On the breakup frequency of bubbles and droplets in turbulence: a compilation and evaluation of experimental data

TL;DR

This paper compiles and evaluates experimental data on the breakup frequency of bubbles and droplets in turbulence, aiming to identify characteristic timescales and address inconsistencies in existing datasets.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive compilation and analysis of experimental data on breakup frequency, highlighting key parameters and unresolved issues in turbulent breakup processes.

Findings

Identified characteristic timescales for breakup frequency

Highlighted inconsistencies in experimental datasets

Discussed effects of density and viscosity on breakup processes

Abstract

The dispersed phase in liquid-liquid emulsions and air-liquid mixtures can often be fragmented into smaller sizes by the surrounding turbulent carrier phase. The critical parameter that controls this process is the breakup frequency, which is defined from the breakup kernel in the population balance equation. The breakup frequency controls how long it takes for the dispersed phase reaches the terminal size distribution for given turbulence. In this article, we try to summarize the key experimental results and compile the existing datasets under a consistent framework to find out what is the characteristic timescale of the problem and how to account for the inner density and viscosity of the dispersed phase. Furthermore, by pointing out the inconsistency of existing experimental data, the key important unsolved questions and related problems on the breakup frequency of bubbles and droplets are discussed.