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Title: Quantifying wall effects on spherical particle settling with the Lattice Boltzmann method

Authors: Abhijeet D. Chodankar; Michael Poirier; John Dekarske; Will Baggett; Davide Dapelo; Dwayne McDaniel; Michael C. Sukop

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, 33174, Florida, USA ' Savannah River National Laboratory, Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC 29808, South Carolina, USA ' Savannah River National Laboratory, Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC 29808, South Carolina, USA ' Savannah River National Laboratory, Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC 29808, South Carolina, USA ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, The Quadrangle, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK ' Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, 33174, Florida, USA ' Department of Earth and Environment, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, 33199, Florida, USA

Abstract: Understanding sedimentation relies on grasping the physics between a particle and a fluid. This research employs the Lattice Boltzmann method to conduct a benchmarking study on the sedimentation of a single spherical particle in a Newtonian fluid. The study explores the effects of particle diameter, particle density, and walls on particle settling behaviour. The methods employed include the point particle method and the homogeneous Lattice Boltzmann method (HLBM) using the OpenLB code. The primary objectives of this research are to calculate terminal settling velocity, analyse velocity and vorticity profiles, and track particle trajectories. The HLBM excels in providing precise flow representation around particles, whereas the point particle method shows limitations at higher particle Reynolds numbers. Additionally, the research reveals that wall effects reduce terminal settling velocity and shorten wake length. The domain-size-to-particle-size ratios at which wall-induced vortices disappear for various particle properties are identified. Thorough understanding of the settling physics of a single particle should contribute to unravelling the settling dynamics of multiple particles.

Keywords: homogeneous Lattice Boltzmann method; HLBM; two-way coupling; particle diameter; particle density; wall effects.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2026.154218

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2026 Vol.26 No.7, pp.1 - 12

Received: 30 Jul 2025
Accepted: 23 Apr 2026
Published online: 16 Jun 2026 *