Micro-mixing measurement by chemical probe in homogeneous and isotropic turbulence

The present work aims at assessing the validity of a micro-mixing model under “ideal” experimental conditions, i.e. HIT with no mean flow, to avoid the bias due to the flow gradients. The HIT is obtained here by a system of oscillating grids placed in a vessel. The chemical probe measurements carried out by the iodide/iodate reaction system are applied to the two most commonly used phenomenological models in the literature: the IEM (Interaction by Exchange with the Mean) and the EDD (Engulfment, Deformation and Diffusion) models. The benchmark for the micro-mixing models is based on comparison of the local turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate both drawn from the micro-mixing time by the theoretical model of Bałdyga and the reference direct experimental determination by laser Doppler velocimetry measurements. It is shown that the engulfment model EDD seems the more appropriate to analyze the chemical data and provide a quantitative characterization of micro-mixing.