Near-wall particle dynamics in a turbulent channel flow

The interaction of particles with turbulence close to the wall is relevant to many applications such as particle deposition in jet engines, dust transport and sedimentation in atmospheric boundary layers. The way these particles interact with the wall through collision is of particular interest because many forces play important roles, including the turbophoretic force and electrostatic imaging force. It is often difficult to separate their contribution in complicated wall-bounded turbulence. This study focuses on a new diagnostic technique which relies on using the image of a particle off a reflective surface as a way to determine the collision moment and location as well as the electrostatic imaging force. Ongoing efforts with this system will elucidate near-wall particle dynamics and collisions to better understand the dynamics of particle-wall and particle-turbulence interactions.