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The conditional quadrature method of moments (CQMOM) was introduced by Yuan and Fox (2011) [4] to reconstruct a velocity distribution function (VDF) from a finite set of its integer moments. The reconstructed VDF takes the form of a sum of weighted Dirac delta functions in velocity phase space, and provides a closure for the spatial flux term in the corresponding kinetic equation. The CQMOM closure for the flux leads to a weakly hyperbolic system of moment equations. In subsequent work by Chalons et al. (2010) [8] , the Dirac delta functions were replaced by Gaussian distributions, which make the moment system hyperbolic but at the added cost of dealing with continuous distributions. Here, a hyperbolic version of CQMOM is proposed that uses weighted Dirac delta functions. While the moment set employed for multi-Gaussian and conditional HyQMOM (CHyQMOM) are equivalent, the latter is able to access all of moment space whereas the former cannot (e.g. arbitrary values of the fourth-order velocity moment in 1-D phase space with two nodes). By making use of the properties of CHyQMOM in 2-D phase space, it is possible to control a symmetrical subset of the optimal moments from Fox (2009) [24] . Furthermore, the moment sets for 2-D problems are smaller for CHyQMOM than in the original CQMOM thanks to a judicious choice of the velocity abscissas in phase space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many fluid–particle flows occurring in nature and in technological applications exhibit large variations in the local particle volume fraction. For example, in circulating fluidized beds there are regions where the particles are close-packed as well as very dilute regions where particle–particle collisions are rare. Thus, in order to simulate such fluid–particle systems, it is necessary to design a flow solver that can accurately treat all flow regimes occurring simultaneously in the same flow domain. In this work, a solution algorithm is proposed for this purpose. The algorithm is based on splitting the free-transport flux solver dynamically and locally in the flow. In close-packed to moderately dense regions, a hydrodynamic solver is employed, while in dilute to very dilute regions a kinetic-based finite-volume solver is used in conjunction with quadrature-based moment methods. To illustrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed solution algorithm, it is implemented in OpenFOAM for particle velocity moments up to second order, and applied to simulate gravity-driven, gas–particle flows exhibiting cluster-induced turbulence. By varying the average particle volume fraction in the flow domain, it is demonstrated that the flow solver can handle seamlessly all flow regimes present in fluid–particle flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of cavitation bubbles are important in many flows, but their small sizes and high number densities often preclude direct numerical simulation. We present a computational model that averages their effect on the flow over larger spatiotemporal scales. The model is based on solving a generalized population balance equation (PBE) for nonlinear bubble dynamics and explicitly represents the evolving probability density of bubble radii and radial velocities. Conditional quadrature-based moment methods (QBMMs) are adapted to solve this PBE. A one-way-coupled bubble dynamics problem demonstrates the efficacy of different QBMMs for the evolving bubble statistics. Results show that enforcing hyperbolicity during moment inversion (CHyQMOM) provides comparable model-form accuracy to the traditional conditional method of moments and decreases computational costs by about ten times for a broad range of test cases. The CHyQMOM-based computational model is implemented in MFC, an open-source multi-phase and high-order-accurate flow solver. We assess the effect of the model and its parameters on a two-way coupled bubble screen flow problem. • A fully-coupled sub-grid method for flowing cavitating bubbles. • Method for representing, for the first time, statistics in the bubble dynamics. • State-of-the-art moment methods: CHyQMOM, CQMOM, and Gaussian tested and analyzed. • For the statistics of cavitating bubbles, CHyQMOM outperforms CQMOM and Gaussian. • Method implemented in open-solver MFC and tested on fully-coupled bubbly flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gas-particle and other dispersed-phase flows can be described by a kinetic equation containing terms for spatial transport, acceleration, and particle processes (such as evaporation or collisions). However, computing the dispersed velocity is a challenging task due to the large number of independent variables. A level set approach for computing dilute non-collisional fluid-particle flows is presented. We will consider the sprays governed by the Williams kinetic equation subject to initial distributions away from equilibrium of the form . The dispersed velocity is described as the zero level set of a smooth function, which satisfies a transport equation. This together with the density weight recovers the particle distribution at any time. Moments of any desired order can be evaluated by a quadrature formula involving the level set function and the density weight. It is shown that the method can successfully handle highly non-equilibrium flows (e.g. impinging particle jets, jet crossing, particle rebound off walls, finite Stokes number flows). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mean-field population balance equations are used to describe the evolution of particle size distributions in a wide variety of systems undergoing simultaneous aggregation and breakage. In this paper we develop a population balance that includes aggregation combined with collision-induced particle breakage for arbitrary fragment distribution functions, provided that this distribution function depends only on the total mass of the particles undergoing a collision. We then develop a specific distribution function for arbitrary two-body collisions by postulating that each collision produces a transition-state aggregate having the morphology of a linear polymer. The behavior of the resulting equation is then analyzed for the case in which the collision kernel is a constant, and partial analytical solutions are derived and compared to corresponding Monte-Carlo simulation results. The computer simulations are then used to validate a proposed scaling law for the steady-state particle size distribution. Lastly, the behavior of the aggregation with collision-induced-breakage population balance equation is compared and contrasted with the behavior of an analogous aggregation with linear-breakage population balance equation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An experimental and computational investigation of the effects of local fluid shear rate on the aggregation and breakage of latex spheres suspended in an aqueous solution undergoing turbulent Taylor–Couette flow was carried out. First, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed and the flow field predictions were validated with data from particle image velocimetry experiments. Subsequently, the quadrature method of moments (QMOM) was implemented into the CFD code to obtain predictions for mean particle size that account for the effects of local shear rate on the aggregation and breakage. These predictions were then compared with experimental data for latex sphere aggregates (using an in situ optical imaging method). Excellent agreement between the CFD-QMOM and experimental results was observed for two Reynolds numbers in the turbulent-flow regime. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Investigation of particulate systems often requires the solution of a population balance, which is a continuity statement written in terms of the number density function. In turn, the number density function is defined in terms of an internal coordinate (e.g., particle length, particle volume) and it generates integral and derivative terms. Different methods exist for numerically solving the population balance equation. For many processes of industrial significance, due to the strong coupling between particle interactions and fluid dynamics, the population balance must be solved as part of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. Such an approach requires the addition of a large number of scalars and the associated transport equations. This increases the CPU time required for the simulation, and thus it is clear that it is very important to use as few scalars as possible. In this work the quadrature method of moments (QMOM) is used. The QMOM has already been validated for crystal growth and aggregation; here the method is extended to include breakage. QMOM performance is tested for 10 different cases in which the competition between aggregation and breakage leads to asymptotic solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The study of particle coagulation and sintering processes is important in a variety of research studies ranging from cell fusion and dust motion to aerosol formation applications. These processes are traditionally simulated using either Monte-Carlo methods or integro-differential equations for particle number density functions. In this paper, we present a computational technique for cases where we believe that accurate closed evolution equations for a finite number of moments of the density function exist in principle, but are not explicitly available. The so-called equation-free computational framework is then employed to numerically obtain the solution of these unavailable closed moment equations by exploiting (through intelligent design of computational experiments) the corresponding fine-scale (here, Monte-Carlo) simulation. We illustrate the use of this method by accelerating the computation of evolving moments of uni- and bivariate particle coagulation and sintering through short simulation bursts of a constant-number Monte-Carlo scheme. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]