MECHANISMS OF PARTICLE AGGREGATION IN A SHEAR-FLOW

This article examines the interaction of particles and aggregates in a shear flow. An approximate analytical method which is proposed makes it possible to determine entrapment efficiency in three cases: in the collision of two particles, two large aggregates of equal size, and a particle (or small aggregate) and a large aggregate. In the first case, the result agrees with a numerical solution obtained earlier. It is shown that of the other two cases, the most likely is agglomeration of aggregates of similar dimensions. The particles and aggregates are assumed to be spherical, and allowance is made for the fractal properties of the latter.