Drops, falling, oscillations measurement

Lenard1 has observed the oscillations of falling drops, and further measurements have been made by his pupils. 

The current oscillations arise from the dislodging of the Hg drop the current drops to minimum but then increases monotonically until the next drop falls. An undamped x-y or strip-chart recorder is used to measure the maximum current (i.e., the current at the end of the drop life) on the plateau of the wave. If the wave is diffusion controlled, the maximum current is called the diffusion current, i, and is given, in microamperes, by ... 

Now commence the voltage sweep using a scan rate of 5 mV per second, or with a manual polarograph, increase the voltage in steps of 0.05 V. The recorder plot will take the form shown in Fig. 16.4 if a manual instrument is used, then since the current oscillates as mercury drops grow and then fall away, the plot will have a saw-tooth appearance, and for measurement purposes a smooth curve must be drawn through the midpoint of the peaks of the plot. 

In general, oscillations may be oblate-prolate (H8, S5), oblate-spherical, or oblate-less oblate (E2, FI, H8, R3, R4, S5). Correlations of the amplitude of fluctuation have been given (R3, S5), but these are at best approximate since the amplitude varies erratically as noted above. For low M systems, secondary motion may become marked, leading to what has been described as random wobbling (E2, S4, Wl). There appears to have been little systematic work on oscillations of liquid drops in gases. Such oscillations have been observed (FI, M4) and undoubtedly influence drag as noted earlier in this chapter. Measurements (Y3) for 3-6 mm water drops in air show that the amplitude of oscillation increases with while the frequency is initially close to the Lamb value (Eq. 7-30) but decays with distance of fall. 

As for steady motion, shape changes and oscillations may complicate the accelerated motion of bubbles and drops. Here we consider only acceleration of drops and bubbles which have already been formed formation processes are considered in Chapter 12. As for solid spheres, initial motion of fluid spheres is controlled by added mass, and the initial acceleration under gravity is g y - l)/ y + ) (El, H15, W2). Quantitative measurements beyond the initial stages are scant, and limited to falling drops with intermediate Re, and rising... 

Measurement of C requires more sophisticated and expensive rheometers and more involved experimental procedures. It must be remembered that experiments have to he carried out below the critical strain value (see Sec II), or in [he region of linear viscoelastic behavior. This region is determined by measuring the complex modulus G as a function of the applied strain at a constant oscillation frequency (usually 1 Hz). Up to 7, G does not vary with the strain above Yr, G tends to drop. The evaluation of oscillatory parameters is more often restricted to product formulation studies and research. However, a controlled-fall penetrometer may be used to compare the degree of elasticity between different samples. Creep compliance and creep relaxation experiments may be obtained by means of this type of device. In fact, a penetrometer may be the only way to assess viscoeIa.sticity when the sample does not adhere to solid surfaces, or adheres too well, or cures to become a solid or semisolid. This is the case of many dental products such as fillings, impression putties, sealants, and cements. 

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