Droplet size distribution in homogeneous isotropic turbulence

TL;DR

This paper investigates droplet breakup in turbulent flows using high-resolution simulations, verifying classical criteria, measuring droplet size distributions, and analyzing droplet deformation through Lagrangian tracking.

Contribution

It provides detailed numerical analysis of droplet size distribution and deformation in turbulence, validating the Hinze criterion and introducing a local Weber number for deformation analysis.

Findings

Validated Hinze's droplet breakup criterion

Measured droplet size distribution PDFs at various Reynolds numbers

Analyzed droplet deformation correlation with local Weber number

Abstract

We study the physics of droplet breakup in a statistically stationary homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flow by means of high resolution numerical investigations based on the multicomponent lattice Boltzmann method. We verified the validity of the criterion proposed by Hinze (1955) for droplet breakup and we measured the full probability distribution function (pdf) of droplets radii at different Reynolds numbers and for different volume fraction. By means of a Lagrangian tracking we could follow individual droplets along their trajectories, define a local Weber number based on the velocity gradients and study its cross-correlation with droplet deformation.