Interaction of fluid flow and phase change in ternary systems

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Steffen Hardt
• Subject Area: Fluid Mechanics
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 455566770

Classical hydrodynamics focuses on pure liquids. By contrast, the subject of this project is the fluid dynamics of ternary liquids, displaying phase transitions, which has various applications in technology. To gain fundamental understanding of such systems, we want to perform controlled experiments, accompanied by the development of scaling relations. More specifically, we will focus on a co-flow device, in which a binary liquid is jetted into a third liquid (or vice versa). The liquids are chosen such that in a solvent-exchange procedure droplets nucleate (“ouzo effect”). The first objective is to obtain controllable and reproducible flow patterns. These we want to understand, which includes establishing a relationship between the two-phase flow patterns and the corresponding fluid properties and operation parameters. Based on that, we plan to identify control parameters and scaling relationships underlying some of the key phenomena we have observed. For selected flow phenomena, we plan to conduct numerical simulations together with a cooperation partner. Finally, we also want to explore potential applications of such two-phase flows.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Netherlands
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Detlef Lohse