Comparison of turbulent drop breakup in an emulsification device and homogeneous isotropic turbulence: Insights from numerical experimentsShow others and affiliations
2023 (English)In: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, ISSN 0927-7757, E-ISSN 1873-4359, Vol. 657, p. 130569-, article id 130569Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Turbulent emulsification is of considerable industrial interest. Nevertheless, numerical experiments (direct nu-merical simulations, DNS, with highly resolved interface tracking) have been mainly used to study drop breakup in idealized flows. This study, therefore, compares drop breakup in two different settings (homogenous and isotropic flow, and a simplified high-pressure homogenizer) with the intention of better understanding how insight gained from the idealized systems can be applied to industrially relevant devices. The flow differs be-tween the two cases, with highly anisotropic and inhomogeneous turbulence in the latter. Results show simi-larities between the two cases regarding morphology of breakup, suggesting that the underlying mechanism, as a function of Weber number, is similar. However, differences are also observed, e.g., in terms of breakup time and deformed morphology, which are associated with the locality of the turbulence in the homogenizer. Implications for an improved understanding of turbulent breakup in industrially relevant devices are discussed.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV , 2023. Vol. 657, p. 130569-, article id 130569
Keywords [en]
High-pressure homogenizer, Emulsification, Turbulence, Direct numerical simulation
National Category
Fluid Mechanics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-322610DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.130569ISI: 000889727400006Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85141924993OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-322610DiVA, id: diva2:1721946
Note
QC 20221223
2022-12-232022-12-232025-02-09Bibliographically approved