Particle capture by drops in turbulent flow

Three-phase turbulent flows are crucial in a number of practical problems involving particulate abatement, from scavenging of air pollutants by precipitation to scrubbing processes. These flows are extremely rich in physics and challenging to simulate. Through direct numerical simulations of turbulence, coupled with a phase field interface description and Lagrangian particle tracking, the capture dynamics of small solid particles by large deformable drops is examined in detail. The role of the topologically changing drop interface in connection with the local turbulence structure is highlighted, and a simple transport model for predicting capture efficiency is derived.