Numerical simulation of granular particles movement in fluid flow

A method to couple continuum and discontinuum flow has been developed to simulate granular particles movement in a flowing fluid. The movement of granular particles is modeled using the discrete element method, while the finite volume scheme is used to simulate fluid flow. The existence of particles in the flow region results in a reduction in the amount of fluid flow in that region. The flowing fluid is expected to induce drag forces on the particles which are computed based on the relative velocities between the fluid and the particles. Buoyant force on a particle is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the particle. All forces acting on each individual particle are summed in determining the particle movement. Examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in simulating granular particles movement in a flowing fluid.