Periodic and solitary waves on thin, horizontal, gas-sheared liquid films

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-9322(89)90007-4· OSTI ID:6167904

Jurman, L A; Bruno, K; McCready, M J

Measurements of wavelengths and speeds of periodic waves which occur at the interface of thin, horizontal, liquid films sheared by a cocurrent gas flow are compared with predictions of linear theory. In general, linear predictions accurately match the data near the point of neutral stability but begin to deviate as the gas velocity increases. The behavior away from neutral stability is explained by the examination of the dynamical system associated with steady solutions to a nonlinear wave equation based on boundary-layer approximations. Periodic waves are seen to occur in the neighborhood of the Hopf curve which serves as a boundary between periodic waves and a flat film. Solitary waves (which correspond under some circumstances to disturbance or roll waves) are observed to lie in another region of parameter space at gas velocities well above neutral stability. These results suggest that a complete nonlinear analysis of the boundary-layer (or associated wave) equations would be useful for predicting amplitudes and speeds for periodic waves and the regions of occurrence for solitary waves. 38 refs., 10 figs.

• Research Organization: Notre Dame Univ., IN (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-88ER13913
• OSTI ID: 6167904
• Report Number(s): CONF-8809335-1; ON: DE89010655
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640410* -- Fluid Physics-- General Fluid Dynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
EQUATIONS
FILMS
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INTERFACES
MECHANICS
MULTIPHASE FLOW
REYNOLDS NUMBER
THIN FILMS
TRAVELLING WAVES
TURBULENT FLOW