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Main Authors: Münster, Raphael, Mierka, Otto, Kuzmin, Dmitri, Turek, Stefan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.22873
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author Münster, Raphael
Mierka, Otto
Kuzmin, Dmitri
Turek, Stefan
author_facet Münster, Raphael
Mierka, Otto
Kuzmin, Dmitri
Turek, Stefan
contents Dense particle suspensions are promising candidates for next-generation Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) receivers, enabling operating temperatures above 800 degrees C. However, accurate modeling of the rheological behavior of granular flows is essential for reliable computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. In this study, we develop and assess numerical methodologies for simulating dense suspensions pertinent to CSP applications. Our computational framework is based on Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS), augmented by lubrication force models to resolve detailed particle-particle and particle-wall interactions at volume fractions exceeding 50\%. We conducted a systematic series of simulations across a range of volume fractions to establish a robust reference dataset. Validation was performed via a numerical viscometer configuration, permitting direct comparison with theoretical predictions and established benchmark results. Subsequently, the viscometer arrangement was generalized to a periodic cubic domain, serving as a representative volume element for CSP systems. Within this framework, effective viscosities were quantified independently through wall force measurements and energy dissipation analysis. The close agreement between these two approaches substantiates the reliability of the results. Based on these findings, effective viscosity tables were constructed and fitted using polynomial and piecewise-smooth approximations. These high-accuracy closure relations are suitable for incorporation into large-scale, non-Newtonian CFD models for CSP plant design and analysis.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_22873
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Effective viscosity closures for dense suspensions in CSP systems via lubrication-enhanced DNS and numerical viscometry
Münster, Raphael
Mierka, Otto
Kuzmin, Dmitri
Turek, Stefan
Fluid Dynamics
Dense particle suspensions are promising candidates for next-generation Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) receivers, enabling operating temperatures above 800 degrees C. However, accurate modeling of the rheological behavior of granular flows is essential for reliable computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. In this study, we develop and assess numerical methodologies for simulating dense suspensions pertinent to CSP applications. Our computational framework is based on Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS), augmented by lubrication force models to resolve detailed particle-particle and particle-wall interactions at volume fractions exceeding 50\%. We conducted a systematic series of simulations across a range of volume fractions to establish a robust reference dataset. Validation was performed via a numerical viscometer configuration, permitting direct comparison with theoretical predictions and established benchmark results. Subsequently, the viscometer arrangement was generalized to a periodic cubic domain, serving as a representative volume element for CSP systems. Within this framework, effective viscosities were quantified independently through wall force measurements and energy dissipation analysis. The close agreement between these two approaches substantiates the reliability of the results. Based on these findings, effective viscosity tables were constructed and fitted using polynomial and piecewise-smooth approximations. These high-accuracy closure relations are suitable for incorporation into large-scale, non-Newtonian CFD models for CSP plant design and analysis.
title Effective viscosity closures for dense suspensions in CSP systems via lubrication-enhanced DNS and numerical viscometry
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.22873