LAUSR

Abstract Settling velocity statistics for dilute, non-Brownian homogeneous suspensions of polydisperse spheres having a log-normal size distribution are generated from Stokesian dynamics simulations, as a function of the total volume fraction $\phi$ and normalised width $\alpha$ of the particle size distribution. Several hundred instantaneous configurations are averaged to obtain reliable statistics. The paper reports data for the average and fluctuating settling velocity of each particle class in a suspension that is widely polydisperse – previous work was limited to only two or three classes, and the average settling velocity of each particle class was in most cases not reported – and provides an assessment of the accuracy of the analytical models proposed by Batchelor, Richardson & Zaki, Davis & Gecol and Masliyah–Lockett–Bassoon in predicting the simulation data. A limited comparison with dynamic simulations in which the particle microstructure is allowed to evolve in time is also included.