Modeling Water-Induced Base Particle Migration in Loaded Granular Filters Using Discrete Element Method

• Main Authors: Gang Zhang, Jahanzaib Israr, Wenguo Ma, Hongyu Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: granular filters; effective stresses; filter effectiveness; particle erosion
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/14/1976

Results are reported from a series of filtration tests simulated using coupled computational fluid dynamics and the discrete element method (CCFD-DEM) to investigate the factors controlling the mechanism of base particle erosion and their subsequent capture in loaded granular filters. Apart from geometrical factors such as particle and void sizes, the filter effectiveness was found to be controlled by the magnitudes of the hydraulic gradients and the effective stresses. The results of numerical simulations revealed that the base soils exhibit significant stress reduction that reduces further due to seepage, and the base particles migrate into the filter, bearing very low effective stresses (i.e., localized piping in base soil). Based on the limit equilibrium of hydraulic and mechanical constraints, a linear hydromechanical model has been proposed that governs the migration and capture of base particles in the filter (i.e., filter effectiveness avoiding piping) for cases simulated in this study. Nevertheless, the proposed model agrees closely with the simulation results of this study and those adopted from other published works, thereby showing a reasonable possibility of using the proposed model as a measure of retention capacity of loaded protective filters.