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Formation and fragmentation of fiber aggregate in turbulent flows
Fiber aggregates are commonly encountered in environmental and industrial flows (paper industry, fiber recycling, etc.). However, the physical mechanisms leading to their formation are still misunderstood. Hence, there is still no clear answer to simple questions such as : how long will it take for an aggregate to form ? is there a maximum size ? At IRPHE, we started to investigate these questions to understand the formation of natural aggregates called aegagropilae made from Posidonia fibers which are easily found on the mediterranean shores. During the PhD of Lucas Gey, we reproduce this phenomenon at the lab allowing us to investigate their formation, their fragmentation and their mechanical properties.