Large Scale Simulations of Bidisperse Emulsions and Foams

Emulsions and foams are of fundamental importance in a wide variety of industrial and natural processes. The macroscopic properties of these multiphase systems are determined by the viscous and interfacial interactions on the microscopic level. In previous research efforts, the realism of computer simulations has been limited by the cost of the computational algorithms which scale as O(N2), where N is the number of droplets. In our research, we have developed a novel, fast and efficient algorithm which scales as [O( N1n(N)]. The algorithm has been implemented to simulate the low Reynolds number flow of large-scale systems of monodisperse and bidisperse droplet suspensions. A comprehensive study has been performed to examine the effective viscosity of these systems as a function of the overall volume fraction, volume fraction of small droplets, Capillary number and droplet size ratio. Monodisperse systems exhibit disorder-order transitions at high volume fractions and low Capillary numbers. Bidisperse systems show a tendency toward cluster formation with small droplets interspersed among large droplets. To determine if the cluster formation leads to phase separation, simulations have been performed with the two droplet species arranged in ordered layers. It is found that the initial layers are destroyed, and the two phases mix, yielding clusters of small and large droplets. The mixing of the two phases and the cluster formation are investigated through linear and radial pairwise distribution functions of the two droplet species.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Metsi, Efimia

Contributors dc:contributor

• Higdon, Jonathan J.L.

• Physics, Condensed Matter

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9990082

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/82481