The study of fluid-solid multiphase flows, characterized by the suspension of small solid particles within turbulent carrier fluids, is of significant relevance in both industrial and environmental contexts. Such flows are commonly encountered in processes such as papermaking, fuel combustion, and cyclonic separations, as well as in natural phenomena like sandstorms and the dispersion of soot particles, to name only a few. The inherent complexity of these dispersed two-phase flows arises from the intricate interactions between the suspended particles and the surrounding fluid, making them substantially more complicated to understand and predict than single-phase flows. Furthermore, in real-world applications, flows are often spatially evolving and particle shapes deviate from perfect spheres, with irregular and non-spherical shapes being common. This introduces additional complexity, as the interactions between non-spherical particles and turbulent flows are highly dependent on particle shape and orientation. Understanding these interactions is crucial for improving predictions and optimizing industrial processes involving fluid-solid multiphase flows. In particular, the coupling between non-spherical particles and the surrounding fluid flow is challenging to measure or numerically simulate.
In this talk I will present experimental results obtained during the past decade on spherical and non-spherical particle-turbulence interactions, both in isotropic turbulence, non-homogeneous wall-bounded turbulent channel flow and spatially developing coaxial jet flows.
