Experimental investigations and development of mathematical model to estimate drop diameter and jet length

The key process used in nuclear industries for the management of radiotoxicity associated with spent fuel in a closed fuel cycle is solvent extraction. An understanding of hydrodynamics and mass transfer is of primary importance for the design of mass transfer equipment used in solvent extraction processes. Understanding the interfacial phenomenon and the associated hydrodynamics of the liquid drops is essential for model-based design of mass transfer devices. In this work, the phenomenon of drop formation at the tip of a nozzle submerged in quiescent immiscible liquid phase is revisited. Previously reported force balance based models and empirical correlations are analyzed. Experiments are carried out to capture the process of drop formation using high-speed imaging technique. The images are digitally processed to measure the average drop diameter. A correlation based on the force balance model is proposed to estimate drop diameter and jet length. The average drop diameter obtained from the proposed model is in good agreement with experimental data with an average error of 6.3%. The developed model is applicable in both the necking as well as jetting regime and is validated for liquid-liquid systems having low, moderate and high interfacial tension.