Industrial Application of Fluid

Mechanics A few examples

on how theory helps!
Dr. Satyanarayanan Seshadri
R&D Leader and Head
Chennai Technology Center - IITMRP
Forbes Marshall
sseshadri@forbesmarshall.com

Brief Bio
PhD , Mechanical Engineering, Texas
A&M University, USA 2007
Postdoc Medical
Aerosols/Technology, Rutgers
University, NJ - 2008
Lead Researcher, Energy and
Propulsion General Electric, Global
Research Center, Bangalore 5 years
R&D Manager Forbes Marshall 1.5
years

Outline
Introduction by examples
Fluid mechanics of measurement
systems
Aerosol Technology as a branch of
Fluid Mech.
Fundamentals of Aerosol science
Its application in medicine, air pollution
control and manufacturing
Potential for teaching and research at
PG level

Aerodynamics - Example
What Explains lift on a aircraft Bernoulli's Principle
wing? -

You can try it

yourselves.. Blow over a
strip of paper

While Bernoulli's principle accounts for

lift in an aircraft wing, Coanda effect is a
major source of lift
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Where else does this fit?

Coanda effect causes losses in a Aerosol particle separator

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Vortex Flow Meter

St v
f
b
v average fluid velocity
st Strouhal Number
b shedder bar bluff face width

Coriolis Flow Meter

Fc
Mass Flow
2x

For the observer standing at the

red dot, the ball move along a
curve, with an angular
momentum
A very accurate meter that measures mass directly
Do not have to worry about density corrections
Source Wikipedia for
images
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Aerosol Science and Technology

Definition: Microscopic particles that
float in air
Can be any type of particles solid, liquid
suspended in a gas a two phase system
In CFD, can be modelled as Lagrangian
multi-phase systems
Aerosol Technology: Study of properties,
behaviour, physical principles of aerosols
and application of this knowledge to
measurement and control

Examples of an Aerosol

More examples - Industrial

Diesel Injection in an
engine

Liquid fuel atomizer in a

boiler

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Why is it useful to study aerosol

science?
Initial droplet size
determines the combustion
performance
Large drops leads to
formation of un-burnt HC
and Char
For effective treatment of
lung diseases, delivered
drug should reach the
target area
Aerosol science helps to
understand the mechanics
of particle transport and
methods of generation

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Particle size ranges and definition

12

Fundamental Principles Particle

Motion
CD

24
Re

FD C D g d 2V 2
8

C D 0.44

Stoke
s
Law
Transition region

Newtons
law

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Stokes Law
Stokes
drag

Newtons Inertial drag

V = Relative velocity between

the fluid and the particle
dp = Particle diameter

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Particle Motion - Curvilinear Motion

15

How are the forces

employed

A virtual Impactor

Cyclone

16

Typical Efficiency curve

17

Use for aerosol sampling

Cascade Impactor: A simple

mechanical sampling device
used to understand particle
size distribution

18

Correction factors
Two assumptions were made
No slip between particles and flow
Uniformly spherical particles

Cunninghams slip correction

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Size distributions/statistics

20

Representation

21

Example of number, surface and

volume distributions

22

Filtration Phenomena
Downstream Concentration
Collection Efficiency 1
Upstream
Concentrat
ion

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High Efficiency Moisture Separator Design

Technical background for New Concept
Principle - Coalescence and Impaction
Method
1. Stream passes through a mesh structure
2. Small droplets or mist suspended in the
flow combine to form large drops
(Coalescence)
3. Further separated by chevron vane
structures* due to impaction
4. > 98% of Droplets more than 10 microns
drain to the bottom (Stokes impaction
formula)

3D Model
Coalescence

Impaction

Brownian Motion/Diffusion
Definition: It is the irregular and random
motion of an aerosol particle due to
bombardment of gas molecules against the
particles
Diffusion: It is the net transport of aerosol
particle due to this effect from a region of
higher to lower concentration
The effect is pronounced in sub micron sized
particles
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Application of Diffusion Diffusion

batteries

a.) Tube Bundle, b) Parallel plate/rectangular channel, c)

Screens
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Deposition parameter

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Performance of diffusion
batteries

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Sampling and Measurement

Do = Duct
diameter
Ds = probe
diameter

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What happens if isokinetic sampling

is not ensured?

Misalignment

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Where is this frequently employed?

Sampling from emission

stacks/chimney
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Respiratory deposition

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Mechanisms in Respiratory
Deposition

33

Applications in respiratory
areas
Design and development of drug
delivery systems?

Inhalation exposure assessment to

pollution
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Atmospheric aerosols

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Atmospheric aerosols
modes

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Role of aerosols in formation of

clouds

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Industrial devices
Devices

Emission
Control
Inertial devices such
as cyclones,
scrubbers, impactors
Filtration systems
Electrostatic
precipitators

Measureme
nt
Concentration
measurement
based on mass,
number
Particle size
analysis and
fractionation
Particle species
analysis

Generatio
n
Atomizers and
spray nozzles
Dust generators

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Size range and counting

methods

Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer

(SMPS)
Features and Benefits

High resolution data up to 167 channels

Broad size range from 2.5 nm to 1,000
nm
Fast measurements complete size
distributions in 16 seconds
Wide concentration range from 1 to 107
particles/cm3
Flexible set-up options; choice of water or
butanol CPC fluid; choice of traditional or
non-radioactive neutralizer
Computer automated flow control
ISO 15900:2009 compliant particle sizing
method
Easy to set-up and operate
Discreet particle measurement: works well
for multi-mode samples independent of
optical properties of the particles
Applications
Nanotechnology research and materials
synthesis
Atmospheric studies and environmental
monitoring

Malvern (LDA)
Malvern Spraytec Benefits
Accurate Particle Sizeover an
extremely wide 0.1 to 2000 micron range.
Rapid Measurementsat acquisition
rates of up to 10 kHz capture the
dynamics of any spray process in
exceptional detail.
Spraytec spray particle analyzers
allow real-time particle size
distribution measurements of sprays
and aerosols.

Optical Particle Counter

Features and Benefits
0.3 to 25 m size range
0.1 CFM (2.83 L/min) flow rate
Up to three channels of
simultaneous data
ISO 21501-4 compliant
Applications
Tracking down particle
contamination sources
Classifying clean areas
Looking for filter leaks
Conducting IAQ investigations

Differential Mobility
Analyzer
Features and Benefits
Double-crest optics produce highquality measurements
Measures light-scattering intensity
from 0.37 to 20m
Measures aerodynamic particle size
from 0.5 to 20m
Applications
Inhalation toxicology
Drug delivery studies
Atmospheric studies
Ambient air monitoring
Indoor air-quality testing
Filter and air-cleaner testing
Test-aerosol characterization
Powder sizing

Comparing various sizing

techniques

Analyzing species

Aerosol Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer

(ATOFMS)
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Response signal of ATOFMS

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Pollution control systems

Based on inertial separation

Cyclone separator

Wet scrubber

Low to moderate efficiency ~ 85%, moderate pressure

drop

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APC- Filtration
Based on Impaction interception and
diffusion

High efficiency, typically > 99%, high pressure drop,

frequent chocking
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Electrostatic precipitation

High efficiency, typically > 99%, low pressure drop

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Aerosol generators some

examples

Vibrating orifice Aerosol

Generator uniform sized
droplets

Vibrating mesh Aerosol

Generator efficient
ultrasonic atomization
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Manufacturing through Aerosol

Route
Cold spray Additive manufacturing

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Manufacturing through Aerosol

Route
Flame spray pyrolysis

For production of metal oxide nano particles for multiple

applications Ex. ND YAG for lasers, Titania/Zirconia as
catalysts
Easy to control particle size and crystal structure

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Spray pyrolysis
Another common application is
coatings, esp of difficult materials

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Teaching and Research

Needs
Aerosols are ubiquitous in nature and find
application in many systems we use
Teaching
Fundamental understanding of particulate gaseous
flows
Simple design rules understanding the fluid dynamics
inherent in aerosol flows

Research
It is literally everything you have seen here...
Combustion, manufacturing, CFD modelling,
Atmospheric sciences, Medical applications, nano
technology etc..
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Thank you!

Dr. S Satyanarayanan
Satya.seshadri@gmai
l.com
7299987284/984506
8998

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