Chemical Engineering Science, Vol.53, No.2, 225-238, 1998
Numerical and experimental studies of turbulent particle-laden gas flow in an in-line tube bank
Turbulent particle-laden gas flow in an in-line tube bank is studied, computationally and experimentally. An Eulerian model with generalised Eulerian boundary conditions for the particulate phase is employed. In the momentum balance equations, the particulate phase momentum exchanges with solid walls are included. The turbulent effects of the gas phase are taken into account using a renormalization group (RNG) based k-epsilon turbulence model while the particulate turbulent diffusivity is related to the turbulent viscosity of the gas phase. The experiment is performed in an in-line tube bank located in a horizontal wind tunnel, using laser-Doppler Anemometry (LDA). The comparison of numerical predictions with experimental data is made for the mean axial and transverse velocity profiles of both phases, the turbulent intensity of the gas phase, and the distribution of particle concentration in the tube bank. Very good agreement with experimental data is obtained for computed values of the mean velocity of both gas and particulate phases, and the particulate concentration distribution. Interesting information is also presented which shows the different flow behaviour demonstrated by the gas and particulate phases, in particular for larger particles.