(271d) Some insights from validation studies of CFD-DEM modeling for gas-solids flows from lab to commercial scale

Particulate multiphase flows are widely encountered in many industrial processes. With the rapid development of high-performance computers, advanced computational algorithms, and multiphase flow models, computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling has become a valuable tool to understand the complex multiphase flows in various applications. Specifically, CFD coupled discrete element method (CFD-DEM) has gained traction in modeling gas-solids flows in recent years. In this presentation, we will discuss some lessons learnt from some of the early validation studies of CFD-DEM for gas-solids flows. The presentation will cover some fundamental studies of gas-solids flows at a small scale using MFIX-DEM including micro fluidized beds of Geldart A and B particles, mini circulating fluidized bed, and traveling fluidized bed. We will highlight some of the key inputs to the model for successful reproduction of experiments, for example, the critical role of wall effect for lab-scale setups. Finally, we would like to present our recent modeling study on the horizontal stirred bed reactor for polypropylene production, which includes systematic validation of CFD-DEM at different scales and our strategy to model the scale up to the commercial reactor.