Response Behavior of Nonspherical Particles in Homogeneous Isotropic Turbulent Flows

Abstract

In this study, the responsiveness of nonspherical particles, specifically ellipsoids and cylinders, in homogeneous and isotropic turbulence is investigated through kinematic simulations of the fluid velocity field. Particle tracking in such flow field includes not only the translational and rotational components but also the orientation through the Euler angles and parameters. Correlations for the flow coefficients, forces and torques, of the nonspherical particles in the range of intermediate Reynolds number are obtained from the literature. The Lagrangian time autocorrelation function, the translational and rotational particle response, and preferential orientation of the nonspherical particles in the turbulent flow are studied as function of their shape and inertia. As a result, particle autocorrelation functions, translational and rotational, decrease with aspect ratio, and particle linear root mean square velocity increases with aspect ratio, while rotational root mean square velocity first increases, reaches a maximum around aspect ratio 2, and then decreases again. Finally, cylinders do not present any preferential orientation in homogeneous isotropic turbulence, but ellipsoids do, resulting in preferred orientations that maximize the cross section exposed to the flow.