Discrete particle simulation of flow regimes in bulk solids mixing and conveying

Earlier experimental studies revealed that, depending on the feeding and di scharging conditions, three distinct flow regimes can evolve during the gra vity flow of particles through a vertical tube containing static mixer elem ent. In this paper, the results obtained by discrete particle simulation (D PS) are reported. Applying this simulation method for gravity flow, the mai n characteristics of the flow regimes observed experimentally could be repr oduced and explained theoretically. Some important features of gas-solids t wo-phase flows in tubes containing static mixer element were also revealed. By excavating a great amount of information from the data obtained by DPS, useful data and correlations become available, which are not directly meas urable by experiments. Thus, DPS method can help to get useful explanations on particle level for the experimental observations. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence S.A. All rights reserved.