Drag coefficient for micron-sized particle in high-speed flows

Abstract

The drag force on the small particle in high-speed flows is influenced by the combined effects of fluid viscosity, compressibility, and rarefaction. The existing drag coefficient models are still insufficient in accuracy and efficiency for gas-particle flow simulation. This study comprehensively considers these effects and conducts high-fidelity numerical simulations. A new drag coefficient is generated using a symbolic regression method reasonably based on the particle Mach number, Reynolds number, and Knudsen number, which are related to particle diameter, gas-particle relative velocity, and other parameters. The new drag coefficient possesses clear physical significance, high predictive accuracy, low computational cost, and consistency with theory in limiting conditions. The application of the new drag coefficient to three typical gas-solid two-phase flow cases demonstrated its excellent performance.