Numerical simulation of bubbling fluidized beds by coupling multi-fluid model with discrete element method

Guo, L.*; Morita, Koji*; Tobita, Yoshiharu

In the safety analysis of liquid-metal fast reactors, thermal-hydraulic phenomena of multicomponent, multiphase flows in core disruptive accidents are regarded as particular difficulties. Accurate prediction of dispersed particle behaviors in such complicate flows is one of the key issues to be solved in numerical simulations. On the other hand, bubbling fluidization of particle beds is not only considered as an essential phenomenon in some industry areas, but also employed to understand the particle behaviors in the research field. In this study, a hybrid method for numerical simulations of bubbling fluidized beds was developed by combining the discrete element method with the multi-fluid model. A typical system of bubbling fluidized beds with glass particles is analyzed to validate the developed coupling algorithm. It was indicated that the present models and methods could provide a useful means for the numerical simulation of bubbling fluidization phenomena in particle beds.