Hydrodynamic Mechanisms for Controlling Drop Coalescence

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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.