Population Balance Methods

for Multiphase Flows

14. 5 Release

Multiphase Flow Modeling

in ANSYS CFX
© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-1 Release 14.5
 Overview
• Introduction to Population Balance Methods
• MUSIG Model
– Homogeneous
– Inhomogeneous
• DQMOM (Method of Moments)
– Beta feature, provides capability similar to MUSIG

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-2 Release 14.5

 Introduction
• In ANSYS CFX, normally the diameter of a dispersed Eulerian phase is
assigned
• Multiple sizes for dispersed Eulerian droplets, bubbles, or droplets must
be modeled using individual phases each with a characteristic diameter -
this is memory and CPU intensive
• Fluid droplets and bubbles can break-up and coalesce in response to fluid
forces - the mean bubble or droplet diameter may not be known a priori
• Population balance models in ANSYS CFX offer a way to model these
phenomena
– MUSIG
– DQMOM (beta)

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-3 Release 14.5

 MUSIG Model – General

• MUSIG
 Multiple Size Group model
 Accounts for coalescence and breakup in polydispersed phases using a
population balance approach

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-4 Release 14.5

 Population Balance Approach
• Population balance approach
 Population balance equation for group i:
n i  ( U ii n i )
  BBi  D Bi  BCi  D Ci
t x i

 Equivalently (conservation form):

 (  i rd f i )  (  i rdU ii f i )
  Si
t x i

 In the homogeneous implementation of the MUSIG model, all size groups

are assumed to move move at the same velocity
(valid for ellipsoidal bubbles and droplets where the interphase drag does
not depend strongly on size):

 (  d rd f i )  (  d rdU di f i )
  Si
t x i

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-5 Release 14.5

 Sources Due to Break-up

• Sources
 
S Bi   d rd   B ji f j  f i  Bij 
 j i j i 
Bij  Bij'  df
f BV
BV (integration over sizes in group)

mj
f BV  (breakup fraction)
mi
• Bij = breakup rate from group i into group j
• Bij’ = breakup rate from diameter i to diameter j

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-6 Release 14.5

 Models for Break-up Rate

• Models for breakup rate (Bij’)

– Luo and Svendsen
• based on theory of isotropic turbulence
• See Solver Theory documentation for details
– User-defined
• Breakup rate may be a CEL expression involving standard variables and
the diameters and/or masses) or groups i and j

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-7 Release 14.5

 Sources Due to Coalescence

• Coalescence:
1 m j  mk 
SCi   d rd     C jk f j f k 1
X jki   Cij f i f j 
2
 2 j i k i m m m 
 j k j j 
Cij = coalescence rate from group i into group j
Xjki = mass matrix (fraction of mass due to coalescence
between j and k which goes into i)
– Linear profile is the default
– Lumped mass assumption may be set using a CCL parameter

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-8 Release 14.5

 MUSIG – Coalescence & Breakup
• Coalescence
– Prince & Blanch model
• accounts for collisions due to turbulence and buoyancy
• Turbulence buoyancy coefficient is typically 0.25-1.0
– User-defined model also available
• Breakup
– Luo & Svendsen model
• Accounts for breakup due to turbulence
• Coefficient is typically 1.0
– User-defined model also available
• User-defined models
– User-defined expression/routine will be called for all size group pairs
– Rate can be a function of the diameter and mass of the two groups in the group pair
by using the following variables: diami, diamj, massi, massj

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-9 Release 14.5

 MUSIG – Size Group Discretization
• When setting the size groups, specify the following:
– Minimum Diameter (eg, 0 cm)
– Maximum Diameter (eg, 1 cm)
– Number of Size Groups
– Size Group Discretization Option
• Equal mass (skewed toward large diameters)
• Equal diameter (equal weighting)
• Geometric (skewed toward small diameters)
– Reference density (of polydispersed phase density varies)
• Used only for creating group masses from specified diameters

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-10 Release 14.5

 MUSIG – BCs, ICs, Sources
• At inlets/openings, need to set size distribution
– ‘Automatic’ option assumes a flat distribution
• Also need to set size distribution for initial conditions
– ‘Automatic’ options assumes a flat distribution
• Also need to set size distribution for mass sources
– No ‘Automatic’ option
– Used only when mass source is positive
– Can also be applied when mass source is negative by setting ‘MUSIG Sink
Option = Specified Size Fractions’
– Similar to treatment of components for multicomponent fluids
• Can also set a source for an individual size group
– Does not contribute to net mass source for the phase
– User’s responsibility to ensure that the sources sum to zero when summed
over all size groups
– Similar to treatment of component sources for multicomponent fluids
(except in that case, if the sources do not sum to zero, there is an implied
nonzero source of the ballast component)
© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-11 Release 14.5
 Solver Details
• Interphase transfer processes (eg, drag) use interfacial area density
based on Sauter mean diameter, d32

• Solver for size groups implemented carefully such that size groups
remain bounded and sum to 1 every iteration

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-12 Release 14.5

 MUSIG – Post-processing

• Following variables are available:

– Size Fraction
– Cumulative Size Fraction
– Interfacial Area Density
– Mean Particle Diameter (ie, Sauter Mean Diameter)

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-13 Release 14.5

 Accessing MUSIG in CFX
• To access the MUSIG population
balance model in CFX-Pre, set the
Morphology Option for the dispersed
phase to Polydispersed Fluid on the
Basic settings tab for the domain

• A Polydispersed Fluids tab will appear

on the Domain Details form. The
properties of the Polydispersed Fluid
can be set by clicking on this tab, which
include MUSIG size group settings,
MUSIG fluid type, coalescence and
breakup models, etc.

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-14 Release 14.5

 Poydispersed Fluids: MUSIG Settings
• On the Polydispersed Fluids tab,
click on the New icon to define a
new polydispersed fluid
• There are four different options
for polydispersed fluid types:
– Homogeneous and
Inhomogeneous MUSIG (which
divide the bubbles into discrete size
groups)
– Homogeneous and Inhomogeneous
DQMOM which are based on the
quadrature method of moments (beta
capability)
– In order to see the options other than
Homogeneous MUSIG, you will need to
turn on beta options under Case
Options/General
© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-15 Release 14.5
 MUSIG Fluid Details
• The details of the MUSIG fluid
(i.e. the number of size groups, minimum
and maximum diameter, etc., can then be
specified)

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-16 Release 14.5

 Inhomogeneous MUSIG
• Homogeneous MUSIG
– Assumes single velocity field for all dispersed phases
– Dispersed phases may interact with continuous phases
• Interfacial area density calculated from Sauter mean diameter
– Valid for bubbly flows in elliptic regime and when lift force can be neglected
• Inhomogeneous MUSIG
– Allows multiple velocity fields for dispersed phases
– But several dispersed phases can belong to the same ‘velocity group’
– Example: 21 size groups and three velocity groups would allow different velocity
groups to be partitioned according to their mean size (i.e. could predict radial
distribution of different sized bubbles for bubbly flow in vertical pipes)

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-17 Release 14.5

 Inhomogeneous MUSIG
• Momentum equations are solved for N gas phases (vel. groups)
• Size fraction equations for M bubble size classes in each vel. group
• Bubble coalescence and break-up over all NxM MUSIG groups

N(dP)
size classes (M)
dP1 dPa dPa+1 dPb dPx+1 dPM
break
up
coalescence

V1 V2 VN

velocity groups (N)

dP,krit dP
© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-18 Release 14.5
 Inhomogeneous MUSIG
Inhomogeneous MUSIG model solves for:
• N volume fraction equations
• N+1 momentum equations
• (>) 1 turbulence model equations
• NxM size fraction equations

g  1, , N M
j  1, , N

N M rdg N M N M
rd  r
g 1
dg , f dg 
rd
, f
g 1
dg 1 , S
g 1
g 0

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-19 Release 14.5

 Inhomogeneous MUSIG
N M
S g  d B
h  g 1
gh dhr

breakup birth
g
g 1
  d rdg  Bgh
h 1
breakup death
g
1 g g
mh  mi
  d  Chi rdh rdi X g hi
2 h 1 i 1 mh mi
coalescence birth
g
N M
rdh
  d rdg  Cgh
h 1 mh
coalescence death g
© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-20 Release 14.5
 Inhomogeneous MUSIG Validation:TOPFLOW
• TOPFLOW facility at FZR studies
different types of bubbly flows:
– Finely dispersed (121)
– Bubbly flow
• Void maximum near the wall
(039)
• Transition region (083)
• Centred void fraction maximum
(118)
• Centred void fraction maximum
bimodal (129)
– Slug flow (140)
– Annular flow (215)

Experiments by Prasser et al., FZR

Test case FZR-074:
dilute bubbly flow with near wall maximum of void fraction

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-21 Release 14.5

 Inhomogeneous MUSIG: FZR-074
• Near wall void fraction peak at inlet, spreads with increasing height
• 3 velocity groups; 21 size groups

Exp. FZR-074, level C

Exp. FZR-074, level F
15.0
Exp. FZR-074, level I
Exp. FZR-074, level L
Air volume fraction [-]

Exp. FZR-074, level O

Exp. FZR-074, level R
CFX, Inlet level (z=0.0m)
10.0 CFX, level C
CFX, level F
CFX, level I
CFX, level L
CFX, level O
CFX, level R
5.0

0.0
0.0 25.0 50.0 75.0 100.0

x [mm]

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-22 Release 14.5

 MUSIG Versus DQMOM
• The MUSIG model fits in the PBM category of a Class Method.
• Attempts to directly predict the Particle Size Distribution (PSD).
• The internal coordinate of the PSD is the particle mass (M).
• Mass divided by a fixed number of intervals (or classes) over a fixed range.
• Size fraction (f) used as a measure of the mass interval weight.
• The size fraction changes in response to coalescence/breakup processes.

f M not necessarily uniform

Range of M is Attempts directly predict the

predetermined PSD shape

Collection of size groups (or

all of them) can be
transported at their own
M
velocity.

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-23 Release 14.5

 MUSIG Versus DQMOM Cont’d
• MUSIG model requires a large number of size groups to accurately predict a broad
or bi-modal PSD shape.

• Approach is problematic if the physical mechanisms affecting the PSD shape (i.e.
nucleation, growth, coalescence/breakup) lead to large changes in the PSD which are
not known ahead of time.
Supersonic nozzle solution with nucleation
followed by growth of the PSD
1 2
(QMOM solution using a 1D code).

Large movement in PSD

3 4

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-24 Release 14.5

 MUSIG Versus DQMOM
• DQMOM does not predict directly the PSD shape, but only tracks a representative
distribution.
• Representative distribution statistics (i.e. number, mean, area density and volume
fraction) accurately reflects the statistics of the real distribution.
• Give up directly predicting the PSD shape, but gain a method where the particle size
range dynamically changes with the solution.
• In DQMOM we do not predefine either the size group range or the intervals.
• DQMOM also needs significantly less size groups to maintain high accuracy (N=3
generally).

• DQMOM may be less stable than MUSIG due to the introduction of the
additional non-linearity of the size scale calculation. It has remained beta
capability since it was first introduced at 12.0 and offers no real advantages
over MUSIG at this level of implementation

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-25 Release 14.5

 Brief History of the Method of Moments
• Method of Moments (MOM) (Hulburt and Katz,1964)
– Useful because of minimal number of scalars required to represent
properties of a complex PSD
– Primary limitation being simplified rate equations (i.e. growth,
coalescence/breakup) needed in order to close problem
• Quadrature Method of Moments (QMOM) (McGraw,1997)
– removed closure problems so that MOM can be applied widely
– practically limited to homogeneous flows (in terms of velocity)
• Direct Quadrature Method of Moments (DQMOM)
– addresses the need for inhomogeneous solutions in terms of velocity
– provides a systematic framework for including multivariate PSD’s
– recovers the QMOM solution for monovariate/homogeneous cases

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-26 Release 14.5

 DQMOM In Principle

Quadrature representation of an underlying PSD. The quadrature weights (wi)

and abscissas (Ei) are obtained so as to represent the aggregate properties of the
PSD. Level of quadrature (N) is practically in the range of 2 to 4.

w2 N=3

w1

w3

E
Weights of individual
E1 E2 E3
nodes are dynamic

Overall extent of distribution is dynamic

Distance between nodes in quadrature
are dynamic
© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-27 Release 14.5
 Homogeneous DQMOM: Example
• Example CFX-DQMOM solution
with bubble coalescence in a
static mixing vessel.
• Widely disparate distribution
can be employed at boundaries.
• Prediction of outlet distribution.

Dsauter = 12.28 mm

Dsauter = 9.20 Dsauter = 1.70 mm

© 2013 ANSYS, Inc. 9-28 Release 14.5