Laser-based particle measurements of spherical and nonspherical particles

Experiments were performed to collect a detailed set of particle information in a co-axial jet and a swirling flow to assess the influence of particle shape on the particle dynamics. Spherical glass beads and a ground glass powder of the same material and similar size distribution were used for the experiments. The experiments presented also provide a comprehensive data set of particle information in a well-defined laboratory environment suitable for model validation. Results presented were measured with a two-component phase-Doppler particle analyzer (PDPA) and contain detailed particle velocity information for both spherical and nonspherical particles. Significant differences between spherical and nonspherical particles were observed for both co-axial jet and swirling flows in regions where velocity gradients are high. In general, nonspherical particles in the 30–70 μm range were able to follow the gas-phase velocity much better than the spherical particles in the same size range. Size-resolved velocity information was also collected directly below the inlet to measure the different velocity characteristics of different size classes within the overall distribution.