Simplified level set discrete element modeling of particle suspension flows in microfluidics: clogging statistics controlled by particle friction and shape

Particulate precipitation, deposition, and accumulation, including the formation of salt and mineral crystals, frequently occur in a wide range of subsurface applications involving multiphase flow through porous media. Consequently, there has been a considerable emphasis on researching and understanding these phenomena. However, modeling particle dynamics in flows through porous media with low Reynolds numbers has always been a challenging problem as it requires resolving fluid flow around the moving solid particles, the solid–solid contact mechanics, and the solid–fluid coupling. The discrete element method coupled with fluid solvers has been widely used to study particle-laden flow. Most fluid-solid numerical schemes involve solving the full or generalized Navier–Stokes equations, which often yields relatively accurate fluid-solid interactions at the cost of computation time and particle shape limitations. In this paper, we present a novel method to study mono-layered particle-laden flow by coupling the level set discrete element method (LS-DEM) with Hele-Shaw flow model. Utilizing the Hele-Shaw flow model allows us to simplify flow computation, while incorporating LS-DEM enables the simulation of arbitrarily shaped particles. Cases of mono-layered particle flow through a simplified micromodel geometry are studied and validated against published experimental results. Moreover, the effects of particle friction and shape on clogging statistics are investigated.

Graphical Abstract