SediFoam: A general-purpose, open-source CFD-DEM solver for particle-laden flows

Heng Xiao <hengxiao@vt.edu>

SediFoam is a hybrid CFD—​DEM solver for particle-laden flows based on two open-source codes: OpenFOAM, an object-oriented CFD platform by OpenCFD, and LAMMPS, a highly efficient molecular dynamics solver by Sandia National Laboratories. The algorithms used in this solver are published in Xiao and Sun [Xiao2011], Sun and Xiao [Sun2015a], and [Sun2015b]. The solver has ben rigorously and extensively validated [Gupta2015b]. A capability demonstration of the present solver in the context of sediment transport is published in Sun and Xiao [Sun2016]. Other application include sand dune migration [Sun2016b], cohesive particle setteling [Sun2017cohesive], sediment transport of irregular partilces [Sun2017irregular], particle plume in stratified flows [Wang2016].

More information can be found at the wiki pages of this site.

Development: Rui Sun (2013-2019), Heng Xiao (2008-2017), Jin Sun (University of Edinburgh, 2008-2010), Prashant Gupta (P&G)

Please send bug reports and comments to the online forum - other users may come to help. You can also contact: Heng Xiao (hengxiao@vt.edu) , but reply may be slow.

If you use sediFoam, you can cite the following paper:

• R. Sun and H. Xiao. 'SediFoam: A general-purpose, open-source CFD-DEM solver for particle-laden flows with emphasis on sediment transport'. Computers and Geosciences, 89, 207-219, 2016. DOI:10.1016/j.cageo.2016.01.011

References

• [Sun2017cohesive] R. Sun, H. Xiao, H. Sun. Investigating the settling dynamics of cohesive silt particles with particle-resolving simulations. Advances in Water Resources. 111, 406-422, 2018. DOI: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2017.11.012

• [Sun2017irregular] R. Sun, H. Xiao and H. Sun. Realistic representation of grain shapes in CFD-DEM simulations of sediment transport with a bonded-sphere approach. Advances in Water Resources. 107, 421-438, 2017. DOI: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2017.04.015

• [Sun2015a] R. Sun and H. Xiao. 'Diffusion-Based Coarse Graining in Hybrid Continuum–Discrete Solvers: Theoretical Formulation and A Priori Tests'. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 77, 142-157, 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2015.08.014. Also available at arxiv:1409.0001

• [Sun2015b] R. Sun and H. Xiao. 'Diffusion-Based Coarse Graining in Hybrid Continuum–Discrete Solvers: Applications in CFD–DEM'. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 72, 233-247, 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2015.02.014. Also available at arxiv:1409.0022

• [Xiao2011] H. Xiao and J. Sun. 'Algorithms in a robust hybrid CFD–DEM solver for particle-laden flows'. Communications in Computational Physics, 9(2), 297-323, 2011. DOI: 10.4208/cicp.260509.230210a. Full text also available on ResearchGate.

• [Sun2016b] R. Sun and H. Xiao. 'CFD-DEM simulations of current-induced dune formation and morphological evolution'. Advances in Water Resources, 2016. doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2016.03.018. Also available at: arxiv:1510.07201

• [Xu2018] S. Xu, R. Sun, Y. Cai and H. Sun. Study of sedimentation of non-cohesive particles via CFD-DEM simulations. Granular Matter, 2018. arxiv:1711.01524

• [Wang2016] R.Q Wang, R. Sun and H. Xiao. Euler-Lagrangian Simulation of Multiphase Plumes in Stratified Flows. The 7th International Conference on Computational Methods. November, 2016, Berkeley, CA. Link

• [Gupta2015a] Gupta, Prashant, J. Sun, and J. Y. Ooi. 'DEM-CFD simulation of a dense fluidized bed: Wall boundary and particle size effects'. Powder Technology, 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.powtec.2015.11.050

• [Gupta2015b] Gupta, Prashant. 'Verification and validation of a DEM-CFD model and multiscale modelling of cohesive fluidization regimes'. Ph.D. Thesis, Edinburgh Univeristy, 2015. Download from UoE Archive