Development of a new model for particle wall deposition on heated surfaces

Deposition is a phenomenon where particles attach to a wall and affect the flow cross-sectional area as well as potential heat transfer between the fluid and wall. So far, the modelling of deposition has relied upon the application of no-slip boundary conditions, however research has shown that as there is a temperature gradient between the wall and fluid, then there will be a density gradient through the fluid’s boundary layer and therefore the no slip condition would not be an accurate representation of the underlying physics leading to loss of accuracy in simulations.

Studies have shown that in these cases an energy based boundary condition may be more suitable to describe near wall flow. This project aims to implement a slip wall boundary condition in a CFD code and investigate the effects for modelling deposition on heated surfaces.

The result of this investigation will advance the understanding of near wall flow, and produce an improved deposition model that will be applicable to a wide range of wall surface temperatures. This will ultimately allow more reliable simulations of this phenomenon and enable designers to better predict the operating limits before deposition occurs.

This is a self-funded PhD.

For further information please contact Dr Spiridon Siouris (s.siouris@sheffield.ac.uk).