Hydrodynamic Behavior of Non-spherical Particles in Confined Vertical Flows: A Resolved CFD-DEM Study

Abstract

We investigate the sedimentation and vertical hydraulic transport of non-spherical polymetallic nodules (PMNs) using resolved computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method (CFD-DEM) with multisphere particles spanning $98 < Re_\text{p} < 2904$. Shape effects induce 1.8-2.0 times drag enhancement relative to volume-equivalent spheres, arising from 50\% larger frontal areas and wake asymmetry, reducing terminal velocities by 27-29\%. Vertical transport exhibits velocity-driven transitions from intermittent settling to stable convection, as demonstrated by residence-time and drag-force statistics. While PMNs exhibit enhanced rotational-translational coupling and broader force fluctuations, the regime progression qualitatively resembles that of volume-equivalent spherical particles. Drag variance evolution reveals contrasting behavior: small particles $(d/D=0.082)$ show narrow distributions and wake suppression at higher velocities, while large particles $(d/D=0.22)$ exhibit non-monotonic variance. These findings elucidate shape-confinement interactions in vertical transport and establish bounds on the applicability of volume-equivalent spherical particles in reduced-order models.