling particles in this regime.  Unfortunately, there is no way to implement something like adsorption in DPM.  The closest mechanism to this would be coalescence, which is part of particle breakup modelling.  Unfortunately coalescence is limited to particles of the same type and there are no user hooks for controlling this in DPM. 

The population balance model  (PBM) is in the Eulerian framework and far more computationally intensive.  This also has a coalescence model, and the coalescence can be controlled via a user-defined function, "DEFINE_PB_COALESCENCE_RATE".  Coalescence between different phases is allowed for PBM.

 

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Judy

[youssef.badran]

Thanks a lot for the information.