Transition in the Elliptical Jet Characteristics from Super to Subcritical Conditions

Abstract

The study on injection of supercritical fluid into subcritical and supercritical environment involves dependence of fluid dynamic processes on thermodynamic transition. Beyond the thermodynamic critical point, the fluid exists in single phase known as supercritical fluid with its properties that are entirely different from liquid and gases. The surface tension and latent heat of evaporation is absent at the critical point. In this study, the transition of supercritical elliptical jet injected into subcritical environment as well as supercritical environment is investigated experimentally. Beyond the critical temperature, the axis switching is not observed. The investigation also shows that pressure plays a greater role in determining the thermodynamic transition in the elliptical jet. At larger supercritical pressure, the supercritical jet undergoes formation of droplets in the subcritical environment. However, for supercritical jet injection into supercritical environment, the gas-gas like mixing behavior is observed.