Solid Particle Demixing in a Suspension Flow of Viscous Gas

Abstract

The motion of a medium consisting of an incompressible viscous fluid and suspended solid particles was analyzed from the standpoint of continuum mechanics. It was assumed that the particles’ translational and rotational velocities were different from those of the fluid. A numerical scheme was used to determine the non-equilibrium particulate flow properties as well as their equilibrium and frozen values. The results are presented for the case of particulate flow due to the impulsive motion of an infinite flat plate in a suspension. A demixed region, with no particles present, was found to develop near the plate due to particle migration away from the wall. Similar demixed particle regions were noticed in the experimental data of particulate flows in pipes and channels.