Hydrodynamics of fractal flocs during settling

The settling and hydrodynamic properties of 3-D fractal flocs in quiescent water are investigated with a numerical model based on the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM), with considering the settling velocity, hydrodynamic drag force and infra-floc flow. The comparisons of floc settling velocities and effective densities indicate that the numerical results present good agreements with observations in field and at laboratory. The results show that the drag force FD increases with the floc size df according to the relationship FD ∝ d3f. Moreover, the intra-floc flow field and movement of the pore water provide a better understanding of the intra-floc flow from the microscopic viewpoint. The results also indicate that the lattice Boltzmann method is a promising approach to reveal the mechanisms of the flocculation in aquatic environments.