SETTLING VELOCITY OF IRREGULARLY SHAPED PARTICLES

A new correlation has been developed to predict the settling velocity of irregularly shaped particles in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids for all types of slip regimes. The correlation was derived from extensive data on the drag coefficients and particle Reynolds numbers of irregularly shaped particles. The effective fluid viscosity at the settling shear rate is used in the correlation. A trial-and-error or numerical iteration method is required to predict the settling velocity for non-Newtonian fluids. The correlation predicted and verified the effects of fluid properties, particle properties, and operation parameters on the settling velocity.