Particle-laden capillary-driven flow in a vertical tube

Capillary tube flow has far reaching applications seen in automotive, HVAC, medical and low-gravity environments. The quantification of capillary rise in a vertical tube under varying conditions is important for these industries and continues to be explored. The focus of this research is on the inclusion of particles to capillary flow, more specifically investigating the arrangement of a particle-laden surface within the capillary tube. In medical and low-gravity environments it could be useful to move fluid carrying particulates, and understanding the dynamics of capillary-driven flow under these conditions is crucial to the development of technology and applications in these fields. Furthermore, this work provides fundamental information on mass transfer within a capillary-driven flow scenario. The research presented utilizes the Dryden Drop Tower at Portland State University to investigate the capillary rise in a vertical tube with a particle-laden surface. The drop tower allows access to a microgravity environment in which the length scales of capillary flow are substantially larger than would be in a 1-g laboratory environment. The rise velocity of the meniscus is measured for various different masses of particles at the surface within the tube.