Hydrodynamic Mechanisms for Controlling Drop Coalescence

建议编号：CTS-0553551首席研究员：洛文伯格，迈克尔隶属关系：耶鲁大学建议标题：控制液滴合并的流体动力学机制智力价值：尽管液滴合并司空见惯，但液滴合并仍然没有被很好地理解，并继续成为科学努力的活跃领域。在大多数应用中，液滴聚并是由液滴之间形成的近接触液膜的非线性流体动力学控制的。拟议的项目将采用数值、理论和实验方法。数值模拟将探索周围流动条件对可变形液滴近接触运动的影响，结果将用于指导建立新的滞止和加速膜排出的渐近理论。这项研究将进一步加深对膜过滤和液滴聚结的基本认识。这将为理解和预测液膜的行为以及解释液滴聚结实验提供一个新的理论框架。关于周围流动条件对液滴合并的影响的持续争议将得到解决。该项目包括与桑迪亚实验室建立新的研究伙伴关系。更广泛的影响：这项研究的结果将改进控制液滴合并的技术，从而控制广泛的工程系统中的液滴尺寸分布，包括悬浮聚合、聚合物混合、液体提取、食品加工和先进材料加工(例如膜、光子材料)。文中讨论了所提出的理论在组合实验微芯片器件设计中的应用。参与这项研究的研究生将获得广泛的工程科学和数学背景。他们将有机会获得教学经验，因为在数学密集课程中需要高素质的助教和导师。这项拟议的研究将为本科生提供研究经验。在鼓励研究生获得教学经验和让本科生参与研究项目方面，PI已经建立了记录。该项目还将支持PI继续努力促进参与科学和工程的人的多样性。

ABSTRACTProposal Number: CTS-0553551Principal Investigator: Loewenberg, MichaelAffiliation: Yale UniversityProposal Title: Hydrodynamic Mechanisms for Controlling Drop CoalescenceIntellectual Merit:Despite its commonplace occurrence, drop coalescence is still not well understood and continues to be an active area of scientific endeavor. In most applications drop coalescence is controlled by the nonlinear hydrodynamics of the thin liquid film that forms between drops in near contact. The proposed project will employ numerical, theoretical, and experimental methods. Numerical simulations will be developed to explore the effect of ambient flow conditions on the near contact motion of deformable drops, and the results will be used to guide the formulation of a new asymptotic theory for arrested and accelerated film drainage. The proposed research will further a basic understanding of film drainage and drop coalescence. A new theoretical framework will be developed for understanding and predicting the behavior of thin liquid films and for interpreting experiments on drop coalescence. The ongoing controversy regarding the influence of ambient flow conditions on drop coalescence will be resolved. The project includes the development of a new research partnership with Sandia Laboratories. Broader Impact:The results of this research will lead to improved techniques for controlling drop coalescence, and thus controlling the drop size distribution in a wide range of engineering systems including suspension polymerization, polymer blending, liquid liquid extraction, food processing, and advanced materials processing (e.g., membranes, photonic materials). Application of the proposed theory to the design of microuidic devices for combinatorial experiments is discussed in the proposal. Graduate students involved in this study will acquire a broad engineering science and mathematics background. They will have the opportunity to gain teaching experience because of the demand for well qualified teaching assistants and tutors in mathematically intensive courses. The proposed study will provide research experience for undergraduate students (REU). The PI has established a record of encouraging graduate students to gain teaching experience and involving undergraduates in research projects. The project will also support the PI's continuing efforts to advance the diversity of people participating in science and engineering.