The resolution of shocks and the effects of compressible sediments in transient settling

Abstract

The consolidation or concentration of suspended particulate solids under the influence of gravitational forces is a problem of widespread practical and theoretical interest. The literature, which is scattered over several fields, contains most of the elements necessary for a complete understanding of gravity settling, but considerable controversy and confusion persists about their synthesis. Here we propose to construct a quantitative theory covering the full range of processes from transient settling of large, stable particles to the slow consolidation of flocculated suspensions of submicron particles. Conditions for the existence of shocks are identified and the basic equations describing the phenomena are solved numerically for several Péclet numbers.