Aerodynamic breakup

The aerodynamic breakup mode occurs in the liquid sheet between the rims. In aerodynamic breakup, the perforation and wave... 

Another model by Johnson and Woodward [15] in CCPS book is displayed in Fig. 10.13. This model, which is for aerosol accidental rainout release, assumes the droplets size to be the minimum of mechanical or aerodynamic breakup and flashing breakup ... 

Abstract This chapter reviews atomization modeling works that utilize boundary element methods (BEMs) to compute the transient surface evolution in capillary flows. The BEM, or boundary integral method, represents a class of schemes that incorporate a mesh that is only located on the boundaries of the domain and hence are attractive for free surface problems. Because both primary and secondary atomization phenomena are considered in many free surface problems, BEM is suitable to describe their physical processes and fundamental instabilities. Basic formulations of the BEM are outlined and their application to both low- and highspeed plain jets is presented. Other applications include the aerodynamic breakup of a drop, the pinch-off of an electrified jet, and the breakup of a drop colliding into a wall. 

J ct Spra.y, The mechanism that controls the breakup of a Hquid jet has been analy2ed by many researchers (22,23). These studies indicate that Hquid jet atomisation can be attributed to various effects such as Hquid—gas aerodynamic interaction, gas- and Hquid-phase turbulence, capillary pinching, gas pressure fluctuation, and disturbances initiated inside the atomiser. In spite of different theories and experimental observations, there is agreement that capillary pinching is the dominant mechanism for low velocity jets. As jet velocity increases, there is some uncertainty as to which effect is most important in causing breakup. 

It has been postulated that jet breakup is the result of aerodynamic interaction between the Hquid and the ambient gas. Such theory considers a column of Hquid emerging from a circular orifice into a surrounding gas. The instabiHty on the Hquid surface is examined by using first-order linear theory. A small perturbation is imposed on the initially steady Hquid motion to simulate the growth of waves. The displacement of the surface waves can be obtained by the real component of a Fourier expression ... 

For steady injection of a liquid through a single nozzle with circular orifice into a quiescent gas (air), the mechanisms of jet breakup are typically classified into four primary regimes (Fig. 3 2)[4°][41][22°][227] according to the relative importance of inertial, surface tension, viscous, and aerodynamic forces. The most commonly quoted criteria for the classification are perhaps those proposed by Ohnesorge)40] Each regime is characterized by the magnitudes of the Reynolds number ReL and a dimensionless number Z ... 

B) Flat Liquid Sheets into Air Streams Mechanical and Aerodynamic Disintegration. In air streams (with an air flow), a liquid sheet issuing from the 2-D nozzle will form a quasi-2-D expanding spray. The breakup modes are divided into two groups (1) mechanical mode due to the action of liquid injection pressure, and (2) aerodynamic mode due to the action of air friction. 

The mechanical breakup mode occurs around the rims of the sheet where the air-liquid relative velocity is low, forming relatively large droplets. At low relative velocities, aerodynamic forces are much smaller than surface tension and inertia forces. Thus, the breakup of the liquid rims is purely mechanical and follows the Rayleigh mechanism for liquid column/jet breakup. For the same air pressure, the droplets detached from the rims become smaller as the liquid flow rate is increased. 

Farago and Chigier 2l() found that at similar aerodynamic Weber numbers, the disintegration modes of a thin liquid sheet in air streams are similar to those of a round liquid jet in a coaxial air stream (Table 3.2). At high aerodynamic Weber numbers, Membrane-Type or Fiber-Type breakup mode may set in. 

In practical fan sheet breakup processes, sheet thickness diminishes as the sheet expands away from the atomizer orifice, and liquid viscosity affects the breakup and the resultant droplet size. Dombrowski and Johns[238] considered these realistic factors and derived an analytical correlation for the mean droplet diameter on the basis of an analysis of the aerodynamic instability and disintegration of viscous sheets with particular reference to those generated by fan spray atomizers ... 

Basic Breakup Modes. Starting from Lenard s investigation of large free-falling drops in still air,12671 drop/droplet breakup has been a subject of extensive theoretical and experimental studies[268] 12851 for a century. Various experimental methods have been developed and used to study droplet breakup, including free fall in towers and stairwells, suspension in vertical wind tunnels keeping droplets stationary, and in shock tubes with supersonic velocities, etc. These theoretical and experimental studies revealed that droplet breakup under the action of aerodynamic forces may occur in various modes, depending on the flow pattern around the droplet, and the physical properties of the gas and liquid involved, i.e., density, viscosity, and interfacial tension. 

The first mode may occur when a droplet is subjected to aerodynamic pressures or viscous stresses in a parallel or rotating flow. A droplet may experience the second type of breakup when exposed to a plane hyperbolic or Couette flow. The third type of breakup may occur when a droplet is in irregular flow patterns. In addition, the actual breakup modes also depend on whether a droplet is subjected to steady acceleration, or suddenly exposed to a high-velocity gas stream.[2701[2751... 

Breakup Criteria. Generally, droplet breakup in a flowing stream is governed by its surface tension and viscous forces, and dynamic pressure. For liquids of low viscosities, droplet breakup is primarily controlled by the aerodynamic force and surface tension force, and may begin when a critical condition, i.e., an equilibrium between these two forces, is attained ... 

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