Comparison of multifluid and discrete particle modelling in numerical predictions of gas particle flow in circulating fluidised beds

From the perspective of wanting to evaluate the modelling of the particulate phase in multifluid computational fluid dynamics simulations, numerical predictions from a multifluid model is compared with predictions from a discrete particle model. Simulations with both one and three representative particle diameters for the particulate phase are performed. The predicted results are compared with experimental findings obtained with Laser Doppler Anemometry. The numerical predictions from the discrete particle code are found to be in better agreement with the experimental findings, but the multifluid code is by far the most efficient. To evaluate the modelling of collisions in the multifluid model, discrete particle simulations which only take into account of energy loss caused by head-on collisions are compared with discrete particle simulations, which take nonfrontal collisions into account. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.