The transport of ions is governed by a species conservation equation and the Nernst-Planck flux expression. The latter requires information on the electrical potential, for which an additional transport equation is required. Traditional numerical approaches, such as solving the Poisson equation or applying the electroneutrality condition, face limitations in their applicability. In this work, a new numerical model is introduced for the electrical potential that effectively functions as a numerical switch between the Poisson equation and the electroneutrality condition. This model is tested for three different scenarios: a small-scale system where charge separation is expected in a large part of the domain, a large-scale system where charge separation is significantly less important, and a multi-ion liquid junction system. This new numerical model is capable of producing accurate results for all the tested systems.

In this work, we perform simulations of particle laden flow in a wide and long narrow channel in a Newtonian fluid. Simulations are performed for mono-sized and equal density spheres with varying Archimedes and Reynolds number. In the simulations, different phases of particle transport - rolling, saltation and suspension are observed. During simulations the average bed height is monitored and its steady state value is used for proposing a correlation between solids volume fraction (ϕ), shear Reynolds number (Re_s) and Archimedes number (Ar). This correlation is used to predict the critical shear Reynolds number for particle lift-off and a condition at which particles would occupy the whole channel at a given Archimedes number. The value of this critical Reynolds number is compared with the critical Reynolds number for single particle lift-off.

In this work, we investigate the influence of channel structure and fluid rheology on non-inertial migration of non-Brownian polystyrene beads. Particle migration in this regime can be found in biomedical, chemical, environmental and geological applications. However, the effect of fluid rheology on particle migration in porous media remains to be clearly understood. Here, we isolate the effects of elasticity and shear thinning by comparing a Newtonian fluid, a purely elastic (Boger) fluid, and a shear-thinning elastic fluid. To mimic the complexity of geometries in real-world application, a random porous structure is created through a disordered arrangement of cylindrical pillars in the microchannel. Experiments are repeated in an empty channel and in channels with an ordered arrangement of pillars, and the similarities and differences in the observed particle focusing are analyzed. It is found that elasticity drives the particles away from the channel walls in an empty microchannel. Notably, particle focusing is unaffected by curved streamlines in an ordered porous microchannel and particles stay away from pillars in elastic fluids. Shear-thinning is found to reduce the effect of focusing and a broader region of particle concentration is observed. It is also noteworthy that the rheological characteristics of the fluid are not important for the particle distribution in a randomly arranged pillared microchannel and particles have a uniform distribution for all suspending fluids. Moreover, discussion on the current discrepancy in the literature about the equilibrium positions of the particles in a channel is extended by analyzing the results obtained in the current experiments.

Hypothesis Multiphase flow through porous media is important in a number of industrial, natural and biological processes. One application is enhanced oil recovery (EOR), where a resident oil phase is displaced by a Newtonian or polymeric fluid. In EOR, the two-phase immiscible displacement through heterogonous porous media is usually governed by competing viscous and capillary forces, expressed through a Capillary number Ca, and viscosity ratio of the displacing and displaced fluid. However, when viscoelastic displacement fluids are used, elastic forces in the displacement fluid also become significant. It is hypothesized that elastic instabilities are responsible for enhanced oil recovery through an elastic microsweep mechanism. Experiments In this work, we use a simplified geometry in the form of a pillared microchannel. We analyze the trapped residual oil size distribution after displacement by a Newtonian fluid, a nearly inelastic shear thinning fluid, and viscoelastic polymers and surfactant solutions. Findings We find that viscoelastic polymers and surfactant solutions can displace more oil compared to Newtonian fluids and nearly inelastic shear thinning polymers at similar Ca numbers. Beyond a critical Ca number, the size of residual oil blobs decreases significantly for viscoelastic fluids. This critical Ca number directly corresponds to flow rates where elastic instabilities occur in single phase flow, suggesting a close link between enhancement of oil recovery and appearance of elastic instabilities.

It is known that viscoelastic fluids exhibit elastic instabilities in simple shear flow and flow with curved streamlines. During flow through a straight microchannel with pillars, we found strikingly strong hydrodynamic instabilities characterized by very large transversal excursions, even leading to a complete change in lanes, and the presence of fast and slowmoving lanes. Particle image velocimetry measurements through a pillared microchannel provide experimental evidence of these instabilities at a very low Reynolds number (< 0.01). The instability is characterized by a rapid increase in spatial and temporal fluctuations of velocity components and pressure at a critical Deborah number. We characterize under which conditions these strong instabilities arise.

We report on simulations of an unsteady three dimensional viscoelastic fluid flow through a model porous medium, employing a finite volume methodology (FVM) with a staggered grid. Boundary conditions at the walls of the porous structures are imposed using a second order immersed boundary method (IBM), allowing for accurate simulations using a relatively coarse grid. We compare the viscoelastic stresses obtained using this new IBM technique with those published in literature and find good correspondence. Next, we applied this methodology to model viscoelastic fluids with a FENE-P constitutive model flowing through closely spaced cylinders. Using periodic boundary conditions, we modeled the flow behavior for Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids for successive contractions and expansions. We observe the presence of counter-rotating vortices in between the closely spaced cylinders. The viscoelastic flow structure is symmetric for lower Deborah (De) number, but onset of an asymmetry occurs after a critical De for an infinite array of cylinders. In the presence of side walls, we observe that the onset of flow asymmetry happens at a much lower De, which can be related to higher viscoelastic stresses normal to the flow direction and larger extensional viscosities which affect the curved streamlines. The three-dimensional flow characteristics for viscoelastic flow at higher De number are quite different in comparison with Newtonian flow behavior.

The large-scale hydrodynamic behavior of relatively dense dispersed multiphase flows, such as encountered in fluidized beds, bubbly flows, and liquid sprays, can be predicted efficiently by use of Euler-Lagrange models. In these models, grid-averaged equations for the continuous-phase flow field are solved, where the grid size is larger than the discrete phase size, while the discrete phase is explicitly tracked and experiencing forces in a Lagrangian fashion. In this chapter, we provide a summary of our own efforts in this field, including details which we deem necessary for a novice to be aware of. We start with a theoretical introduction to Euler-Lagrange models, emphasizing the importance of the availability of high-quality correlations for the interphase momentum transfer and the outcome of binary interactions between members of the discrete phase. Then, in three topical sections, we discuss implementations of the methods which are used intensely in our group: the computational fluid dynamics/discrete element method (CFD-DEM), discrete bubble method (DBM), and direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC). CFD-DEM is most suitable for solid particles moving in a gas. The interplay between hydrodynamic flow and dissipative collisions between these particles leads to inhomogeneities at meso- and larger scale. DBM applies to bubbly flows, where the additional complication of coalescence and splitting of bubbles needs to be taken into account accurately. DSMC is suitable for not-too-dense systems of particles or droplets in a gas (dispersed volume fraction less than 10%). Collisions between the discrete phase elements are detected stochastically from the local number density, relative velocities, and sizes of neighboring dispersed elements, leading to a considerable saving of computer time. We end with an outlook into directions of research which would lead to an even more comprehensive use of Euler-Lagrange models in the future.

This paper reviews the use of direct numerical simulation (DNS) models for the study of mass, momentum and heat transfer phenomena prevailing in dense gas-solid flows. In particular, we consider the DNS models as the first important step in a multiscale modeling strategy. Both the merits and the limitations of different DNS methods are discussed, in particular for the field of fluidized bed modeling. The importance of the closures for interfacial transfer of mass, momentum and heat, obtained from DNS and applied in coarser scale models, is demonstrated with illustrative examples. Finally, we present our view on required future developments of DNS models for the investigation of various chemical engineering problems.