An advanced heat transfer model for Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations of industrial gas-solid flow systems

Abstract

The discrete element method (DEM) coupled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD), has been developed to simulate complex solid-fluid flow systems. Today, DEM is regarded as an established approach, with extensive applications in industrial systems. Heat transfer modeling might be essential to the DEM as the industrial applications. However, existing DEM heat transfer models have fundamental limitations. These issues arise from the soft spring model inherent in DEM, where heat conduction is mathematically influenced by the spring constant. Consequently, complex modeling, considering contact state such as contact area and duration, is typically required to estimate heat conduction accurately. Moreover, the current heat transfer models exhibit poor compatibility with scaling laws, such as the coarse-grained DEM, leading to amplified temperature errors relative to motion errors. To address these challenges, we develop a novel heat transfer model based on an Eulerian framework within DEM simulations. In our approach, the Eulerian description is applied to the heat transfer calculation, while particle motion remains treated by the DEM. Notably, the heat conduction in the solid phase is captured through a simple setup by specifying the void fraction, rather than relying on complex contact modeling. The adequacy of the proposed model is demonstrated through validation tests in gas-solid flow systems, showing that the temperature distribution is independent of the particle contact state. Furthermore, the model exhibits strong compatibility with coarse-grained DEM, maintaining accuracy even at reduced computational costs. These results establish the new model's reliability and universality, positioning it as a promising standard for DEM-CFD simulations in industrial applications.