Particle dynamics and pattern formation in a rotating suspension of positively buoyant particles

TL;DR

This study uses numerical simulations to analyze how positively buoyant particles form various patterns in a rotating cylinder, revealing the influence of forces like drag, buoyancy, and centrifugal effects on particle distribution and pattern formation.

Contribution

It provides new insights into particle pattern formation in rotating suspensions by combining simulations with experimental validation, highlighting the roles of different forces.

Findings

Particles form axial and radial patterns depending on dominant forces.

Traveling bands result from inhomogeneous particle distribution due to force imbalance.

Dense particle cores form at the center in centrifugal conditions, contrasting sedimentation behavior.

Abstract

Numerical simulations of positively-buoyant suspension in a horizontally rotating cylinder were performed to study the formation of radial and axial patterns. The order parameter for low-frequency segregated phase and dispersed phase is similar to that predicted for the settling suspension by J. Lee, and A. J. C. Ladd [J. Fluid Mech., 577, 2007], which is the average angular velocity of the particles. The particle density profiles for axial bands in the buoyancy dominated phase shows an amplitude equivalent to the diameter of the cylinder. Axial density profiles show sinusoidal behaviour for drag dominant phase and oscillating sinusoidal behaviour for centrifugal force dominant phase. Results also indicate that the traveling bands are formed as a consequence of the inhomogeneous distribution of particles arising from a certain imbalance of drag, buoyancy and centrifugal forces. In the centrifugal limit, particles move towards the center of the cylinder aggregating to form a dense core of particles with its axis coinciding with that of the rotating cylinder, a behaviour which is in contrast to the sedimenting particles. The particle distribution patterns obtained from the simulations are found to be in good agreement with the experiments of Kalyankar et al. [Phys. Fluids, 20, 2008].