Comparison between fully resolved and time-averaged simulations of particle cloud dispersion produced by a violent expiratory event

Identifier:  imarina:9267369

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9267369

Authors:  Lavrinenko, Akim; Fabregat, Alexandre; Pallares, Jordi

Abstract:
In this work we compare the DNS results (Fabregat et al. 2021, Fabregat et al. 2021) for a mild cough already reported in the literarure with those obtained with a compressible URANS equations with a k-epsilon turbulence model. In both cases, the dispersed phase has been modelled as spherical Lagrangian particles using the one-way coupling assumption. Overall, the URANS model is capable of reproducing the observed tendency of light particles under 64 mu m in diameter to rise due to the action of the drag exerted by the buoyant puff generated by the cough. Both DNS and URANS found that particles above 64 mu m will tend to describe parabolic trajectories under the action of gravitational forces. Grid independence analysis allows to qualify the impact of increasing mesh resolution on the particle cloud statistics as flow evolves. Results suggest that the k-epsilon model overpredicts the horizontal displacement of the particles smaller than 64 mu m while the opposite occurs for the particles larger than 64 mu m.