Particle-Interaction Effects in Turbulent Channel Flow

Large eddy simulation and a discrete element method are applied to study the flow, particle dispersion and agglomeration in a horizontal channel. The particle-particle interaction model is based on the Hertz-Mindlin approach with Johnson-Kendall-Roberts cohesion to allow the simulation of Van der Waals forces in a dry air flow. The influence of different particle surface energies on agglomeration, and the impact of fluid turbulence, are investigated. The agglomeration rate is found to be strongly influenced by the particle surface energy, with most of the particle-particle interactions taking place at locations close to the channel walls, aided by the higher concentration of particles in these regions.