Author(s)

D G Tipton, L A Mondy, M S Ingber & A L Graham

Abstract

Numerical simulations of sedimentation in both closed containers and pressure-driven conduits are studied using a parallel boundary element method (BEM). The BEM is based on the direct velocity boundary integral equation. The parallel data distribution uses a block-block (torus-wrap) scheme and a direct LU solver. Random distributions of up to 400 suspended particles are considered. For closed containers, the hindered settling correlation is found to be well characterized by the Richardson-Zaki (1954) correlation. However, for pressure-driven flows, the average sedimentation velocity is sensitive to both the length of the conduit and the imposed boundary conditions on the inlet and outlet.

Keywords