Resolved CFD–DEM simulation on hydrodynamic bridging in a bend rectangle channel

The plugging phenomena of particle–fluid two-phase flow systems are omnipresent in industrial processes, usually causing negative consequences. To study the mechanism of bridging in the bend rectangle channels, based on the theory of solid–liquid flow, a resolved Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method (CFD–DEM) is proposed for simulating the dynamic bridging process of particles. The resolved CFD–DEM model is verified by theoretical formula and experimental results from the literature, and its fitness increases the credibility and applicability. The criterion of critical particle concentration is also developed to quantitatively evaluate the impacts of particle density, channel geometry and fluid dynamic viscosity on bridging capacity, and several conclusions are derived under varied parameters. The dominant influencing factor on the plugging efficiency shifts from the particle velocity to the drag force acting on the particle with the increase in the dynamic viscosity. It is shown that the method is used intuitively and accurately for describing the hydrodynamic bridging phenomena.