Stability of Multiphased Rotating Fluid Systems Subjected to VariableGravitational Forces, Phase 3

摘要

A thermodynamic method was developed to predict the shape of the phase boundaryin isothermal, constant volume, constant mass, rotating, two phase fluid systems. The shape is predicted in terms of experimentally controllable variables for the system. A nondimensional parameter is then defined, and provided that it is small compared to unity, gravitational effects may be neglected. A set of experiments was performed under conditions where this restriction is satisfied. It is found that the length of the vapor phase may be predicted with the proposed method. An experimental study was also conducted in KC-135 flights to examine the stability of the fluid-fluid interphase in a rotating fluid system in which a gravitational field is applied perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The parameters which govern stability were determined. A method was also developed to predict the equilibrium configurations of a droplet rotating in an isothermal, closed, constant size volume. If the complete conditions for thermodynamic equilibrium are imposed, the possible shapes of the droplet may be predicted in terms of experimentally controlled variables. Finally, theory was applied to develop a method for determining interfacial tensions from the measurement of both the shape of a rotating drop and the shape of a sessile drop.