Liquid jet formation during a suspended liquid suction process

Abstract

In the tubular co-flowing gas-liquid jet, liquid is sucked through a nozzle suspended above the flat gas-liquid interface. The liquid hump can be induced by the sudden pressure change just beneath the nozzle entrance. At a sufficiently fast initial gas superficial velocity, the interface undergoes a transition and liquid starts to be sucked. The suction flow is in the form of an axisymmetric liquid jet surrounded by an upwards coaxial gas flow. In the present study, we discuss the evolution and characteristics of the suspended liquid suction flow. The jet dynamics include the interface deformation and development (the hump stage), the tubular co-flowing jet (the spout state) and the destabilization of the liquid jet (the jet state). Tube inner diameter, suspension height, and initial gas superficial velocity are three important parameters that influence the suction flow. Due to the inward gas flow, a relatively large amount of pressure gradients is imparted to a small mass of liquid near a free surface, which leads to interface deformation. The lateral boundary of the liquid hump circumferentially shrinks and the top liquid gradually rises following the shrinkage. There is a comparatively stable axisymmetric liquid jet surrounded by an upwards coaxial gas flow inside the tube. Surprisingly, no evidence is shown the dependence of jet spout with initial gas axisymmetric superficial velocity below the nozzle through plenty of experiment figures and statistical analysis. On the other hand, the velocity difference between the fast light gas flow and the slow dense liquid is critical to the destabilization of the liquid jet.