How do the finite-size particles modify the drag in Taylor-Couette turbulent flow

TL;DR

This study experimentally examines how neutrally buoyant finite-size particles with different aspect ratios influence drag in turbulent Taylor-Couette flow, revealing that particles generally increase drag and that shape affects particle distribution and boundary layer interactions.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how particle shape and distribution affect drag modification in turbulent flow, highlighting the importance of particle aspect ratio and clustering behavior.

Findings

Particles increase drag regardless of aspect ratio.

Higher Reynolds number reduces normalized friction coefficient.

Particle shape influences clustering and boundary layer effects.

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the drag modification by neutrally buoyant finite-size particles with various aspect ratios in a Taylor-Couette (TC) turbulent flow. The current Reynolds number, $Re$, ranges from $6.5\times10^3$ to $2.6\times10^4$, and the particle volume fraction, $\Phi$, is up to $10\%$. Particles with three kinds of aspect ratio, $\lambda$, are used: $\lambda=1/3$ (oblate), $\lambda=1$ (spherical) and $\lambda=3$ (prolate). Unlike the case of bubbly TC flow, we find that the suspended finite-size particles increase the drag of the TC system regardless of their aspect ratios. In addition, the normalized friction coefficient, $c_{f,\Phi}/c_{f,\Phi=0}$, decreases with increasing $Re$, the reason could be that in the current low volume fractions the turbulent stress becomes dominant at higher $Re$. As $Re$ increases, the particles distribute more evenly in the entire system, which results from both the greater turbulence intensity and the more pronounced finite-size effects of the particles at higher $Re$. Moreover, it is found that the variation of the particle aspect ratios leads to different particle collective effects. The suspended spherical particles, which tend to cluster near the walls and form a particle layer, significantly affect the boundary layer and result in maximum drag modification. The minimal drag modification is found in the oblate case, where the particles preferentially cluster in the bulk region, and thus the particle layer is absent. Based on the optical measurement results, it can be concluded that, in the low volume fraction ranges ($\Phi=0.5\%$ and $\Phi = 2\%$ here), the larger drag modification is connected to the near-wall particle clustering. The present findings suggest that the particle shape plays a significant role in drag modification.