CFD Modelling of fall pipe rock dumping using PICIN

In this paper fall pipe rock dumping is investigated in 2D using the PICIN CFD model. PICIN employs the hybrid Eulerian-Lagrangian full particle Particle-In-Cell framework for incompressible free surface flow augmented with a full two-way fluid-solid interaction model. The PICIN model is first compared against a benchmark case of two circular particles falling in a water-filled tube. The results agree well with the numerical predictions of Patankar (2001). When applied to cases of randomly shaped rocks falling in pipe, the PICIN model seems to capture the physical processes and mechanisms that lead to clustering of the rocks.