Computation of flow and heat transfer in horizontal gas–solid flows through an adiabatic pipe

Abstract

The current paper deals with the studies of heat transfer and pressure drop through a horizontal, adiabatic pipe, having gas–solid flows. The inlet air temperature is 443 K, whereas the inlet solid temperature is 308 K. The numerical results are compared with the benchmark experimental data and are agreed satisfactorily. The influences of solid loading ratio, solid diameter and gas velocity on Nusselt number and pressure drop have been studied. The Nusselt number decreases and the pressure drop increases with an increase in the solid diameter. The Nusselt number decreases with an increase in the solid loading ratio at a lower solid diameter of 100 µm. However, at a higher value of solid diameter of 200 µm, the Nusselt number first decreases up to a specific solid loading ratio, and after that, it increases. The pressure drop results show different behaviours with the solid loading ratio. Both the Nusselt number and pressure drop increase with the gas velocity. Finally, a correlation is generated to calculate the two-phase Nusselt number.