Numerical Simulation of Sedimentation in Curved Geometries

Abstract

Lamellar settlers are devices used in water treatment processes to enhance the efficiency of suspended solids separation. This improved performance is attributed to the Boycott effect, associated with the inclination and geometric arrangement of the plates. In this context, advances are presented in the numerical simulation of sedimentation processes in curved geometries, considered as an extension of the traditional analysis to cases where the inclination angle varies along the contour. The OpenFOAM software is employed, using a mixture model with algebraic relative velocity, to explore the ability to reproduce the fundamental characteristics of the phenomenon, based on reference cases from the literature. Additionally, the impact of geometric and scale variations on flow behavior is analyzed, with a view toward developing models applicable to more complex configurations and their potential experimental validation.