An experimental study of electrohydrodynamic dispersion from a liquid film flowing down an inclined plate into a continuous liquid phase.

Abstract

A water film flowing down an inclined copper plate with flash-boards was dispersed as charged drops into a stagnant dielectric liquid phase under a direct electric field applied vertical to the film surface. The dispersion characteristics were examined experimentally for three kinds of dielectric liquids under various operating conditions. The holdup fraction of the drops formed depends significantly on applied voltage, inclination angle of the plates and flow rate of the film phase. The electrical dispersion from the film phase and the electrical coalescence between drop and film phases contribute to effective agitation between the liquids adjacent to the interface, and rising and falling motion of the drops provides satisfactory mixing in the bulk of the continuous phase.