Abstract
Droplets of diameter 300–1300 μ are projected into collision at 140–220 cm/s within a steam atmosphere from two identical horizontally opposed vibrating capillary atomizers. High-speed photography of the events following collision enables an analysis of the collision process to be made in terms of momentum and energy continuity.
Tests conducted in air and in steam at atmospheric pressure suggest that the outcome of a collision is dependent upon the relative velocity of the drops and on the phase angle of the collision. Drops which mutually strike a glancing blow tend to bounce. As the path interference becomes greater drops tend to coalesce unstably. Maximum path interference tends to result in a stable coalescence provided a limiting capacity for energy absorption by the coalesced mass is not exceeded.
The significant energy quantities are those associated with motion, with the extent of the interfacial surface and with oscillation. To assess the latter it was assumed that an oscillating drop at its extreme deflection exchanged without loss its energy of internal motion for that of extended surface.
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