Concentration and velocity measurements in the flow of droplet suspensions through a tube

Two optical methods, light absorption and LDA, are applied to measure the concentration and velocity profiles of droplet suspensions flowing through a tube. The droplet concentration is non-uniform and has two maxima, one near the tube wall and one on the tube axis. The measured velocity profiles are blunted, but a central plug-flow region is not observed. The concentration of droplets on the tube axis and the degree of velocity profile blunting depend on relative viscosity. These results can be qualitatively compared with the theory of Chan and Leal.