Particle-scale modelling of fluid velocity distribution near the particles surface in sand filtration

Sand filtration is widely used in drinking water treatment processes, yet the hydraulic fundamentals at particle-scale are not well defined, especially the fluid velocity profile near the sand particles surface. In this study, a numerical model is developed by combining the Lattice Boltzmann (LBM) and the Discrete Element Method (DEM), used to describe the fluid flow over the sand particles surface and the microstructure details of the sand packed bed respectively. The model is validated by comparing the simulation results with the experimental measurements using two systems, showing that the model can describe the fluid velocity distribution around the particles surface. Critical flow velocity is introduced as the balance between hydrodynamic and adhesive torques acting on sand particle surface. Furthermore, a new concept - effective filter surface (EFS), is defined as the area where the velocity near sand particles surface is less than the critical flow velocity, aiming for indirectly evaluating the performance of sand filtration. It is quantitatively demonstrated that increasing the sand particle size or feed flow velocity results in the decrease of both critical flow velocity and EFS under the given tested conditions. The LBMDEM model provides a useful tool for understanding the fundamentals of liquid flow distribution and also estimating sand filtration performance under different operation conditions.