PhD Research: Computational Modelling of Multiphase Flows
CoMo Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge
Multiphase flows (gas-liquid contactors, bubble columns, reactors) are ubiquitous in industry but notoriously difficult to model. This research coupled Population Balance Equations (PBEs) with computational fluid dynamics to predict the size distribution of a dispersed phase (droplets, bubbles) within turbulent flow fields.
The core numerical methods implemented were the Quadrature Method of Moments (QMoM) and Direct Quadrature Method of Moments (DQMoM), integrated into OpenFOAM. The primary test case was a rotating disc contactor (toluene/water), used to validate predictions of droplet size distribution against experimental data.
Methods: QMoM · DQMoM · Euler/Euler · OpenFOAM · C++