Atomization Of Liquid Jet Research Articles

Primary atomization of shear-thinning liquid jets: a direct numerical simulation study

Using direct numerical simulation, the primary atomization of shear-thinning liquid jets into stagnant gas is investigated. Starting from a Newtonian configuration with material properties approximately corresponding to a Diesel injection, two hypothetical shear-thinning cases using the power-law and the Carreau-Yasuda models for the calculation of the apparent viscosity are investigated. A recently developed tracking algorithm is used to identify droplets newly formed from the core jet, as well as all other droplets in the computational domain, and a number of relevant droplet characteristics, such as droplet volume, surface area and center of mass, is recorded at each time step. This allows a comparison of droplet characteristics on the basis of probability density functions. It is observed that the shear-thinning behavior of the liquid phase, which is particularly relevant at the interface, influences the droplet volumes and shapes. While the mean viscosity differs significantly for the different cases, the first- and second-order velocity and volume fraction statistics remain nearly unchanged.

Experimental research on the atomization of transverse liquid jet

The transverse liquid jet is widely used in gas-steam ejection, scramjet engines, and other engineering applications. The research of transverse liquid jets can provide a basis for product design and has a wide range of engineering application value. A high-temperature and high-pressure jet experimental system was designed according to the characteristics of the cooling water jet atomization in the gas-steam ejection power system. The high-speed photography method was used to obtain the macroscopic structural characteristics of the transverse liquid jet. In this paper, experimental research of liquid jets under three conditions was carried out. The trajectory curve of the liquid jet considering momentum ratio and temperature is as follows: y/dj = 2.782q 0.422(x/dj )0.307(T/T0 )-0.785. It can provide theoretical support for improving the efficiency of gas-liquid mixing in power systems, engines, etc.

Modeling of primary breakup considering turbulent nozzle flow, internal turbulence and surface instability of liquid jet using turbulence decay theory

In heat engines utilizing fuel injection, the processes of atomization and spray formation have a significant impact on the combustion process, thereby determining both efficiency and emission characteristics. Accurate prediction and control of spray formation in fuel injection systems play a key role in improving the efficiency and environmental performance of thermal engines, especially with the emergence of carbon-neutral fuels. To achieve accurate prediction of spray mixture formation, it is imperative to refine the atomization model for the liquid jet within numerical simulations. This requires a phenomenological representation of the atomization process that avoids reliance on computational constants obtained from spray experimental results. Consequently, the present study attempts to mathematically model the turbulent nozzle flow and liquid jet atomization process, leading to the development of a novel primary breakup model. The construction of the primary breakup model involves an analysis of the turbulence at the nozzle inlet. By merging this turbulence with the turbulence resulting from wall shear flow within the nozzle, the model provides insight into the internal turbulence and surface instability of the liquid jet, encompassing the turbulence spectrum. Consequently, the influence of nozzle length on the turbulent flow within the nozzle can be understood, and the droplet formation characteristics of the liquid jet can be predicted along with its multi-wavelength dispersion characteristics. The model effectively captures the experimental results in terms of breakup length and droplet dispersion characteristics, thus adding a higher level of accuracy to numerical simulations. Ultimately, the in-depth study of this model, coupled with its comparison with experimental results, enhances the understanding of the liquid jet atomization process.

Study on atomization characteristics of a kerosene jet in a supersonic crossflow

The combustion performance of a scramjet engine is based on a two-phase mixing process of its fuel. To elucidate the mechanism of jet atomization in supersonic airflows, a numerical simulation of liquid jet atomization in a supersonic crossflow is carried out. The Euler method is used to calculate the gas phase, while the Lagrangian particle tracking method is used to calculate the liquid phase. The Reitz wave model is used to simulate the first breakup of the liquid jet, and the Kelvin-Helmholtz/Rayleigh-Taylor hybrid breakup model is used to simulate the second breakup of the droplets. The influence of the liquid/gas momentum flux ratio and the diameter of the jet on the atomization characteristics is discussed. The results show that the penetration depth increases with increasing nozzle diameter and liquid/gas momentum flux ratio. A jet with a larger liquid/gas momentum flux ratio breaks faster, and its Sauter mean diameter is smaller. The Sauter mean diameter of a droplet decreases with decreasing nozzle diameter. At 30 mm downstream of the nozzle, all jets are basically atomized, and the SMD of the jet is around 10 μm. The nozzle diameter has a greater influence on the jet penetration depth than does the liquid/gas momentum flux ratio.

Numerical investigation of particle dispersion and collision in a liquid jet flow

A numerical simulation with the Eulerian–Lagrangian point-particle approach is used to study the dispersion of nanoparticles in liquid jet flows. The volume of fluid method is used to simulate the motion of the gas–liquid interface. The particle motion is resolved by the Lagrangian point-particle model, and the collisions among particles are considered. According to the simulation results, the liquid jet atomization process can be divided into four different periods. Moreover, the nanoparticles lead to an increase in the liquid density and viscosity. The influence of the particle motion on the liquid jet breakup process is discussed. The simulation results show that the collisions would restrain particle dispersion. However, the motions and collisions of the particles would help the breakup of the liquid jet.

Cavitation in Internal Flows of Liquid Jet Through a Throat

The interaction of a liquid with the surrounding air produces unstable waves that disintegrate the liquid into droplets, which is known as liquid atomization. The common internal flow of a liquid atomization nozzle experiences a single-phase flow but might turn into a multiphase flow with the existence of cavitation. Cavitation in internal flow has gotten a lot of attention because of the positive and negative consequences it can have depending on the application. One such advantageous result is that cavitation has been used to promote the atomization of liquid jets by causing gas bubbles in the atmosphere to collapse. Most of the past research on cavitation has focused on the exit orifice’s constant cross-section area. The current study investigates the effect of throat location and geometry on cavitation characteristics. Filtered water was used as the simulation fluid. The high-speed shadowgraph technique was applied to record the images of the internal flow patterns. The placement of the throat was discovered to have a substantial impact on the status of the cavitation. Cavitation began at the inlet of the throat when the throat was placed at the uppermost part of the exit orifice. However, when the throat is placed in the middle of the exit orifice, the cavitation begins at the end of the throat. Four cavitation regimes were identified, namely developing, mixed, super and sudden expansion cavitation. Furthermore, it was found that the discharge coefficient depends on the cavitation’s state and length, except when the cavitation is in the supercavitation regime.

Review on research progress in liquid jet in crossflow

Liquid jet in crossflow (LJIC) is an important subject of fluid mechanics, which is considered as an effective method of fuel atomization in aircraft and widely used in gas turbine engine, sub combustion ramjet, and scramjet. The atomization of liquid jet directly affects the subsequent fuel combustion, which is one of the most important processes in the engine propulsion system. Therefore, how to recognize the evolution of LJIC, and how to promote two-phase mixing determine the combustion efficiency of the engine directly. A lot of researches on LJIC have been done and provide impetus for the development of scramjet. Based on the recent researches, subsonic LJIC is reviewed from breakup model and surface wave, influence of crossflow on atomization, and factors affecting atomization. And supersonic LJIC is reviewed from two-phase mixing and flow field characteristics, jet breakup and surface wave, and factors affecting atomization. At the same time, the shortcomings of current research and the prospect of future research are put forward, especially in the selection of the jet medium, the determination of the experimental conditions, the application of the numerical method, the vortex, the pulsed jet, and the atomization enhancement by multiple means.

Atomization of liquid pulsed jet in subsonic crossflow

Pulsed jet is an effective solution to improve fuel jet penetration depth and consequently increase the mixing efficiency of gas–liquid in conventional combustion chambers. This has the benefits of reducing pollutant emissions and diminishing the instability of fuel combustion. However, the atomization process of pulsed jets with small amplitude has still not been properly investigated. This paper studies such a process through Large Eddy Simulation and a Coupled Level Set and Volume of Fluid method. We investigate the atomization process in a liquid pulsed jet with a subsonic crossflow and the impact of the Strouhal number on atomization morphology and the behavior of the pulsed jet in general. Results show that, with a constant mass flow rate, the role of Rayleigh–Taylor instability is replaced by the periodic fluctuation of the jet velocity, which ends up dominating the primary process of atomization of the liquid transverse pulsed jet. This also improves atomization, in general, and the fragmentation of the jet. We also show that the Strouhal number significantly impacts the penetration depth of the jet, with high values increasing penetration by up to 12%.

Effects of gas viscosity and liquid-to-gas density ratio on liquid jet atomization in crossflow

Atomization of liquid jets in gaseous crossflows has many natural and industrial applications, for example, in fuel atomization in gas turbine engines, rocket engines, film cooling, and, recently, suspension and solution precursor plasma spraying processes for the development of advanced coatings. Viscosity and density of the gaseous medium may significantly vary in applications such as plasma spraying, which can affect the instability waves on the liquid jet column, resulting in a major change in the mechanism of primary and secondary breakups. In this study, a numerical model is used to investigate the impact of gas viscosity on breakup mechanisms for a wide range of density ratios and Weber numbers. Due to many challenges, only a few comprehensive atomization measurements have been performed on this subject. However, novel computational models could provide the atomization process with a thorough picture in the last two decades. The incompressible variable-density Navier–Stokes equations are solved by using finite volume schemes, and a geometric volume-of-fluid technique is used to track the gas–liquid interface. In our parametric study, three sets of density ratios and Weber numbers are chosen. In each set, four cases with different orders of magnitude of gaseous Reynolds number are simulated. Different characteristics of jet atomization are analyzed, such as the jet trajectory, breakup location, and surface instabilities generated along the jet column. Ultimately, the effects of gaseous Reynolds number, density ratio, and Weber number on jet deformation and breakup mechanisms are discussed.

Detailed numerical simulation of multi-scale interface-vortex interactions of liquid jet atomization in crossflow

In this paper, a detailed numerical simulation of liquid jet atomization in crossflow is performed based on the volume of fluid method coupled with the adaptive mesh refinement technique. The multi-scale phase interface evolution and the interface-vortex interaction are reported. It is found that the momentum flux ratio, Weber number, density ratio and viscosity ratio are key variables for the empirical correlation to accurately predict the atomization characteristics. Three breakup regimes, i.e., column bag breakup, surface breakup and ligament breakup, occur due to the great mass and momentum exchanges at the interface. Specially, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability induces axial surface waves that eventually develop into column bag breakup while the Rayleigh-Taylor instability and surface thinning can induce surface breakup. Relatively, the column bag breakup generates larger liquid structures, presenting a bimodal feature. The produced ligaments either shrink to droplets or further breakup into droplets depending on their size and shape, leading to a log-normal distribution of droplet size. The interface-vortex interaction is distinctive compared to single-phase flows. A vortex core is observed to simultaneously form, grow and dissipate within each bag during the life circle of the bag, and three types of counter-rotating vortex pair exist around the column root, bag membrane and liquid droplets. Vortical structures tend to concentrate near the interface with large deformations, possessing a strong perpendicularity between the phase interface and the vortex. This work offers fundamental basis for better understanding and organization of atomization.

Spray characterization in a multi-jet airblast injector with swirling air crossflow

Experimental spray characterization in a multi-jet airblast injector with swirling crossflow of air is the goal of the present work. The current injector allows radial injection of six liquid jets from a central hub into swirling and crossflowing air into the annular region around the hub. In the present study, three different aspects related to jet-in-crossflow are concurrently addressed viz. air flow confinement, air swirl and simultaneous atomization of multiple liquid jets. Such key features have been rarely reported in the past in spite of their relevance to practical injectors such as in Lean Premixed Prevaporized (LPP) gas turbine combustors. The spray structure and spatial distribution of droplets are visualized at different cross-sectional planes in the spray by application of the Laser Sheet Imaging (LSI) technique. The Droplet size, three components of droplet velocities and local liquid mass flux are measured at different axial and radial locations using the Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA) technique. The injector is operated over a wide range of aerodynamic Weber number (Weg) of the liquid jets (Weg = 57 – 430). The physics behind the spatial evolution of characteristic droplet size is analyzed by estimating the droplet Weber number and the probability of droplet coalescence. The plume-to-plume interaction, subsequent to droplet generation from the primary atomization of adjacent liquid jets, is found to contribute to the variation of droplet size in the current injector. The influence of Weg on the evolution of spray characteristics is investigated in detail.

Primary atomization of liquid jets: Identification and investigation of droplets at the instant of their formation using direct numerical simulation

A detailed investigation of droplet characteristics for the primary atomization of a round liquid jet injected into stagnant gas is performed using direct numerical simulation. The material properties correspond to a Diesel injection, and the numerical framework is based on the volume-of-fluid method. The study is carried out in the statistically steady state, which allows to collect time-averaged droplet formation statistics. A novel algorithm continuously detects droplets at the instant they detach from the liquid core jet, which are referred to as primary droplets. The main droplet characteristics, such as volume, velocity and sphericity, are captured for newly formed primary droplets as well as all other droplets in the domain. This allows a detailed comparison between droplet characteristics during and after their formation. In addition, the droplet Weber, Reynolds and Stokes numbers are computed. These dimensionless numbers govern important physical processes occurring subsequent to the droplet formation, such as potential secondary breakup and droplet motion. One central goal is to provide information relevant for large eddy simulation of sprays in the Eulerian–Lagrangian framework, where the formation of small droplets from the liquid core jet cannot be resolved, and therefore potentially needs to be modeled. Moreover, the relative importance of primary and secondary atomization is estimated for this specific setup. It is found that the distribution of the droplet sizes is very similar for primary droplets and the entire droplet collective. Furthermore, the droplet Weber numbers are significantly below the critical Weber number required for secondary droplet breakup. Together, these two observations indicate that, for the investigated configuration, primary atomization is the dominating process, while secondary atomization only plays a minor role. Moreover, the high droplet volume fraction observed shows that droplet–droplet collisions and coalescence can be expected to influence the spray behavior. To put the obtained results into perspective, empirical correlations for the Sauter Mean Diameter are used to discuss potential trends for higher Reynolds and Weber numbers.

Simulation of liquid jet atomization and droplet breakup via a Volume-of-Fluid Lagrangian–Eulerian strategy

The hybrid Volume-of-Fluid and Lagrangian–Eulerian (VoFLE) strategy is an attractive approach for reducing the computational cost of spray simulations while retaining a reasonable amount of fidelity. It is based on the concept of transitioning small liquid bodies or droplets to a Lagrangian–Eulerian (LE) representation, alleviating the burden of maintaining high resolution for small droplets. This hybrid VoFLE methodology is extended in the present work by incorporating a hydrodynamic breakup model based on maximum entropy formalism (MEF). This approach is particularly suitable for realistic spray conditions, such as high-pressure fuel injectors, where adequate numerical resolution of the smallest droplets is extremely difficult. The first step in the present VoFLE treatment is the identification of unresolved liquid structures targeted for LE transition. This step is followed by the application of the MEF breakup model for those structures that are hydrodynamically unstable, resulting in the assignment of secondary drop sizes and velocities. The model is evaluated statistically and tested against experimental data from the Engine Combustion Network and the breakup of a water jet. Relatively favorable results are encountered in these tests.

A Momentum-Conserving Weakly Compressible Navier–Stokes Solver for Simulation of Violent Two-Phase Flows with High Density Ratio

A consistent and conservative formulation for mass and momentum transport is proposed in the context of simulating incompressible two-phase flows by using weakly compressible method. Combined with the evolving pressure projection method to prevent oscillation of the solution induced by the acoustic wave, this solver aims at a robust and accurate computation of violent two-phase flows with a high density ratio, while taking advantage of fully explicit time integration of the weakly compressible Navier–Stokes equations. Coupled with the volume of fluid method for capturing interfaces, the mass and momentum fluxes are evaluated in a consistent manner using the finite volume method. In addition, a special implementation of the pressure projection is devised to avoid velocity-pressure decoupling on a collocated grid. The solver's accuracy and stability are demonstrated through various two-phase flow simulations, including dam break and liquid jet atomization scenarios, emphasizing its momentum-conserving properties.

Insight into liquid jet atomization in a swirling crossflow airblast injector: Application of a multi-directional imaging technique

This paper aims to investigate the mechanism of breakup of a transversely injected liquid jet due to swirling cross-stream flow of air in a model airblast injector. The focus is especially on examining the differences in the jet atomization in the absence and presence of air swirl within the injector. Multi-directional imaging of the liquid jet core is achieved by application of the Optical Connectivity (OC) technique for simultaneous visualization of the jet core from the side- and front-view. In addition, visualization of the jet core from the bottom view is also possible. Apart from the jet penetration and breakup length (obtained from the side-view image), the present technique facilitates measurement of jet width and spread rate (from the corresponding front-view image) at the same time. The airblast injector is operated for a wide range of operating conditions. The results highlight significant influence of swirling the air flow on the jet breakup morphology as well as primary breakup parameters. The measurements provided some new insight into the physics of the primary atomization within an atomizer, where the air flow is confined, in contrast to the widely studied jet-in-crossflow in wind-tunnels. In the present case, prior to its breakup into ligaments and droplets, the liquid jet undergoes jet-to-sheet transformation. Also, the liquid sheet deflects in the direction of air swirl and disintegrates in a complex manner. The addition of swirl to the air flow leads to reduction in the mean jet breakup parameters, while the fluctuations are higher.

An approximated volume of fluid method with the modified height function method in the simulation of surface tension driven flows

Surface tension in two-phase flow problems plays a dominant role in many micro-flow phenomena and has an important influence on the development of flow instability phenomena that contain free surfaces. In this study, the multi-moment finite volume method is extended for direct numerical simulation of two-phase flow problems. A constraint interpolation profile–CSL (semi-Lagrangian) scheme is used for discretization of the advection part in the momentum equation. A compact volume of fluid method–approximated piecewise linear calculation method without flux limiter is proposed for capturing the moving interface. For modeling the surface tension accurately, the logic in curvature estimation is redesigned based on the height function (HF) method. The isolated volumetric fractions that may reduce accuracy in HF integration are excluded, and the numerical solution shows that the accuracy in the curvature estimation is improved for a coarse mesh. The present method is implemented with a parallel block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (BAMR) strategy; thus, the computational cost can be reduced significantly. Numerical tests show that the present BAMR solver is capable of reproducing the theoretical predictions of capillary wave instability problems with high accuracy. The simulation of droplet collisions further demonstrates the accuracy of the surface tension model. Finally, we extend it to the liquid jet atomization. The wavy disturbance, film breakup, liquid filament pinch-off, and droplet generation are well reproduced. The droplet size distribution satisfies the experimental measurement and theoretical predictions power-law. BAMR shows a huge advantage in computational efficiency than the traditional Cartesian grid. The findings of this study can help for a better understanding of the micro-mechanism of surface tension driven flows.

Modal analysis and interface tracking of multiphase flows using Dynamic Mode Decomposition

Non-invasive visualization techniques for multiphase flows are critical to understanding primary atomization and sprays. We use back-lit imaging to identify the liquid–gas interface of two-phase flows at high temporal and spatial resolutions and employ Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) to study the shape and frequency of instabilities of a liquid jet surrounded by a coaxial annular airblast atomizer. However, DMD is not suitable for interface tracking, so we develop a data-driven two-step approach using the optical sensor data. The method uses DMD on the optical flow field estimated from image snapshot pairs. We demonstrate our method to a representative toy problem of an oscillating drop and on the primary atomization of a numerical planar liquid jet. Finally, we apply our method to the experimental liquid jet from the coaxial airblast atomizer using back-lit imaging. Our method is able to accurately reconstruct and predict the flow and preserves the sharpness of the fluid interface.

Numerical simulation of liquid jet atomization in subsonic crossflow

To explore the influence of different factors on the atomization pattern and characteristics of the crossflow, the influence of three dimensionless parameters is investigated in this paper, namely Weber number, Oh, and the momentum flux ratio q, on the atomization in subsonic crossflow. The investigations are based on the CLSVOF method and Large Eddy Simulation and developed in conjunction with adaptive mesh refinement techniques. In terms of atomization morphology, three-view drawing of the jet fragmentation morphology and cross-sectional deformation processes under different operating conditions are compared and investigated. In terms of atomization characteristics, the jet penetration depth and spraying distribution curves, as well as the fragmentation position and droplet velocity distribution are analyzed in detail. The results show that there is a pronounced effect for Weber number on the fragmentation pattern and atomization characteristics of liquid jet into a crossflow. As the Weber number increases, the column fragmentation dominated by RT instability gradually changes to surface fragmentation dominated by KH instability. The research also concluded that the momentum flux ratio q is a key element in the penetration depth, which is reflected in the fact that when q is larger, the jet bends less with a stronger penetration ability.

Numerical Study on Primary Breakup of Disturbed Liquid Jet Sprays Using a VOF Model and LES Method

In this study, the primary breakup of a high-speed diesel jet is investigated using a CFD methodology that combines an LES model with a VOF technique for free surface capture. Inner-nozzle turbulence and cavitation are simplified as the sinusoidal radial velocity with a given amplitude and frequency. The ligament and droplet formation process are captured, the liquid jet is disturbed by the radial velocity, and umbrella-shaped crests are created. Meanwhile, ligaments are formed from the edges of crests because of shear stress and surface tension. We investigate the effect on the characteristics of the surface wave and the liquid structure of different disturbance frequencies and amplitudes. The variation in the disturbance amplitude and frequency facilitates the formation of a variety of liquid structures, such as waves, upstream/downstream-directed bells, and droplet chains. Increasing the disturbance frequency reduces the growth rate of the surface waves of the liquid jet. With an increase in disturbance amplitude, the amplitude of surface waves evidently increases. Furthermore, as the disturbance frequency and amplitude increase, the thickness and Weber number of the radial liquid sheet decrease, and this causes the ligament diameter of the primary breakup to become small. Finally, the primary breakup time is investigated, and the time scale of the liquid jet primary breakup decreases as the disturbance amplitude increases, which indicates that an increase in the disturbance amplitude promotes the atomization of a disturbed liquid jet.

Prediction of Wall Heat Fluxes in a Rocket Engine with Conjugate Heat Transfer Based on Large-Eddy Simulation.

Although a lot of research and development has been done to understand and master the major physics involved in cryogenic rocket engines (combustion, feeding systems, heat transfer, stability, efficiency, etc.), the injection system and wall heat transfer remain critical issues due to complex physics, leading to atomization in the subcritical regime and the interactions of hot gases with walls. In such regimes, the fuel is usually injected through a coaxial annulus and triggers the atomization of the central liquid oxidizer jet. This type of injector is often referred to as air-assisted, or coaxial shear, injector, and has been extensively studied experimentally. Including such injection in numerical simulations requires specific models as simulating the atomization process is still out of reach in practical industrial systems. The effect of the injection model on the flame stabilization process and thus on wall heat fluxes is of critical importance when it comes to the design of wall-cooling systems. Indeed, maximizing the heat flux extracted from the chamber can lead to serious gain for the cooling and feeding systems for expander-type feeding cycles where the thermal energy absorbed by the coolant is converted into kinetic energy to drive the turbo-pumps of the feeding system. The methodology proposed in this work to numerically predict the flame topology and associated heat fluxes is based on state-of-the-art methods for turbulent reactive flow field predictions for rocket engines, including liquid injection, combustion model, and wall treatment. For this purpose, high-fidelity Large Eddy Simulation Conjugate Heat Transfer, along with a reduced kinetic mechanism for the prediction of chemistry, liquid injection model LOx sprays, and the use of a specific wall modeling to correctly predict heat flux for large temperature ratio between the bulk flow and the chamber walls, is used. A smooth and a longitudinally ribbed combustor configuration from JAXA are simulated. The coupling strategy ensures a rapid convergence for a limited additional cost compared to a fluid-only simulation, and the wall heat fluxes display a healthy trend compared to the experimental measurements. An increase of heat transfer coherent with the literature is observed when walls are equipped with ribs, compared to smooth walls. The heat transfer enhancement of the ribbed configuration with respect to the smooth walls is coherent with results from the literature, with an increase of around of wall heat flux extracted for the same chamber diameter.