ABSTRACT
Abstract.Inthisstudythegrowthofwaterdropletsinawater-in-oilemulsionunderan appliedelectricfieldisconsidered.Thesignificanceoftheflowregime,laminaror turbulent,hasbeeninvestigatedtheoreticallyandexperimentallywithrespecttodroplet coalescenceandbreak-upmechanisms.Itisshownthatwhilstturbulentflowmay enhancethecoalescenceofsmalldroplets,itcanalsoleadtodisintegrationoflargerones. Experimentalassessmentofsuspendeddropletsize,performedonemulsionsflowing throughapurpose-builtcompactelectrocoalescertestduct,showedgoodagreementwith theoreticalpredictionsofmaximumdropletsizeunderturbulentflowandelectrostatic stresses.Itissuggestedthatinthiscasethedropletbreak-upwasprimarilydueto turbulentstressesinsubsequentpipe-workratherthanthecombinedturbulentand electrostaticstressesintheductitself.
