Hydrodynamic particle migration in a concentrated suspension undergoing flow between rotating eccentric cylinders

Abstract

We report on experimental measurements and numerical predictions of shear-induced migration of particles in concentrated suspensions subjected to flow in the wide gap between a rotating inner cylinder placed eccentrically within a fixed outer cylinder (a cylindrical bearing). The suspensions consists of large, noncolloidal spherical particles suspended in a viscous Newtonian liquid. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging is used to measure the time evolution of concentration and velocity profiles as the flow induces particle migration from the initial, well-mixed state.A model, originally proposed by Phillips et al. (1992) is generalized to two dimensions. The coupled equations of motion and particle migration are solved numerically using an explicit pseudo-transient finite volume formulation. While not all of the qualitative features observed in the experiments are reproduced by this general numerical implementation, the velocity predictions show moderately good agreement with the experimental data.

Shear-induced particle migration in three-dimensional bifurcation channel

“…Abbott et al (1991), Phillips et al (1992) and Chow et al (1994) measured concentration profiles in a wide gap Couette device by using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technique. Phan-Thien et al (1995) carried out experimental and numerical studies on particle migration in concentrated suspensions undergoing flow between rotating eccentric 2 cylinders. van Dinther et al (2012) have reviewed various experimental methods that can be used to measure the concentration and velocity profiles in microchanels.…”

A spring model for suspended particles in dissipative particle dynamics

“…Together with the assumption of a Newtonian suspension, and a Krieger-Dougherty model for its viscosity, this constitutive theory has been tested out in some flow configuration (e.g., [Phan-Thien et al (1995)]).…”

Shear-induced particle migration in the flow of particle suspensions through a sudden plane expansion

“…The diffusive flux model states a convection-diffusion equation to describe the evolution of the particle concentration field in the flow, in which the particles tend to migrate due to gradients in collision frequency and suspension viscosity because of irreversible interparticle interactions. Afterwards, the model was validated for different flows by different researchers using distinct experimental techniques [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. A review on the methods that can be used to measure velocity and concentration fields in the flow of particle suspensions was recently presented by van Dinther et al [22].…”