The motion of solid spherical particles falling in a cellular flow field at low Stokes number

Laurence Bergougnoux (1) , Gilles Bouchet (1) , Diego Lopez (1) , Elisabeth Guazzelli (2)

1 GEP
2 IUSTI - Institut universitaire des systèmes thermiques industriels

We present a jointed experimental and numerical study examining the influence of vortical structures on the settling of solid spherical particles under the action of gravity at low Stokes numbers. The two-dimensional model experiment uses electroconvection to generate a two-dimensional array of controlled vortices which mimics a simplified vortical flow. Particle image-velocimetry and tracking are used to examine the motion of the particles within this vortical flow. Particle motion is compared to the predictions of a numerical simulation inspired by the model equation developed by Maxey ["The motion of small spherical particles in a cellular flow field," Phys. Fluids 30, 1915 (1987)].

Domaines: Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]; Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]

Laurence Bergougnoux, Gilles Bouchet, Diego Lopez, Elisabeth Guazzelli. The motion of solid spherical particles falling in a cellular flow field at low Stokes number. Physics of Fluids, 2014, 26 (9), pp.093302. ⟨10.1063/1.4895736⟩. ⟨hal-01066982⟩