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Click here for a complete results of the preliminary simulations, summarized in an Excel workbook. Only parts of the graphical results are given below.
Shown below are contours of energy dissipation rate for h/b of 5 and 10, with symmetry boundary condition at the water air interface and one case with no slip(i.e. wall) boundary conditions.
As shown in the Excel workbook of graphical and quantitative results, the energy dissipation pattern is very sensitive to convergence level. One order of magnitude difference in residual results in completely different shapes of energy dissipation region at the top of flocculator. It is also noted that the cases using symmetric boundary condition at the water-air interface at top of the flocculator makes it more difficult to converge to lower residual levels. The original purpose of using symmetric boundary condition is to mimic the frictionless condition at the water-air interface, but the energy dissipation contour of h/b=20 may also suggest whether using wall or symmetry boundary condition at water-air interface may not make a significant difference, and both cases could produce similar results at a better convergence level, which is consistent with physical intuitions.
Conclusions
- Energy dissipation rate contour and quantitative analysis show dependence of performance parameters as a function of h/b ratio.
- Results are very sensitive to convergence level.
- Symmetric boundary condition makes it difficult to converge.
- Symmetric boundary condition and wall boundary condition may have similar results at good convergence levels (residual below e-6). We can use wall boundary condition to replace symmetry boundary condition.