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Instability due to Viscosity Stratification Downstream of a Centerline Injector
Author(s) -
Cao Qing,
Ventresca Amy L.,
Sreenivas K. R.,
Prasad Ajay K.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450810501
Subject(s) - breakup , mechanics , instability , flow visualization , reynolds number , particle image velocimetry , injector , viscosity , materials science , flow (mathematics) , stratification (seeds) , velocimetry , stratified flow , turbulence , physics , thermodynamics , seed dormancy , germination , botany , dormancy , biology
A common injector geometry upstream of a static mixer is the centerline injector. A flow instability can arise due to viscosity differences between the injected core‐flow and the outer co‐flow. This instability can adversely affect the effectiveness of the mixing operation. An experimental investigation of miscible viscosity‐stratified flow in a circular geometry was performed using Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The experimental results for the stable region agree with the analytical results. The unstable region exhibits different modes depending on the viscosity ratio, volume flux ratio, and Reynolds number. The modes include wavy core‐flow with fissures and wavy core‐flow with core breakup. The time‐averaged experiment velocity profiles for the unstable core indicate a broadening of the jet at the centerline, which is consistent with the LIF visualization.