Inertial effects on non-spherical particle rotation on turbulent channel flow

We investigated the rotation of non-spherical particles (rod-like and disk-like) in turbulent channel flow with focus on inertial effects. A direct numerical simulation (DNS) with an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach was performed. A wide range of particle aspect ratios, λ, ranging from 0.01 to 50 were considered for Stokes numbers St equal to 1 and 30. In the particle reference frame, statistical results reveal the importance of shape effect on the particle rotation. The rods (λ > 1) are spinning (rotation about their symmetry axis) more than tumbling (rotation about other axes) whereas disks (λ < 1) behave oppositely. With increasing particle inertia, i.e. higher St, the preferential tumbling of the disks and the spinning of the rods are reduced. We ascribe these observations to the varying degree of alignment of the particle symmetry axis with the fluid vorticity vector