Fully resolved simulation of a gas-fluidized bed: A critical test of DEM models

We performed Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of a gas-fluidized bed using the Immersed Boundary method combined with traditional Computational Fluid Dynamics. We have compared the individual fluid–particle force with the force as evaluated in an unresolved Discrete Element Model (DEM) simulation using closures for the gas–solid force for one fluidisation condition. We find that the average DEM gas–solid force is about 33% smaller than the “true” value which follows from the DNS model. For more realistic DEM simulations, a modification of the gas–solid force calculation is required, for instance by adding fluctuations or including the effect of the granular temperature.

► Direct Numerical Simulation of gas-fluidized beds were done.
► The individual fluid–particle drag is compared with the force as evaluated in unresolved Discrete Element Models.
► The average DEM drag is found to be about 33% smaller than the “true” DNS drag.