[hwet]

Trying to find particle We number at the walls to determine if it is collected or not when it comes in contact with the wall.
The critical Weber number values are currently imaginary but will be replaced later on based on my experimental results.

1) In my UDF if the critical We numbers (you will currently see in the 'if' statements ) are changed so that particles should be reflected based on the approximate values of the We number of the particle i calculated, the particle trajectories are reported to be 'incomplete' instead of reflecting them.
2)If the We number determines they are collected, the UDF works but trying to see the actual values it calculates I found out they make no sense at all.
3) I use the actual value of water surface tension, if I use DPM(SURFTEN) it says particle property not found.
4) Lastly shouldn't particle vel magnitude be available in the particle data, why do I need to calculate it instead?
My UDF is copied below could you tell where the trouble is. also there is a part from a similar UDF example in the UDF manual, which I do not understand could someone explain please what is the difference in the way I am calculating the velocity magnitude and how is it calculated in the manual. Hope i make sense.
Thanks a ton

FROM UDF MANUAL
(
vmag = MAX(NV_MAG(rel_vel),DPM_SMALL);
rel_dot_n = MAX(NV_DOT(rel_vel,normal),DPM_SMALL);
weber_in = P_RHO(p) * SQR(rel_dot_n) * P_DIAM(p) /
MAX(DPM_SURFTEN(p), DPM_SMALL);
)

(MY UDF)

#include "udf.h"
#include "surf.h"
#include "random.h"
DEFINE_DPM_BC(drop_col_wet_scrubber, particle_data, thread_face, f_index, f_normal, dim)
{
real vsqr;
real vmag;
real collision_weber_number;
int i, idim=dim;

for (i=0; i<idim;i++)
{
vsqr = P_VEL(particle_data)[i]*P_VEL(particle_data)[i];
vmag = sqrt(vsqr);
}
printf("the velocity magnitude is: %g\n", vmag);
{
collision_weber_number=(P_RHO(particle_data) * P_DIAM(particle_data) * vmag) /0.072;
}

/*printf("the collision weber number is: %g\n", collision_weber_number); */

if (collision_weber_number <=4) /*critical weber number*/
{return PATH_END;
}
else if (collision_weber_number > 4)
{return PATH_ACTIVE;
}
else if (collision_weber_number >=10)
{return PATH_END;
}
}

[`e`]

1) add a trailing period to your critical Weber number to ensure the if condition is evaluating this number as a real data type. If the particle is returned from the boundary (with PATH_ACTIVE) then the particle is still sitting at the previous location with the same trajectory (velocity components). I'm not surprised these particles would be incomplete (the same boundary condition would be read until the maximum number of particles steps was reached). Have a read of this post on how to reflect your particle from the boundary.

2) use Message0(); instead of printf(); for printing text to the screen. What precise values are being reported and which values are you expecting?

3) according to Wikipedia, the Weber number is a function of the velocity squared (not linear which you've coded). You may need to use the DEFINE_PROPERTY macro for defining a surface tension value for your particle.

4) the velocity magnitude of particles can be calculated from its components and therefore having another variable for every particle velocity would be wasteful (in terms of memory). Your velocity calculation was simply taking the last dimension (either y or z depending if 2-D or 3-D, respectively) velocity component. Perhaps you meant to have "+=" instead of "=", and also initialise your variables. The method they have employed in the UDF manual was with vector macros, whereas you haven't, either way works.

I've modifed some parts of your code and made comments below:

#include "udf.h"

DEFINE_DPM_BC(drop_col_wet_scrubber, particle_data, thread_face, f_index, f_normal, dim)
{
	real vsqr=0.;
	real vmag=0.;
	real collision_weber_number;
	int i, idim=dim;

	for (i=0; i<idim; i++)
	{ 
		vsqr += P_VEL(particle_data)[i]*P_VEL(particle_data)[i];
		vmag += sqrt(vsqr);
	} 
	
	Message0("the velocity magnitude is: %e\n", vmag);
	
	{
		collision_weber_number = (P_RHO(particle_data) * P_DIAM(particle_data) * vmag*vmag) / 0.072;
	}

	Message0("the collision weber number is: %e\n", collision_weber_number);

	if (collision_weber_number <= 4.) // critical weber number
		return PATH_END;
	else if (collision_weber_number > 4.)
		return PATH_ACTIVE;
	else if (collision_weber_number >=10.) // this line would never be executed?
		return PATH_END;
	else
		Message0("Something has gone terribly wrong...\n");
}

[hwet]

Thanks e, that was really helpful, i will try to implement your suggestions!
Thanks again