DEVELOPMENT OF A EULERIAN MODEL FOR THE “ATOMIZATION” OF A LIQUID JET

TLDR

Atomization is treated as turbulent mixing in variable‑density flows at high Reynolds and Weber numbers, with large‑scale features assumed independent of viscosity and surface tension while small‑scale features depend on them. The article proposes an Eulerian model for liquid‑jet atomization. The model computes liquid dispersion via a classical turbulent diffusion flux equation and predicts fragment size using a new mean surface‑area equation. The paper discusses the new surface‑area equation and compares its predictions of liquid dispersion and fragment size with experimental data.

Abstract

In this article, a Eulerian model for the atomization of a liquid jet is proposed. Atomization is considered as turbulent mixing in a flow with variable density in the limit of large Reynolds and Weber numbers. An assumption similar to the Kolmogorov hypothesis has been invoked: large-scale features of the flow are supposed to be independent of viscosity and surface tension at high Reynolds and Weber numbers; small-scale features do depend on viscosity and surface tension. Dispersion of the liquid in the gas phase is computed by a classical equation for the turbulent diffusion flux of the liquid. The mean size of the liquid fragments is obtained with a new equation for the mean surface area of the liquid–gas interface per unit of volume. Discussions concerning this new equation are presented. Several comparisons with experiments are presented, сoncerning the liquid dispersion as well as the mean size of fragments produced.