Colloidal-dynamics simulations of rheology and stability of concentrated-fuel slurries. Final report, 15 August 1986-15 April 1987

Technical Report · Fri Apr 10 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6258939

Wilemski, G

This report presents the results of a Phase I SBIR project to calculate properties of concentrated colloidal suspensions using computer-simulation methods. Equilibrium and nonequilibrium Brownian dynamics (NEBD) simulations were performed for concentrated aqueous and nonaqueous colloidal suspensions. These are the first calculations of suspension shear viscosity based on NEBD simulations. Stability estimates were also made for sterically stabilized nonaqueous suspensions. The NEBD calculations provide quantitative evidence for the disturbance of the equilibrium structure of the dispersions by shearing. Shear viscosities were calculated as a function of shear rate and particle-volume fraction. Good agreement was obtained with experimental viscosities for comparable systems. The simulation results are sensitive to the type, strength, and range of the potential interactions used to describe the dispersion. These results demonstrate that the NEBD technique is capable of describing the essential features of sheared suspension behavior. They also establish the feasibility and desirability of using NEBD simulation methods as a predictive engineering tool for the design of slurries.

• Research Organization: Physical Sciences, Inc., Andover, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6258939
• Report Number(s): AD-A-182462/2/XAB; PSI-2009/TR-666
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010500* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Products & By-Products
02 PETROLEUM
020500 -- Petroleum-- Products & By-Products
COLLOIDS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DISPERSIONS
DYNAMICS
FUEL SLURRIES
FUELS
INTERACTIONS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICS
MIXTURES
PARTICLES
RHEOLOGY
SENSITIVITY
SHEAR PROPERTIES
SIMULATION
SLURRIES
STABILITY
SUSPENSIONS
VISCOSITY