Measuring droplet coalescence rates in turbulent

ORAL

Abstract

An outstanding problem in the understanding of droplet suspensions is the accurate prediction of the rate of coalescence of the droplets in a turbulent flow. A notable application is in cloud physics, where it is the coalescence of droplets that forms rain. We present results from measurements of droplet coalescence rates in a turbulent airflow as a function of Stokes and Reynolds number. We observe the dynamics of water droplets between 5 and 20 microns in diameter in isotropic and anisotropic turbulence with $R_\lambda$ up to 350. The data complement a long history of numerical and theoretical work.

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Authors

  • Gregory Bewley

    Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization

  • Kelken Chang

    Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization

  • Eberhard Bodenschatz

    MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization, MPIDS and ICTR and LASSP, Cornell University, MPIDS, ICTR \& LASSP, Cornell University, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Physics and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University