Shape and size effects of inertial particles in turbulent flow - Theresa B. Oehmke, University of New Hampshire

Theresa B. Oehmke, Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Hampshire

Abstract: Understanding how particles interact in turbulent flow is an important and open question with many industrial and natural applications. Using laboratory experiments, I investigate how particles within the inertial subrange of turbulence respond to their environment in terms of their kinematics (translation, orientation, tumbling, spinning) and dissolution rates. By first understanding how size influences motion, we can then determine how that motion should in turn impact dissolution. In this talk I will present methods and results for the 3D reconstruction of flat particle orientation that allows for examination of spinning vs tumbling rates. Then I will discuss how understanding of spinning and tumbling contributes to our knowledge of determining the impacts of shape and size on dissolution of in-house, custom made sugar particles.

About the speaker: Dr. Theresa B. Oehmke is a Postdoctoral Scholar in Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Oehmke earned a PhD in Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2021 and a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Engineering Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2015. Theresa does research related to Environmental Fluid Mechanics. Specifically, she is interested in the transport of particles and pollutants in turbulent flows. Prior research has included work with fibers, cuboids, and flat particles within the inertial subrange to study how size and shape influence particle motion and dissolution. Her research is funded by the National Science Foundation and she is also a recipient of the Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) Fellowship and a two-time recipient of the STEM Chateaubriand Fellowship.