Toward direct numerical simulation of reacting fluidized beds

Abstract

Nowadays, the most used techniques to design dense gas-solid flow reactors rely upon numerical predictions obtained from hydrodynamic models, usually derived through some averaging processes of the complete conservation equations. The averaging process leads to unknown correlation terms that need further modeling for the final closure of the equations. Many of these terms represent complex interactions between phases and are usually modeled through semi-empirical relations. Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of idealized situations can help in grasping the basic mechanisms governing these systems, therefore fostering the development of improved models.