The sedimentation (separation) process which is induced by centrifugal-Coriolis forces in a mixture of buoyant particles (droplets, bubbles) in a suspending fluid, remains very much on the frontier of fluid flow research. The motivations are: 1. Practical These flows are essential ingredients in separation/mixing technologies and environmental control, e.g., (a) separation of cream-milk, fuel - water droplets, and blood plasma - cells: (b) mixing of micro-carriers of animal cells and nourishing fluid; (c) propagation of turbidity currents and volcanic ashes (here a combined centrifugal and gravitational driving may appear). The practical objective is to improve the design and control of these processes. 2. Academic These flows display interesting and novel phenomena in the realm of multi-phase flow. The objective is to enhance the theoretical and experimental knowledge concerning accurate formulation, efficient solution and reliable interpretation. In recent years, many fundamental aspects of centrifugal separation of suspensions have been formulated, analyzed, numerically simulated and experimentally verified. The concomitant advance of computer power opens the possibility for implementing these achievements in large scale parametric studies and engineering-oriented simulations. However, there are gaps of knowledge concerning strong rotation, concentrated suspensions and motion of the sediment, which require additional theoretical and experimental investigations.
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