Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-wxvwp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-14T21:44:39.701Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Modification of grid-generated turbulence by solid particles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2006

Stefan Schreck
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Southern California, OHE 530D, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1451, USA
Stanley J. Kleis
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, TX 77004, USA

Abstract

The effects of almost neutrally buoyant plastic particles and heavy glass particles on grid-generated turbulence were studied experimentally in a water flow facility. From measured velocities of both the solid and liquid phases, drag and slip velocities of the particles and energy spectra and dissipation rates of the liquid phase were estimated. A monotonic increase in the dissipation rate of the turbulence energy with particle concentration was observed. The increase in energy dissipation rate for suspensions of glass particles was about twice that of suspensions of plastic particles. The increase in dissipation was larger than that predicted by a simple model based on the slip velocities between the phases. It is speculated that the particles enhance the transfer of energy to smaller eddies extending the dissipation spectrum to smaller scales. Since only part of the high wavenumber end of the energy spectrum could be resolved, this speculation cannot be conclusively demonstrated by the present experimental data. The measured velocity spectra do show that the particles increase the isotropy of the flow field and modify the high wavenumber end of the turbulence energy spectrum.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1993 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable