Multiphase flow - which software??
 

Hello everyone.

I am studying a reacting eulerian multiphase flow. Can anyone tell me which cfd code is better for my situation? The components in my domain are: air(gas),steam(gas), sand(solid) and fuel(solid).

Thank you.

Suppose that you are handling high solid loading mutiphase flow, from my experiences, Fluent is suggested if you want to use a commercial package. MIFIX can be served as a starting point if you develop codes by yourself. EDEM is a choice,but it just looks beautiful in my mind, as EDEM gives a impression that it has so many arbitory treatments in solving multiphase flows.

Yes I am dealing with a fluidized bed. The basic dilemma is...Fluent or Star-CD. I am unaware of the other software you mentioned. I need a code that supports multiphase flows of more than two components. If that is provided then I can input user coding regarding the chemical reactions. Is that plausible in STAR too?? many thanks!!

If you are working on fluidized beds and want to get an accurate solution then any of these commercial packages may not work. If you just are doing CFD as a side work and do not care for accuracy then Fluent could work. In general (as you might be aware) the physics in fluidized beds are complex are using specialized codes from universities is a good way to go.

I am doing a PhD but not on multiphase physics. I want to simulate a fluidized bed reactor and I need to choose a software to do my work. I am a mechanical engineer and I want to validate results through temperatures, gas compositions etc...My first real problem is whether Fluent or Star-CD supports multiple stream and phase flows. If someone knows something relevant please give me a hint...thanks!!

I guess you do not want to write a code. In this case, you can choose commercial packages, depending on the ways treating solid phase, say continuum and discrete.
Discrete model is now available in Fluent+EDEM, PFC3D (they focus on granular flow,but have their own fluid solver recently), Maybe StarCD/Stracm++ (I saw some message that StarCD is planning to develop DEM in their package)
Continuum model like granular model can be founded in FLuent, CFX, StarCD.......
We have used continuum models of FLuent and CFX to solve multiphase flows such as GAS+Liquid+solid, Gas+solid. From my experience, Fluent is recommend, Particularly when you want to use granular model for fluidization. As you know that Fluent was cooperated with the best research group on granular model.

I never use discrete model in commercial packages as I never trust them at the current stage of the development. We develop the code by ourselves for industry and research applications. This model is not matured under complex geometry and complicated flow systems. In my impression, most works based on the discrete model based commercial packages (for high loading particle-fluid systems) are rubbish, particular for research works. Some their treatment are very stupid, reproducing confusing results. I have refereed several works regrading discrete model solved using commercial packages. All of them are on the marginal level and have to be rejected or accept with a big revision. Maybe this is not just about the model itself.

For PhD study, Mfix is a good starting point for fluidized bed if you can get enough time to work on in-house codes. You project involves more than one stream flows. Mfix may have no such model although it has continuum and discrete, reactions models. I did not play this code, so you have to contact mfix developer for details.

Cheers,
Gonski

Thank you very much for your help!! I don't intend to write a code for a reacting fluidized bed. I have a lot of experimental work to do as well so I need a tool that can assist me in simulating my reactor, provided of course that I supply the software with the proper subroutines. If Fluent and Star CD can both handle more than two streams - components then your advice is Fluent, correct?? If not then it is no use spending my time on these packages. If that is the case can you provide me with some codes specialized in gas-solid flows (not discrete)?? Again thank you very much for your help.

Your are suggested to detail your project. Then I may give you more hints (if any). I have no continuum codes, and is mainly working on discrete models for different particle-fluid flow systems. The in-house code I am using is developed by many Ph.D students over last 20 years. So I am not allowed to redistributed to any researchers out of our group. Otherwise I will be on a illegal position.
Gonski

Sorry I meant if you could provide me with the names af the codes or their providers so I can contact them for more details. Of course I didn't mean the codes themselves :)

As I said, when I involves continuum method, I mainly use fluent. So far, there are not too many open sources on discrete model as everybody plan to commercialize their discrete codes. But I know mfix is free/open to everybody.

MFIX on Windows
 

Hey Gonski I downloaded I subscribed in MFIX. I am reading the manuals before I decide to download the code. Is it possible to use MFIX on Windows or would you "strongly" recommend that I use Linux?

I never play this code. You'd better ask helps from mfix developers