Particle-based modeling of aggregation and fragmentation processes: fractal-like aggregates (Q532385)

The incorporation of particle inertia into the usual mean field theory for particle aggregation and fragmentation in fluid flows is still an unsolved problem. The authors suggest the alternative approach which is based on the dynamics of individual inertial particles and apply this to study steady state particle size distributions in a 3D synthetic turbulent flow. The authors focus specially on the problem of aggregation and fragmentation in systems where the aggregates can be described as having a fractal-like structure, as is for example the case for marine aggregates. By this it is meant that on average there exists a power-law relationship between the characteristic length and the mass of such aggregates. The exponent of the power law is called the fractal dimension. Such a characterization in terms of a fractal dimension leads to a modification of the radii and effective densities of the aggregates compared to a solid sphere of the same mass. The used complete model for advection, aggregation and fragmentation is described. The equations of motion for heavy spherical particles (Stokes equation) are used, but with modified parameters to take a fractal-like structure into account. Rules governing the aggregation and fragmentation are introduced. The model is applied to a simple 3D synthetic turbulent flow field. Then a complete analysis of the influence of all major system parameters on the resulting steady state size distributions is presented, the average aggregate size in steady state and the relaxation time towards the steady state. Namely, these parameters are aggregate strength, fractal dimension of the aggregates and total particle mass in the system. In conclusion, the discussion of the limitations of the model is given.