Settling Velocity of Irregularly Shaped Particles

Summary 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 num-bers 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.