Particle Transport in a Counter-flow

G. F. CARRIER, F. E. FENDELL,* S. F. FINK IV, and C. N. FOLLEY

Space & Technology Division, TRW Space & Electronics, Redondo Beach, CA 90278 USA

We consider properties of a steady two-dimensional isothermal low Mach-number counter-flow, into which a
dilute loading of small spherical particles is introduced at the local gas velocity, at a finite axial distance from
the stagnation plane for the axial velocity component of the gas. The particles are introduced on one side of that
stagnation plane only, and the consequences of any subsequent velocity slip of the particles with respect to the
local gas are examined. The self-similarity (planar symmetry in the axial coordinate, for most of the key
dependent variables), familiar from particle-free counter-flow, also holds for the two-phase flow under these
conditions. Results, obtained by Lagrangian tracking of the motion of a single particle, distinguish: the
nonoscillatory trajectory of that particle for relatively small strain-rate, large drag-rate conditions (the particle
does not cross the stagnation plane for the axial velocity component); and the oscillatory trajectory of that
particle under relatively large strain-rate, small drag-rate conditions (the particle may cross the stagnation plane
repeatedly). However, for the multi-particle scenario for self-similar two-phase flow, the results for both
conditions have commonalities. A single, densely particle-loaded, very thin slab region arises: one planar side
of the slab interfaces with a particle-free, purely gaseous counter-flow, and constitutes the axial stagnation plane
for that flow; the other planar side of the slab interfaces with a dilutely particle-laden region, in which the
particle behavior is unaltered by the presence of the close-packed thin slab. In fact, the thin slab effectively is
the stagnation plane for the axial velocity component of the gas, the value of the strain-rate/drag-rate ratio
characterizing whether the plane is displaced from its pure gas counter-flow position (and, if so, to what
different axial position). 2001 by The Combustion Institute

NOMENCLATURE
a

D
L
l
m
t
t*
t1
u
V
v
w

spherical particle radius

particle drag
magnitude of x-coordinate location at
which the particle-free stream enters
the counter-flow domain
magnitude of the x-coordinate location
of a particle at time t 0
mass of a spherical particle
time since a particle being tracked
entered the counter-flow domain across
x l
time at which the velocity component u
of a particle being tracked is stagnated
time at which a particle being tracked
enters the dense stream
fluid velocity component in the x
direction
y-directed velocity of the dense stream
fluid velocity component in the y
direction
fluid velocity vector
x-coordinate thickness of the dense
stream

* Corresponding author. frank.fendell@trw.com

0010-2180/01/$see front matter
PII S0010-2180(01)00279-6

x
x(t)
x(t)
Y
y
y(t)
y(t)

Cartesian similarity coordinate for a

steady two-dimensional counter-flow
x-coordinate location at time t of a
particle being tracked
x-coordinate speed at time t of a
particle being tracked
y-coordinate location at time t 0 of a
particle being tacked
Cartesian coordinate perpendicular to x
y-coordinate location at time t of a
particle being tracked
y-coordinate speed at time t of a
particle being tracked

Greek Letters

1
2
3

(t)

(t)

[1 4(/)]1/2
[1 4(/)]1/2
[4(/) 1]1/2
Stokes drag rate, 6a/m
multiple to which a line segment of
simultaneously entering particles is
stretched in the y direction at time t
time rate of change of (t)
dynamic viscosity of fluid
mass of particles per volume of space,
at the entry plane
COMBUSTION AND FLAME 126:1630 1639 (2001)
2001 by The Combustion Institute
Published by Elsevier Science Inc.

PARTICLE TRANSPORT IN A COUNTER-FLOW

s
(t)

characteristic value of (t) under close

packing
mass of particles per volume of space at
time t
dimensionless time, t/2
t*/2
strain rate of a steady two-dimensional
counter-flow

INTRODUCTION
Counter-flow configurations have played an important role in both the theoretical understanding and the gathering of experimental data for a
variety of combustion-related phenomena. We
analyze here the transport of initially sparse
distributions of particles in such flows. We deal
with steady counter-flows, and the phrase initially sparse distributions refers to the number
density of particles at their sites of introduction
into the flow; wherever there is no large variation from the initial sparseness, the consequences of particle collisions are negligible.
Although our analysis is broadly applicable,
our work is particularly motivated by phenomena such as soot formation in hydrocarbon/air
counter-flow diffusion flames [1] and metal oxide particle formation (as feedstock for ceramics) in counter-flow diffusion flames [25].
Wooldridge [4] cites the counter-flow-diffusionflame apparatus as one of six basic experiments
especially suitable for examining the gas-phase
combustion synthesis of particles. Scenarios in
which fuel-droplet sprays are evaporated to
form a combustible vapor, such that the droplets do not persist to the vicinity of the gas axial
velocity component stagnation plane, have been
discussed [6 8], and do not constitute the major
motivation for our work.
A particular relevant context concerns a proposed modification in the schedule (duty cycle)
for transverse injection, into the hydrogen-rich
flow in the single nozzle of Stage 3 of the
Minuteman III missile, of a helium-pressurized
aqueous solution of the oxidizer strontium perchlorate Sr(ClO4)2. The liquid-injection transverse vector control (LITVC) system, in generating side force for attitude control (and some
modest thrust augmentation as well), may incur

1631

an unacceptably large local augmentation of the

heat load on the portion of the char-forming,
ablative nozzle liner in the vicinity of utilized
LITVC ports. We expect that oxygen from the
decomposition of the injected strontium perchlorate reacts with the nozzle-flow hydrogen to
generate steam and release heat. At 500 to 600
K, we expect the decomposition of strontium
perchlorate also to generate both hydrogen
chloride and, in the presence of steam, the
condensed-phase product strontium oxide SrO.
As a first step to unraveling the two-flame
phenomena, we isolate the issue of the fate of
the inert condensed-phase product generated
by the decomposition. Of course, the condensed-phase product aluminum oxide Al2O3 is
also present in the nozzle flow from the combustion of the aluminized composite grain in the
chamber of the rocket stage.
We adopt the simplification used by others [9,
10]: we examine a spherical particle in the
absence of phase change in a constant-density
gas flow. For convenience, we also track in
Lagrangian fashion the trajectory of a single
particle in the steady counter-flow, described in
conventional Eulerian fashion. However, our
interest lies in a steady counter-flow, which is
initially sparsely particle laden in the vicinity of
the particle-entry plane, and in which the familiar planar similarity holds, so that the key
dependent variables remain functions of the
axial coordinate only. The conditions under
which this planar similarity holds with particles
present require, inter alia, that: 1) the adoption
of the Stokes drag (here for spherical particles)
is appropriate; and 2) the particles are introduced without slip (i.e., introduced with the
local velocity of the gas flow) at finite distance
from the stagnation plane for the axial velocity
component [1113, 14]. Of course, if the need
for modification of the Stokes-drag hypothesis
(which pertains to small particles with modest
velocity slip with respect to the motion of the
co-located gas) were to become evident in the
course of solution, we would adopt that modification. Nevertheless, we reiterate that we are
not concerned with tracking the fate of one or
just a few particles introduced spasmodically in
a counter-flow for diagnostic purposes; our interest lies in a steady counter-flow in which a

1632
reasonable anticipation is that planar similarity
holds extensively (if not everywhere), and a
transversely invariant, temporally unchanging
flux of particles enters the counter-flow.
Finally, we take the particles to be introduced
in the counter-flow exclusively on one side of
the stagnation plane for the axial velocity component; of course, in the presence of slip, the
particles introduced on one side of the stagnation plane may or may not remain confined to
that side of the stagnation plane. Any crossing
of the stagnation plane is here not related to
thermophoresis, which is not present in our
isothermal flow; neither is any other diffusive
transport of particles taken to enter. Of particular interest is the possible existence, and location if it exists, of a dense (typically thin) layer
of particles separating particle-free regions of
the counterflow from only dilutely particleladen regions of the counter-flow; such a dense
layer may arise as a consequence of axial-flow
stagnation and finite interphase velocity slip.
Suggestions from theory of the existence of
singularly large particle number densities very
near the axial gas velocity stagnation plane for
smaller values of the Stokes number (the Stokes
number being here defined as the ratio of the
strain rate of the gaseous flow to a rate that
increases with the drag on particles) have not
been verified experimentally [9, 10]; further
study seems warranted to resolve the uncertainty [9, 10]. Furthermore, for larger values of
the Stokes number, single particle-tracking
models and experiments yield trajectories with
multiple reversals of direction [9, 10, 1517];
these results have been interpreted, for a multiple particle context, to imply the coexistence of
oppositely directed particles, so that analytic
complications arise [12]. Clarification again
seems warranted [17].

G. F. CARRIER ET AL.

Fig. 1. Sketch of the streamlines of a steady two-dimensional low-speed isothermal gaseous counterflow (solid
curves), with a stagnation plane (for the axial velocity
component u) located at axial-coordinate position x 0.
Small spherical particles are continuously introduced with
the local gas speed at the flow-domain boundary x l. The
trajectories of the particles introduced at the end points of
a differential line segment dY at x l are shown (dashed
curves), with the y-direction separation increasing to dY
when the particles subsequently lie at an (algebraically)
larger value of the axial coordinate x. No particles are
introduced in x 0, and no particles enter that region for
small-strain-rate, large-drag-rate conditions.

u x, v y in x l, y
(1)
where x,y denote Cartesian coordinates: denotes a constant strain rate; and l denotes a
positive number (Fig. 1). We denote the position of a single particle by x(t),y(t), where t
denotes time since the particle entered the flow
field defined by Eq. (1). We adopt the initial
particle position and initial particle velocity so
that initially there is no slip of the particle with
respect to the gas:

SINGLE-PARTICLE DYNAMICS IN A
COUNTER-FLOW

x0 l, y0 Y, x 0 l, y 0 Y

It is very convenient to begin with one particle

in a steady two-dimensional gaseous counterflow at very small Mach number. The gas-phase
velocity field w
(x, y) u(x) x v(y) y where:

to be that approWe take the particle drag D

priate for a small spherical particle ( denotes
the dynamic viscosity of the gas and a, the radius
of the particle):

(2)

PARTICLE TRANSPORT IN A COUNTER-FLOW

6 a x x x y y y
D

(3)

We reiterate that this Stokes-drag hypothesis is

to be modified if and when that need becomes
evident. Thus, in l x, y ,
x x x 0, y y y 0

(4)

where 6a/m, with units of inverse time,

and m denotes the mass of spherical particle of
radius a. Solution of Eq. (4) subject to Eq. (3)
introduces the ratio /, which is termed the
Stokes number, but we choose not to introduce
further notation. For what follows, we note that
m a3, so a2; if the particle size is
increased while all other parameters are held
fixed, then the ratio / is decreased in value.
We prefer henceforth to deal mainly with the
inverse, /.
For (/) (1/4), referred to here as the
high-drag low strain-rate case, the solution,
familiar from oscillation theory, is [15, 9, 10]:

x
[exp ()] cosh(1)
l

1 2(/)
sinh(1)
1

l x xt 1,

cosh(1)

for

(5)

x
exp ()]
l

1
sinh(1)
1

(6)

y
[exp()] cosh(2)
Y

1 2 /
sinh(2)
2

(7)

y /Y

exp()] cosh 2

1
sinh 2
2

(8)

where time t1 is discussed below, and

1 1 4/

1/ 2

, 2 1 4/

t/ 2 t/ 2//

1/ 2

,
(9)

1633

For (/) (1/4), referred to here as the

low-drag, high strain-rate case, Eqs. (5) and (6)
are taken in the form:

x
exp() cos 3
l

1 2/
sin 3
3

x
1
exp() cos 3
sin 3
l
3

(10)

(11)

where:

3 4/ 1 1/ 2

(12)

For the transitional case (/) (1/4):

x
exp(2t] 1 t
l

(13)

x
exp(2t] 1 2t
l

(14)

NUMBER DENSITY DISTRIBUTION

We now consider the steady flow of a sparse
homogeneous (monodisperse) collection of particles, each of which enters the flow at x l
(where the condensed-phase density is denoted
o, the product of the (true) density of the
particles times the number of particles per
volume of space) and follows a trajectory described by Eqs. (59) if (/) (1/4), and Eqs.
(79) and (10 12) if (/) (1/4).
The layer of particles that crosses x l
through the segment Y at time t 0 will cross
the segment of length (Y)(t) and axial position x(t) with axial velocity component x(t) at
time t. (We regard Y and t as parametric
independent variables.) The requirement that
volume occupied by the particles is preserved
then implies that:

ol Y t x t Y t,

(15)

where (t) denotes the mass of particles per

volume of space. Under Eq. (15) the density of
particles anywhere in the domain at issue would
be independent of y and be given by:

1634

G. F. CARRIER ET AL.

t
l

o
x t t

(16)

were it not for the fact that (t)/o , as given by

Eq. (16), becomes, for large t, larger than s/o ,
where s is the close-packed density of the
particles. [The close-packed density is on the
order of half the (true) particle density, the
mass of particulate per volume occupied by
particulate.] Of course, before becomes s,
becomes so large that the drag law that we have
used is not descriptive.
Accordingly, we hypothesize that there exists
a layer of thickness X(y) in which the x-directed
velocity component is zero, the particle density
is s, and the y-directed velocity component V is
such that both particle mass and particle momentum are conserved. Furthermore, the absence of any y dependence in any of the state
variables at issue (other than the y-directed
velocity) suggests that X would also be independent of y. We denote by x(t1), to be found, the
position of the interface between the dense
layer and the dilutely particle-populated region.
We anticipate that the particles are so sparsely
distributed in the region between the entry
plane x(0) l and the dense-layer interface
x(t1) that the foregoing recipes for the particle
behavior in the region require no modification
in any of that region [9].
Mass and momentum conservation, using
Eqs. (59) and 16 [or Eqs. (712) and (16), as
appropriate], require that:
sVX Y ol,

(17)

sV 2X Y olY
t 1,

(18)

where V(Y) is the y-directed velocity of the

dense stream at y Y (t1). Integration of Eqs.
(17) and (18) gives, since V 0 at Y 0:

sVX olY,

(19)

sV 2X ol
t 1 Y 2/ 2.

(20)

From Eqs. (19) and (20):

V
t 1 Y/ 2;
X

o lY o 2l

,
s V
s
t 1

or, alternatively:

(21)
(22a)

o X
t 1

.
s
2l

(22b)

The above integral-like statements concerning conservation of mass and momentum for the
dense layer would not be significantly altered if
there were fewer but larger particles in the
dense layer. The similarity of the flow in the
dilutely particle-populated region is what sets
the spatial rate of incrementation of the dense
layer, and the dilutely particle-populated region
is not likely to be altered by some aggregation
among particles already in the dense layer.
LOW STRAIN-RATE, HIGH DRAG-RATE
CASE
For the high drag-rate, low strain-rate case
(/) (1/4), with the aid of Eqs. (59), we
anticipate that the dense layer lies contiguous to
the stagnation plane for the axial velocity
component, x 0; i.e., the dense layer lies in
x(t1) x 0, where: x(t1) 0;
X/l xt 1/l;

(23)

and, to reiterate, x(t1) is to be found. The gas

flow in the particle-free region x 0 is unaltered from that holding for the particle-free
flow.
Equations (5 8) and (16) for t t1, (21),
(22a), and (23) constitute eight coupled algebraic equations for the eight dimensionless unknowns:
X xt 1 x t 1
,
,
, t 1,
l
l
l

t 1 V t 1
,
,
, and t 1,

Y
s

(24)

as functions of the two specified dimensionless

ratios o / s and /. Operationally, it is convenient to interchange the roles of one unknown
quantity, t1, and one specified ratio, o / s . By
adopting values for t1 and inferring o / s from
Eq. (22b), which replaces Eq. (22a), we conveniently avoid seeking the roots of any transcendental equations. However, only those values
adopted for t1 which give 0 ( o / s ) 0.01
(say), produce results of physical interest.
Results, obtained by assigning a succession of

PARTICLE TRANSPORT IN A COUNTER-FLOW

Fig. 2. For several values of the dimensionaless ratio /,

where denotes a Stokes-drag-related rate and , the strain
rate of the gaseous counterflow [with (/) 4 characterizing small-strain-rate, large-drag-rate conditions], the dimensionless time t1 at which a particle, introduced without
slip with respect to the gas at x l at time t 0, reaches
the interface between the dilutely-particle-loaded domain
and the very thin densely-particle-laden layer (situated
continuous to the stagnation plane x 0). The abscissa is
the ratio of the gas density o to the mass per volume of
space of closely packed particles s .

1635

Fig. 3. The normalized position of the interface x(t 1 )/l

between the relatively broad dilutely-particle-laden domain
and the very narrow densely-particle-laden domain, presented as a function of the density ratio o / s , for several
values of the reciprocal of the Stokes number, /. The
quantitly | x(t 1 )|/l gives the normalized dense-layer thickness X for (/) 4.

that the particle may cross the stagnation plane

for the axial velocity component of the gas, and
may proceed to the other side of that gas-flow
stagnation plane from the side on which the

values to (/) (1/4), for each of which a

range of values of t1 are adopted, are given in
Figs. 2 to 5. These plots indicate that the dense
layer is so thin (perhaps a few particle widths)
that the layer is challenging to detect experimentally; inability to detect the layer in the
laboratory [9] is owing to limitation in diagnostic resolution, not to inadequacy of the model.
Because the amount of displacement of the
dilute particle-density solution to account for
the presence of the close-packed particles
boundary layer is vanishingly small, then, over
effectively all the domain in which particles
exist, the simple dilute-population modeling
suffices, without the need for any modification.
LARGE STRAIN-RATE, SMALL DRAGRATE CASE
For (/) (1/4), the inertia of a larger
individual particle in a higher-speed flow is such

Fig. 4. The normalized axial velocity of a paticle at the

dilute-particle-domain,
dense-particle-layer
interface,
x (t 1 )/(l ), vs. the density ratio o / s , for several values of
the reciprocal of th Stokes numbr, /. The axial motion of
particles is virtually stagnated as they join the dense layer.

1636

G. F. CARRIER ET AL.

Fig. 5. The bulk density at the dilute-region/dense-layer

interface, (t 1), normalized by the bulk density at entry,
o , vs. ( o / s ), for several values of the reciprocal of the
Stokes number, /( 4). The density of particles, while
appreciably increased at the interface above the entry value,
remains well below half that of a close-packed layer.

particle was introduced into the counter-flow.

Such a particle encounters an opposed gas flow
upon crossing the stagnation plane, eventually
has its axial velocity stagnated and nominally
reversed, but in the steady state for a sparse
homogeneous collection of particles, immediately encounters oncoming particles that subsequently entered the counter-flow and are on
their way to the same fate. The upshot is the
formation of a dense layer of particles of thickness X, with particle density s, and having
y-directed velocity component V; again, X and V
are to be found. However, for (/) (1/4), the
dense layer lies in x(t1) x x(t*), where:
xt* xt 1 X, with t* t 1, X 0

(25)

so x(t*) x(t1); since we may anticipate, on the

basis of previous results, that, for physically
realistic conditions, X is small (i.e., the dense
layer is exceedingly thin) for parameter values
of physical interest, in general we expect x(t1)
0, and, therefore, x(t*) 0. We do not attempt
to track the trajectory of individual particles
after their axial speed is first stagnated by
encountering the dense layer, but instead account for the mass and momentum balance of

Fig. 6. The normalized time *(t*/2) to the first stagnation of axial motion of a single particle vs. the Stokes
number (/) for the large-strain-rate, small-drag-rate
circumstances [(/) (1/4)]. A particle that sooner
travels into the region of stronger opposed flow is stalled
earlier.

the close-packed particles in the dense layer

(just as was done for the small strain-rate, large
drag-rate case).
We identify t* [from which, by substitution in
Eq. (10), we identify the position x(t*)] as the
smallest positive value t at which x(t) 0, where
x(t) is given by Eq. (11), and the relation
between t* and * is given by Eq. (9). Accordingly,
tan 3 * 3;

(26)

the positive quantity 3 was defined in Eq. (12),

and is regarded as specified. This is the nominal
value at which x (t) would become zero if a
dense layer did not intervene. If

3 * h*

(27)

then:
tan h* 3, h* arc tan 3

(28)

so (Fig. 6):

* arc tan 3/ 3

(29)

Substitution of Eq. (29) into (10) gives (Fig. 7):

x *

1/ 2

exp(*)

(30)

The quantity *( t*/2) is seen to be a

function of (/) only. Because X is antici-

PARTICLE TRANSPORT IN A COUNTER-FLOW

pated to be very small for very small values of
(o/s), the dimensionless time 1 is only
slightly smaller than the dimensionless time
*; hence, 1 is large for values of (/) only
slightly greater than (1/4), for fixed small
values of (o/s), and there is continuous

behavior of the solution on the ratio (/) in

the vicinity of the dimensionless ratio (/)
(1/4).
With * in hand from Eq. (29) for a given
value of (/) in the range of interest, we may
obtain the eight unknowns:

yt 1
t 1 y t 1 t 1 V
X xt 1 x t 1
l,
l , l , t 1 Y , Y , s , Y , and t 1
from the eight relations Eqs. (7, 8, 10, 11, 16, 21,
22a, 25). As previously, for convenience, we
operationally regard ( o / s ) to be deduced and
t1 as specified, and replace Eq. (22a) with its
equivalent, Eq. (22b).
Results, again obtained by assigning a succession of values to (/) (1/4), for each of
which a range of values for t1 is adopted, are
given in Figs. 8 to 10. As is to be expected, much
of the behavior of the dependent variables is
seen to be about the same as in the previously
treated case for small strain rate and high drag
rate. In fact, the key difference is that the
gas-flow stagnation plane (for the axial velocity
component) is now at [x(t1) X], not at x 0
as before (Fig. 11). This translation of axial
coordinate is to be accounted for in writing
expressions for the purely gaseous flow in the
domain x [x(t1) X]. Because the dilutely
particle-laden domain extends over the expanse
l x x(t1), which interfaces with a thin

Fig. 7. The normalized position of the interface x(t 1 )/l

between the relatively broad dilutely-particle-laden domain
and the very narrow densely-particle-laden domain, presented as a function of the density ratio o / s , for several
value of the Stokes number, (/ ) (1/4). Figure 3 gives
corresponding results for (/) (1/4).

1637

(31)

dense layer, the scenario holding for the multiparticle counter-flow for (/) (1/4) is, in
many respects, an axially displaced version of
the scenario holding for the multi-particle
counter-flow for (/) (1/4).
For an experimental study of the multi-particle counter-flow described in this manuscript, it
is noted, concerning the x-momentum flux law,
that the momentum of gas and particles crossing
x l is equal to momentum of gas crossing
x L{[x(t1) X]}. However, any momentum balance-motivated adjustment of pressure,
to account for the dilute particle loading of only
one of the two opposed streams constituting the
counter-flow, probably would be of modest
magnitude.

Fig. 8. Normalized thickness of the dense layer, X/l, vs. the

ratio of entry bulk density to close-packed bulk density,
o / s , for (/) (1/4). Corresponding results for (/)
(1/4) are given in Fig. 3. Uniformly, the dense layer is very
narrow.

1638

Fig. 9. The normalized axial velocity of a particle at the

dilute-particle-domain, dense-particle-layer interface, x(t1)/
(l ), vs. the density ratio o/s for (/) (1/4). Corresponding results for (/) (1/4) are given in Fig. 4. Uniformly,
the normalized axial velocity at the interface is small.

G. F. CARRIER ET AL.

Fig. 10. The bulk density at the dilute-region, dense-layer

interface, (t 1 ), normalized by the bulk density at entry,
o , vs. ( o / s ), for (/) (1/4). Corresponding results for
(/) (1/4) are given in Fig. 5. Uniformly, the densification at the interface is much less than that in the dense layer.

CONCLUSION
We have considered particle transport in a
steady two-dimensional low Mach-number
counter-flow. More specifically, we have addressed scenarios in which the planar symmetry
(similarity) familiar from purely gas-phase contexts is extended to a two-phase context, such
that particles persist to the stagnation plane of
the axial velocity component. Examination of
single particle trajectories in a counter-flow
provides a convenient, informative introduction
to the phenomena; such studies distinguish: 1)
small strain-rate, large drag-rate circumstances
(in which no reversal of direction of a relatively
small particle is observed), from 2) large strainrate, small drag-rate circumstances (in which
typically multiple reversal of direction of a
relatively large particle are observed). However,
description of the transport of multiple particles
in a self-similar counter-flow goes beyond Lagrangian tracking, and identifies the existence of
a densely particle-laden layer(s) even in a
counter-flow in which particles are introduced
with dilute number density at the local gas
velocity holding at a flow-domain boundary.
We have considered nonvaporizing monodisperse spherical particles introduced at modest
number density and with no slip with respect to

the local constant-density gas flow, in a plane

parallel to (and at a finite distance from) the
stagnation plane for the axial velocity component of the gas. On the other side of the
stagnation plane, no particles are introduced to
the gaseous influx. We find that, for physically
interesting conditions for which interphase
force is described by Stokes drag, a single, very
thin, slab-like, densely particle-laden layer arises; to the particle-introduction side of this
close-packed particles layer lies a dilutely particle-laden region, in which the particle behavior
is well described by single particle analysis; to
the other side of this close-packed particles
layer lies a particle-free gas flow. The normalized position of the dense layer varies with the
value of the Stokes number (the ratio of the
flow rate to the drag rate) only. The dense layer
is the stagnation plane for the axial velocity
component of the gas flow. Aside from a translation of the dense-layer position from the gas
axial velocity component stagnation-plane position for larger Stokes numbers, the scenario for
particle transport in a counter-flow is essentially
the same for all finite Stokes numbers.
We have not examined whether instability
phenomena arise in connection with the inertially produced particle-concentration buildup

PARTICLE TRANSPORT IN A COUNTER-FLOW

1639

practical consequence because it has insufficient

time to grow significantly within the laboratory
flow domain (or within the span of time that a
quasisteady counterflow scenario describes the
local strain-rate field in a turbulent flow, after
the local organized translation and rotation
have been subtracted from that flow).
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1.

2.
3.

Fig. 11. Schematic of the gas-phase streamlines (solid

curves), the particle trajectories (dashed curves), and the
dense layer of thickness X, for large-strain-rate, small-dragrate conditions, for which the stagnation plane for the axial
velocity component is situated at x(t 1 ) X. In Fig. 1
(holding for small-strain-rate, large-drag-rate conditions),
the stagnation plane lies at x 0. The thickness of the
dense layer X is greatly exaggerated for depiction. The
position x(t 1 ) is the interface between the relatively broad
dilutely-particle-laden region and the relatively narrow
densely-particle-laden layer.

in a laminar counter-flow. However, we reiterate our belief that the reason that the dense
layer is challenging to detect seems related
primarily to its thinness, rather than to other
cause, such as instability phenomena. If the
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Earth gravity) is to be compared with the time
for any instability to grow to finite amplitude,
and thus be of practical consequence. Hence,
even were an instability to arise, the experimental evidence suggests that the instability is of no

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Received 28 November 2000; revised 7 May 2001; accepted 27

May 2001