scholarly journals Structure and Rheology of Monodisperse and Bimodal Emulsions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nicholas Monahan

<p>Emulsions are the basis for many commercial products such as foodstuffs and paint due in part to their highly tunable flow properties. It is qualitatively understood that factors such as the dispersed phase droplet size and size distribution should affect how an emulsion flows because they influence how droplets can deform or pack. Since standard emulsification techniques such as blending and homogenization cannot produce emulsions with well-defined size distributions, little work has been done to, in particular, quantitatively determine the influence of droplet size distribution on emulsion flow properties. Consequently, in this investigation we have probed how the droplet size distribution affects emulsion flow properties by using model monodisperse emulsion systems with narrow, controllable droplet size distributions. Using a microfluidic flow focusing device, dodecane-in-water emulsions with diameters between 50 to 100 m with polydispersities less than 5% were produced, as characterized by pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance and optical microscopy. Due to the relatively large size of the droplets, it was only possible to examine the creamed phase of the emulsion. Samples of known polydispersity were made by mixing known quantities of two monodisperse emulsions. The monodisperse and bimodal emulsions were then subjected to rotational and oscillatory shear flow using a controlled stress rheometer to determine the effects of droplet size and size distribution on emulsion flow properties. Rotational and oscillatory rheological experiments showed that the monodisperse emulsions had two distinct behaviours: foam-like with appreciable thixotropy and yield stresses as well as emulsion-like with no evident thixotropy. The transition between these two behaviours appears to happen at a critical droplet radius between 33 and 37 micrometres. The rheological properties of the bimodal emulsions was split into three distinct behaviours. In samples that could be considered a matrix of large droplets perturbed by smaller droplets, the flow properties were similar to those of the constituent emulsion with the larger droplets. Increasing the number fraction of smaller droplets to a 1:1 ratio creates an entirely new phase with significantly reduced elastic properties. Surprisingly, when the emulsion primarily consists of small droplets, the flow properties are most similar to that of the large droplets. Additionally, despite the microstructural differences, all emulsions showed flow characteristics typical of soft glassy materials above the glass transition temperature. These results demonstrate the significant influence of microstructure on emulsion rheology, where altering the droplet size or polydispersity essentially creates a new phase with its own unique flow properties that is not simply a combination of the properties of the individual monodisperse components that make up the sample</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nicholas Monahan

<p>Emulsions are the basis for many commercial products such as foodstuffs and paint due in part to their highly tunable flow properties. It is qualitatively understood that factors such as the dispersed phase droplet size and size distribution should affect how an emulsion flows because they influence how droplets can deform or pack. Since standard emulsification techniques such as blending and homogenization cannot produce emulsions with well-defined size distributions, little work has been done to, in particular, quantitatively determine the influence of droplet size distribution on emulsion flow properties. Consequently, in this investigation we have probed how the droplet size distribution affects emulsion flow properties by using model monodisperse emulsion systems with narrow, controllable droplet size distributions. Using a microfluidic flow focusing device, dodecane-in-water emulsions with diameters between 50 to 100 m with polydispersities less than 5% were produced, as characterized by pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance and optical microscopy. Due to the relatively large size of the droplets, it was only possible to examine the creamed phase of the emulsion. Samples of known polydispersity were made by mixing known quantities of two monodisperse emulsions. The monodisperse and bimodal emulsions were then subjected to rotational and oscillatory shear flow using a controlled stress rheometer to determine the effects of droplet size and size distribution on emulsion flow properties. Rotational and oscillatory rheological experiments showed that the monodisperse emulsions had two distinct behaviours: foam-like with appreciable thixotropy and yield stresses as well as emulsion-like with no evident thixotropy. The transition between these two behaviours appears to happen at a critical droplet radius between 33 and 37 micrometres. The rheological properties of the bimodal emulsions was split into three distinct behaviours. In samples that could be considered a matrix of large droplets perturbed by smaller droplets, the flow properties were similar to those of the constituent emulsion with the larger droplets. Increasing the number fraction of smaller droplets to a 1:1 ratio creates an entirely new phase with significantly reduced elastic properties. Surprisingly, when the emulsion primarily consists of small droplets, the flow properties are most similar to that of the large droplets. Additionally, despite the microstructural differences, all emulsions showed flow characteristics typical of soft glassy materials above the glass transition temperature. These results demonstrate the significant influence of microstructure on emulsion rheology, where altering the droplet size or polydispersity essentially creates a new phase with its own unique flow properties that is not simply a combination of the properties of the individual monodisperse components that make up the sample</p>


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1255-1263 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Mayer ◽  
M. Schröder ◽  
R. Preusker ◽  
L. Schüller

Abstract. Cloud single scattering properties are mainly determined by the effective radius of the droplet size distribution. There are only few exceptions where the shape of the size distribution affects the optical properties, in particular the rainbow and the glory directions of the scattering phase function. Using observations by the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) in 180° backscatter geometry, we found that high angular resolution aircraft observations of the glory provide unique new information which is not available from traditional remote sensing techniques: Using only one single wavelength, 753nm, we were able to determine not only optical thickness and effective radius, but also the width of the size distribution at cloud top. Applying this novel technique to the ACE-2 CLOUDYCOLUMN experiment, we found that the size distributions were much narrower than usually assumed in radiation calculations which is in agreement with in-situ observations during this campaign. While the shape of the size distribution has only little relevance for the radiative properties of clouds, it is extremely important for understanding their formation and evolution.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 2237-2260 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Spiegel ◽  
P. Zieger ◽  
N. Bukowiecki ◽  
E. Hammer ◽  
E. Weingartner ◽  
...  

Abstract. Droplet size spectra measurements are crucial to obtain a quantitative microphysical description of clouds and fog. However, cloud droplet size measurements are subject to various uncertainties. This work focuses on the error analysis of two key measurement uncertainties arising during cloud droplet size measurements with a conventional droplet size spectrometer (FM-100): first, we addressed the precision with which droplets can be sized with the FM-100 on the basis of the Mie theory. We deduced error assumptions and proposed a new method on how to correct measured size distributions for these errors by redistributing the measured droplet size distribution using a stochastic approach. Second, based on a literature study, we summarized corrections for particle losses during sampling with the FM-100. We applied both corrections to cloud droplet size spectra measured at the high alpine site Jungfraujoch for a temperature range from 0 °C to 11 °C. We showed that Mie scattering led to spikes in the droplet size distributions using the default sizing procedure, while the new stochastic approach reproduced the ambient size distribution adequately. A detailed analysis of the FM-100 sampling efficiency revealed that particle losses were typically below 10% for droplet diameters up to 10 μm. For larger droplets, particle losses can increase up to 90% for the largest droplets of 50 μm at ambient wind speeds below 4.4 m s−1 and even to >90% for larger angles between the instrument orientation and the wind vector (sampling angle) at higher wind speeds. Comparisons of the FM-100 to other reference instruments revealed that the total liquid water content (LWC) measured by the FM-100 was more sensitive to particle losses than to re-sizing based on Mie scattering, while the total number concentration was only marginally influenced by particle losses. Consequently, for further LWC measurements with the FM-100 we strongly recommend to consider (1) the error arising due to Mie scattering, and (2) the particle losses, especially for larger droplets depending on the set-up and wind conditions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (50) ◽  
pp. 14243-14248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamal Kant Chandrakar ◽  
Will Cantrell ◽  
Kelken Chang ◽  
David Ciochetto ◽  
Dennis Niedermeier ◽  
...  

The influence of aerosol concentration on the cloud-droplet size distribution is investigated in a laboratory chamber that enables turbulent cloud formation through moist convection. The experiments allow steady-state microphysics to be achieved, with aerosol input balanced by cloud-droplet growth and fallout. As aerosol concentration is increased, the cloud-droplet mean diameter decreases, as expected, but the width of the size distribution also decreases sharply. The aerosol input allows for cloud generation in the limiting regimes of fast microphysics (τc<τt) for high aerosol concentration, and slow microphysics (τc>τt) for low aerosol concentration; here, τc is the phase-relaxation time and τt is the turbulence-correlation time. The increase in the width of the droplet size distribution for the low aerosol limit is consistent with larger variability of supersaturation due to the slow microphysical response. A stochastic differential equation for supersaturation predicts that the standard deviation of the squared droplet radius should increase linearly with a system time scale defined as τs−1=τc−1+τt−1, and the measurements are in excellent agreement with this finding. The result underscores the importance of droplet size dispersion for aerosol indirect effects: increasing aerosol concentration changes the albedo and suppresses precipitation formation not only through reduction of the mean droplet diameter but also by narrowing of the droplet size distribution due to reduced supersaturation fluctuations. Supersaturation fluctuations in the low aerosol/slow microphysics limit are likely of leading importance for precipitation formation.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 3333-3393 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Spiegel ◽  
P. Zieger ◽  
N. Bukowiecki ◽  
E. Hammer ◽  
E. Weingartner ◽  
...  

Abstract. Droplet size spectra measurements are crucial to obtain a quantitative microphysical description of clouds and fog. However, cloud droplet size measurements are subject to various uncertainties. This work focuses on the evaluation of two key measurement uncertainties arising during cloud droplet size measurements with a conventional droplet size spectrometer (FM-100): first, we addressed the precision with which droplets can be sized with the FM-100 on the basis of Mie theory. We deduced error assumptions and proposed how to correct measured size distributions for these errors by redistributing the measured droplet size distribution using a stochastic approach. Second, based on a literature study, we derived corrections for particle losses during sampling with the FM-100. We applied both corrections to cloud droplet size spectra measured at the high alpine site Jungfraujoch for a temperature range from 0 °C to 11 °C. We show that Mie scattering led to spikes in the droplet size distributions using the default sizing procedure, while the stochastic approach reproduced the ambient size distribution adequately. A detailed analysis of the FM-100 sampling efficiency revealed that particle losses were typically below 10% for droplet diameters up to 10 μm. For larger droplets, particle losses can increase up to 90% for the largest droplets of 50 μm at ambient windspeeds below 4.4 m s−1 and even to >90% for larger angles between the instrument orientation and the wind vector (sampling angle) at higher wind speeds. Comparisons of the FM-100 to other reference instruments revealed that the total liquid water content (LWC) measured by the FM-100 was more sensitive to particle losses than to re-sizing based on Mie scattering, while the total number concentration was only marginally influenced by particle losses. As a consequence, for further LWC measurements with the FM-100 we strongly recommend to consider (1) the error arising due to Mie scattering, and (2) the particle losses, especially for larger droplets depending on the set-up and wind conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-85
Author(s):  
Shian Guo ◽  
Huiwen Xue

Abstract. The effects of electric charges and fields on droplet collision–coalescence and the evolution of cloud droplet size distribution are studied numerically. Collision efficiencies for droplet pairs with radii from 2 to 1024 µm and charges from −32 r2 to +32 r2 (in units of elementary charge; droplet radius r in units of µm) in different strengths of downward electric fields (0, 200, and 400 V cm−1) are computed by solving the equations of motion for the droplets. It is seen that the collision efficiency is increased by electric charges and fields, especially for pairs of small droplets. These can be considered as being electrostatic effects. The evolution of the cloud droplet size distribution with the electrostatic effects is simulated using the stochastic collection equation. Results show that the electrostatic effect is not notable for clouds with the initial mean droplet radius of r¯=15 µm or larger. For clouds with the initial r¯=9 µm, the electric charge without a field could evidently accelerate raindrop formation compared to the uncharged condition, and the existence of electric fields further accelerates it. For clouds with the initial r¯=6.5 µm, it is difficult for gravitational collision to occur, and the electric field could significantly enhance the collision process. The results of this study indicate that electrostatic effects can accelerate raindrop formation in natural conditions, particularly for polluted clouds. It is seen that the aerosol effect on the suppression of raindrop formation is significant in polluted clouds, when comparing the three cases with r¯=15, 9, and 6.5 µm. However, the electrostatic effects can accelerate raindrop formation in polluted clouds and mitigate the aerosol effect to some extent.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Pörtge ◽  
Tobias Kölling ◽  
Tobias Zinner ◽  
Linda Forster ◽  
Claudia Emde ◽  
...  

&lt;p&gt;The evolution of clouds and their impact on weather and climate is closely related to the cloud droplet size distribution, which is often represented by two parameters: the cloud droplet effective radius (reff) and the effective variance (veff). The droplet radius (reff) determines the radiative effect of clouds on climate. The effective variance is a measure of the width of the size distribution which is, for instance, important to understand the formation of precipitation or entrainment and mixing processes. We present an airborne remote-sensing technique to determine reff and veff from high-resolution polarimetric imaging observations of the LMU cloud camera system specMACS.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Recently the spectral camera system has been upgraded by a wide-field polarization resolving RGB camera which was operated for the first time on the HALO aircraft during the EUREC&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;A campaign. The new polarimeter is ideally suited for observing the cloudbow - an optical phenomenon which forms by scattering of sunlight by liquid water cloud droplets at cloud top. The cloudbow is dominated by single scattering which has two implications: Its visibility is significantly enhanced in polarized measurements and its structure is sensitive to the cloud droplet size distribution at cloud top. This allows the retrieval of reff and veff by fitting the observed polarized cloudbow reflectances against a look-up table of pre-computed scattering phase functions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The characteristics of the polarimeter are optimized for the measurement of the cloudbow. The wide field-of-view is key for observing the cloudbow (scattering angle 135&amp;#176; -165&amp;#176;) for a wide range of solar positions. Another advantage is the high spatial and temporal resolution which allows the study of small-scale variability of cloud microphysics at cloud top with a horizontal resolution of up to 20 m. Combining the polarimetric cloudbow technique with an existing stereographic retrieval of cloud geometry allows to derive vertical profiles of the droplet size distribution at cloud top. Observations of different EUREC&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;A cloud fields are used to demonstrate the retrieval technique and to present first spatial distributions and vertical profiles of cloud droplet size distributions.&lt;/p&gt;


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 2239-2262 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Mayer ◽  
M. Schröder ◽  
R. Preusker ◽  
L. Schüller

Abstract. Cloud single scattering properties are mainly determined by the effective radius of the droplet size distribution. There are only few exceptions where the shape of the size distribution affects the optical properties, in particular the rainbow and the glory directions of the scattering phase function. Using observations by the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) in 180° backscatter geometry, we found that high angular resolution aircraft observations of the glory provide unique new information which is not available from traditional remote sensing techniques: Using only one single wavelength, 753 nm, we were able to determine not only optical thickness and effective radius, but also the width of the size distribution at cloud top. Applying this novel technique to the ACE-2 CLOUDYCOLUMN experiment, we found that the size distributions were much narrower than usually assumed in radiation calculations which is in agreement with in-situ observations during this campaign. While the shape of the size distribution has only little relevance for the radiative properties of clouds, it is extremely important for understanding their formation and evolution.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Duthon ◽  
Michèle Colomb ◽  
Frédéric Bernardin

Fog is one of major challenges for transportation systems. The automation of the latter is based on perception sensors that can be disrupted by atmospheric conditions. As fog conditions are random and non-reproducible in nature, Cerema has designed a platform to generate fog and rain on demand. Two types of artificial fog with different droplet size distributions are generated: they correspond to radiation fogs with small and medium droplets. This study presents an original method for classifying these different types of fog in a descriptive and quantitative way. It uses a new fog classification coefficient based on a principal component analysis, which measures the ability of a pair of droplet size distribution descriptors to differentiate between the two different types of fog. This method is applied to a database containing more than 12,000 droplet size distributions collected within the platform. It makes it possible to show: (1) that the two types of fog proposed by Cerema have significantly different droplet size distributions, for meteorological visibility values from 10 m to 1000 m; (2) that the proposed droplet size distribution range is included in the natural droplet size distribution range; (3) that the proposed droplet size distribution range should be extended in particular with larger droplets. Finally, the proposed method makes it possible to compare the different fog droplet size distribution descriptors proposed in the literature.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maofei Mei ◽  
Feng Hu ◽  
Chong Han ◽  
Yan Sun ◽  
Dongdong Liu

Abstract Droplet growth processes during dropwise condensation are simulated with a help of computer. We focus on instantaneous and time-averaged characteristics of droplet size distributions. Based on simulation results, shift of a single peak from small to large size is a significant characteristic for the instantaneous distribution before the first departure. Once condensing surface was refreshed time and again by shedding droplets, then coexistence, shift and combination of multiple peaks is the dominant feature. This indicates that the instantaneous droplet size distribution highly depends on growth time and target area. The findings can explain why different distribution characteristics were reported in experiments. Different from the instantaneous distribution, time-averaged size distributions for coalesced droplets follow a power-law style due to a collaboration of coalescence events and re-nucleation behaviors. However, the size range for the power-law distributions were affected by nucleation density. This requires an appropriate usage of the empirical or fractal model to predict theoretically heat transfer rate of dropwise condensation. The present work provides a comprehensive understanding of the instantaneous and time-averaged characteristics of droplet size distributions.


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