Simulation Methods for Particulate Flows and Concentrated Suspensions

Abstract

Numerical simulations are extensively used to investigate the motion of suspended particles in a fluid and their influence on the dynamics of the overall flow. Contexts range from the rheology of concentrated suspensions in a viscous fluid to the dynamics of particle-laden turbulent flows. This review summarizes several current approaches to the numerical simulation of rigid particles suspended in a flow, pointing out both common features and differences, along with their primary range of application. The focus is on non-Brownian systems for which thermal fluctuations do not play a role, whereas interparticle forces may result in particle self-assembly. Applications may include the motion of a few isolated particles with complex shape or the collective dynamics of many suspended particles.