Migration of settling particles in a horizontal viscous flow through a vertical slot with porous walls

Particle migration in a horizontal flow of dilute suspension through a vertical slot with porous walls is studied using the two-continua approach. The lateral migration is induced by two opposite effects: an inertial lift force due to particle settling and directed toward the slot centre-line, and a drag due to leak-off entraining particles toward the walls. An expression for the inertial lift on a settling particle in a horizontal channel flow found recently is generalized to the case of a low leak-off velocity. The evolution of an initial uniform particle concentration profile is studied within the full Lagrangian approach. Four migration regimes are found differing by the direction of particle migration and numbers of equilibrium positions. Conditions of the regime change and a critical value of dimensionless leak-off velocity for particle deposition on the walls are obtained analytically. Suspension flows with zones where the particle concentration is zero or increases infinitely, are studied numerically.

Research highlights
► Particle migration in a horizontal flow of dilute suspension through a vertical slot with porous walls is studied using the two-continua approach.
► Four migration regimes are found differing by the direction of particle migration and numbers of equilibrium positions.
► Conditions of the regime change and a critical value of dimensionless leak-off velocity for particle deposition on the walls are obtained analytically.
► Suspension flows with zones where the particle concentration is zero or increases infinitely, are studied numerically.