Experimental investigation of the phenomenon of centrifuging of liquids

Abstract

The phenomenon of centrifuging of liquids inside a horizontal tubular device rotated about its axis of symmetry has been experimentally investigated. Extensive experiments were conducted using a transparent apparatus which enabled visualization and photographic recording of the centrifuging phenomenon. Several interesting and useful qualitative observations not reported hitherto have been recorded. The effects of liquid volume (υ _l ), density(ρ), viscosity (η), surface tension (γ), and the apparatus geometry,viz., diameter (d) and length (l), on the critical speed (n) required to centrifuge 100 pct of the liquid were systematically studied using several inorganic liquids, the physical properties of which were also experimentally determined. The generated data over a wide range of variables have been shown to fit the following dimensionless correlation derived from first principles:

$$\frac{n}{{60}}\left( {\frac{\gamma }{{\rho g^3 }}} \right)^{1/4} = KP^a \left\{ {\eta \left( {\frac{g}{{\rho \gamma ^3 }}} \right)^{1/4} } \right\}^c ;P = \frac{{4v_l }}{{\pi d^2 l}} \times 100$$

(1)

whereK,a, andc are constants specific to a prescribed value ofP.