Experimental studies on particle behaviour and turbulence modification in horizontal channel flow with different wall roughness

Abstract.

Detailed measurements in a developed particle-laden horizontal channel flow (length 6 m, height 35 mm, the length is about 170 channel heights) are presented using phase-Doppler anemometry for simultaneous determination of air and particle velocity. The particles were spherical glass beads with mean diameters in the range of 60 µm–1 mm. The conveying velocity could be varied between about 10 m/s and 25 m/s, and the particle mass loading could reach values of about 2 (the mass loading is defined as the ratio of particle to gas phase mass flow rates), depending on particle size. For the first time, the degree of wall roughness could be modified by exchanging the wall plates. The influence of these parameters and the effect of inter-particle collisions on the profiles of particle mean and fluctuating velocities and the normalised concentration in the developed flow were examined. It was shown that wall roughness decreases the particle mean velocity and enhances fluctuating velocities due to irregular wall bouncing and an increase in wall collision frequency, i.e. reduction in mean free path. Thereby, the larger particles are mainly more uniformly distributed across the channel, and gravitational settling is reduced. Both components of the particle velocity fluctuation were reduced with increasing mass loading due to inter-particle collisions and the momentum loss involved. Moreover, the effect of the particles on the air flow and the turbulent fluctuations was studied on the basis of profiles in the developed flow and turbulence spectra determined for the streamwise velocity component. In addition to the effect of particle size and mass loading on turbulence modulation, the influence of wall roughness was analysed. It was clearly shown that increasing wall roughness also results in a stronger turbulence dissipation due to two-way coupling.