Direct numerical simulation of aerosol growth processes in a turbulent mixing layer

Kun Zhou*, Antonio Attili, Fabrizio Bisetti

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The complex interaction of turbulent mixing and aerosol growth processes in a canonical turbulent flow configuration is investigated by means of direct numerical simulation. A cold gaseous stream mixes with a hot stream of vapor in a developing mixing layer. Nanometer sized particles (droplets) nucleate as vapor becomes supersaturated and subsequently grow as more vapor condenses on their surface. Aerosol dynamics is solved with the Quadrature Method of Moments [R. McGraw, Aerosol Sci. Technol., 27:255-265 (1997)]. Aerosol moments advection is solved with a Lagrangian particles scheme. The results show that the highest nucleation rate region is located on the lean vapor (cool) side across the mixing layer, while particles experience a high growth rate on the rich vapor (hot) side. The effects of turbulence on particle dynamics are assessed by comparing the exact mean nucleation and growth rates with the rates evaluated from mean quantities (temperature and concentration). The nucleation rate evaluated from mean quantities tends to greatly over-estimate the mean particle number density. The growth rate evaluated from mean quantities is also higher than the exact mean value, but by a relatively small margin.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationICCFD7 Proceedings
PublisherInternational Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics
Publication statusPublished - 18 Aug 2012
Event7th International Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics, ICCFD 2012 - Big Island, United States
Duration: 9 Jul 201213 Jul 2012

Conference

Conference7th International Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics, ICCFD 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBig Island
Period9/07/1213/07/12

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Aerosol
  • Direct numerical simulation
  • Lagrangian particles scheme
  • Quadrature method of moments

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