Acceleration statistics of material particles in turbulent flow

Abstract

Being able to accurately model and predict the dynamics of dispersed inclusions transported by a turbulent flow, remains a challenge with important scientific, environmental and economical issues. One critical and difficult point is to correctly describe the dynamics of particles over a wide range of sizes and densities. Our measurements show that acceleration statistics of particles dispersed in a turbulent flow do exhibit specific size and density effects but that they preserve an extremely robust turbulent signature with lognormal fluctuations, regardless of particles size and density. This has important consequences in terms of modelling of the turbulent transport of dispersed inclusions.