Numerical modelling of finite-size particle collisions in a viscous fluid

A general model is presented for short-range hydrodynamic interactions and headon particle-particle/wall collisions. The model has been embedded in two distinct numerical methods for fully resolved simulation of finite-size particles in a viscous fluid. It accounts for the material properties of the particles and lubrication effects prior to collision that cannot be fully resolved on a fixed grid. We demonstrate that the model is able to reproduce experimental data for the coefficient of restitution of particle-wall collisions over a wide range of Stokes number based on the particle impact velocity. The set of model parameters we selected and more generally the modelling approach we propose can be efficiently used for fully resolved simulations of moderately dense solid-liquid suspensions. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.