A model for the transport of solid particles in a fluid flow

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the transport of solid particles in a turbulent fluid flowing through a tank. The movement of the particles is approximated by one-dimensional random walks in both discrete and continuous time. General formulae are derived for the probabilities of sedimentation and exit of the particles, and detailed results obtained for the case where their movement is strictly non-negative. It is shown how Wald's identity can be used to find approximate expressions for these probabilities. Finally, formulae are found for the distribution of the sediment on the bottom of the tank