MODELING OF CONCENTRATED LIQUID-SOLIDS FLOW IN PIPES DISPLAYING SHEAR-THINNING PHENOMENA

Abstract

This paper describes our work in modeling concentrated liquid-solids flows in pipes. Based on our previous analyses, some concentrated liquid-solids suspension flows display shear-thinning rather than Newtonian phenomena. Therefore, we developed a new two-phase non-Newtonian power-law model that includes the effect of solids concentration on solids viscosity. With this new two-phase power-law solids-viscosity model, and with constitutive relationships for interfacial drag, virtual mass and shear lift forces, and solids partial-slip boundary conditions at the pipe walls, COMMIX-M is capable of analyzing concentrated three-dimensional liquid-solids flows.