NSF Award
9983395
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will further develop, validate and demonstrate Large Eddy Simulations (LES) for the prediction of gas-particle flow phenomena. The Phase I study has clearly demonstrated the feasibility of using a commercial CFD code to perform Gas-Particle Large Eddy Simulations in flows with simple geometry. Good predictions of particulate dispersion, deposition and agglomeration in isotropic and channel turbulent flows have been obtained. The Phase II study will refine the models and techniques developed in Phase I and extend them to simulate more complex flows, in practical geometries. The Phase II work will be focused on the following main areas: unstructured and mixed element (adaptive cartesian) grids (driven by the need for fast and accurate simulations; adaptation and implementation of advanced sub-grid scale models and particle transport in these alternative grid topologies; implementation of enhanced particle sub-grid scale models for (a) fluid sub-grid scale (SGS) velocity (b) deposition and (c) agglomeration; extensive and systematic validation in channel, free shear and mixing layer flows; technology demonstration using a practical contaminant transport simulation. A team of experienced investigators and strongly interested end-users of this capability (Aerodyne Research, PLG, Dura Pharmaceuticals) has been assembled. The end-product of the Phase II effort will be an Integrated Large Eddy Simulation System for gas-particle flows (featuring advanced gridding, solver and visualization software). <br/><br/>Gas-particle processes cannot usually be well-understood without a detailed consideration of the complex and usually highly nonlinear interaction between the flow and the motion of the particles. The developed Integrated Large Eddy Simulation System will foster a better fundamental understanding of dilute particulate turbulent flows in complex geometries. It will enable improved engineering design in a variety of fields such as air pollution control and chemical/bio-terrorism programs to chemical/pharmaceutical/semiconductor processing. The product developed at the end of Phase II will put a sophisticated physics simulator heretofor only avaialbe with academicians and that too in simple flow situations, in the hands of a trained industrial engineer enabling him to better understand and improve the processes of concern.
