Investigation of small-scale droplet concentration inhomogeneities in a turbulent flow

B. Grits, M. Pinsky, Alexander Khain*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper is focused on the numerical investigation of spatial characteristics of droplet concentration fluctuations, originating in a turbulent flow. The turbulent flow is simulated using a model of a statistically stationary, homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flow. We found that preferential droplet concentration with the maximum of spatial spectrum at about 1.5 cm is formed regardless of the droplet size (up to the droplet radius of 20 μm). The amplitude of fluctuations depends on the droplet radius and constitutes a significant part of mean concentration. Analogous simulations with non-inertial droplets (passive scalar) do not reveal such concentration fluctuations. Our main conclusion is, therefore, the following: preferential droplet concentration at the cm-scale forms in a turbulent flow due to droplets inertia.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)191-204
Number of pages14
JournalMeteorology and Atmospheric Physics
Volume92
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2006

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