Special issue on finite-size particles, drops and bubbles in fluid flows: advances in modelling and simulations

• Published in: Acta mechanica Vol. 230; no. 2; pp. 381 - 386
• Main Authors: Marchioli, Cristian, Vincent, Stéphane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.02.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Analysis; Classical and Continuum Physics; Computer simulation; Conferences and conventions; Control; Dynamical Systems; Editorial; Engineering; Engineering Sciences; Engineering Thermodynamics; Fluid dynamics; Fluids mechanics; Heat and Mass Transfer; Mechanics; Numerical analysis; Schools; Scientists; Solid Mechanics; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Vibration
• DOI: 10.1007/s00707-018-2352-7
• ISSN: 0001-5970

Multiphase flows laden with finite-size particles, droplets and bubbles are of fundamental importance in a huge variety of practical applications embracing environmental phenomena as well as industrial processes [3]. Over the last decade, modelling and simulation of such flows have become feasible thanks to the increase in computational power, and the subject has received growing attention within the multiphase flow community. This is proven by the appearance of dedicated sessions in all major international scientific events dedicated to multiphase flows. Among those organised in the last 5 years, and limiting the list to specialised events, we can cite Euromech colloquia (in particular the Colloquium 555 on Small-scale numerical methods for multiphase flows, held in August 2013 in Pessac, France, and the Colloquium 596 on Numerical simulations of flows with particles, bubbles and droplets, held in May 2018 in Venice, Italy); the Turbulence and Interaction international conference series (the 4th edition was held in November 2015 in Corsica, France; the 5th edition was held in June 2018 in Martinique, France) [8, 9]; as well as symposia (e.g. the mini-symposia on Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer, included in the programme of the 6th International Symposium on Advances in Computational Heat Transfer, which took place at Rutgers University, USA, in May 2015; or the IUTAM Symposium on Motile Cells in Complex Environments, held in Udine, Italy, in May 2018). The importance of the topic is also proven by the growing number of advanced courses organised for research scientists and engineers: Among others, we recall the summer schools organised by the International Centre for Mechanical Sciences (CISM) in Udine, specifically those on Small Scale Modeling and Simulation of Turbulent Multi-phase Flows held in May 2016 and on Fluid Dynamics Effects on Particle Formation in Crystallization Processes held in July 2018, and the lecture series on Industrial Computational Fluid Dynamics organised by the Von Karman Institute (VKI), with specific reference to the lecture on Industrial multi-scale applications: Modeling and simulation of multi-phase flows with fictitious domain approaches, held in May 2017. Relying on our numerous exchanges with the two-phase flow community and, in particular, with colleagues working on the modelling and simulation of dispersed flow problems, we found it timely to propose a special issue dedicated to the state of the art in modelling and simulation of finite-size particles in fluid flows. In 2018, invitations were sent to several research groups with a well-established activity in the field to contribute a paper to this special issue of Acta Mechanica. To our great pleasure, almost all of the invitees were able to accept the invitation and submitted their works in late fall. All manuscripts were then subject to evaluation by anonymous reviewers as per the regular publication procedure in Acta Mechanica. Altogether, 15 reviewed and revised papers are published in this special issue. The papers focus on the different physical, modelling and numerical issues that emerge when the behaviour of finite-size particles in different flow instances (ranging from viscous to turbulent) is examined. We believe that this Special Issue provides a vivid picture of the latest advances achieved in the numerical prediction of deformable particle dynamics (in particular, fluid particles like drops and bubbles) as well as solid particle motion in fluid flows.