A CFD-DEM Study on Flow Field and Particle Sedimentation in A Conical Disk Centrifuge Settler

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One aspect of centrifugal disk settlers comes forward when assessing the sedimentation capability of a unit separation volume, i.e., a single disk interval. Although laboratory analyses of discharged effluent give an approximation as to sediment radii and quantity in unit volume, the fraction of sedimentation at different process parameters such as disk angular velocity, particle diameters of interest, throughput rates etc. stand obscure. Towards revealing how centrifugal forces act on the sedimentation process alongside the settler geometry and fluid-particle characteristics, a CFD-DEM model of flow fi eld be tween two adjacent disks at an arbitrary position in disk-stack is presented in this study. Simulations, comprised of particular sediment diameters are conducted at different angular velocities, hence centrifugal forces. Particle sedimentation percentages, also trajectories of each injected particle in different categories are extracted and summarized with an insight on pressure and velocity distributions in the flow field.