Three-Dimensional Measurements Of Deformable Oil Droplets In Turbulence

Abstract

This work introduces an experimental facility designed to generate turbulence with a high energy dissipation rate of up to 0.3 m^2/s^3 , sufficient to induce deformation and fragmentation of oil droplets. The turbulence is produced by opposing arrays consisting of 24 jet streams in total, each with Reynolds numbers ranging from 12,000 to 50,000. Flow regimes are determined using 3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) conducted in the center of the octagonal test section. The statistical analysis of the turbulence reveals a nearly homogeneous and isotropic nature. A 3D imaging system, equipped with six high-speed cameras, allows for the reconstruction of droplets using the multiple algebraic reconstruction technique algorithm, fostering both visualization and quantification of interface deformation. Additionally, the system enables the tracking of the breakup process. The presented setup is able to couple the measurements of the droplet shapes with surrounding turbulence in 3D dproplet topology reconstruction coupled with surrounding flow measurements. We demonstrate the capability of our imaging system and reconstruction methods for multiphase flow studies with an example of full 3D droplet topology reconstruction coupled with surrounding flow measurements.