Volume 30, Issue 11, November 1975, Pages 1371–1379

Collision rates of small particles in a vigorously turbulent fluid

  • Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract

A review of previous calculations of particle collision rates in a turbulent fluid shows that they are suitable only for low intensity turbulence, such as that found in water treatment plants. It is shown that the assumption of independent particle velocities as in the gas kinetic theory is appropriate for the high intensity turbulence generated in suspensions being pumped and mixed under normal industrial conditions. The collision rate has been calculated, with and without gravitational or centrifugal forces also acting on the particles.

The collision rate without external forces is found to be where the mean squared velocity for each particle is


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