Deformations of thin liquid spherical shells in liquid-liquid-gas systems

Deformation characteristics of a millimeter-sized thin liquid spherical shell moving at intermediate Reynolds numbers in immiscible liquid are investigated both numerically and experimentally. Experiments are made using the novel principle of sequential production of the shell developed by the authors. Numerical results of the flow pattern around the liquid shell, deformation ratio, and the drag coefficient are compared to experimental results for wide flow conditions. They are in reasonable agreement from the viewpoint of practical engineering. Furthermore, effects of shell deformation on heat transfer characteristics are also investigated numerically. The present research provides the fluid dynamical knowledge for various applications of liquid spherical shells. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.