LIQUID JET ATOMIZATION I N SUPERSONIC FLOWS.

Azzedine Missoum
*
K. M.
**
Isaac
U n i v e r s i t y of Missouri-Rolla
Rolla, Missouri 65401

1 ABSTRACT

This study summarizes the results of the shatter of Y parameter determined experimentally
liquid jets in airstreams. The mean drop size resulting from n surface tension
the shattering process is estimated. We have extended L wavelength
previous experimental and theoretical studies of the c'ilo
P initial disturbance
subsonic regime to the supersonic regime. A model is coeflicient of dynamic viscosity
formulated for the break-up phenomenon by considering $ parameter determined experimentally
(a) the capillary wave regime where the jet surface is
dominated by capillary forces, and (b) the acceleration
wave regime where the waves are long, and controlled
primarily by acceleration forces. In each case a parameter Subscripts
is determined by comparison with experimental data and
it was found to be a very strong function of the liquid
viscosity and surface tension for case (a) and a function of a air
both the liquid viscosity and the free stream Mach number acc acceleration
for case (b). The results of this work will help in developing C critical
a clearer understanding of the atomization of liquids which cap capillary
has many important applications. g gas
I liquid
max maximum
min minimum

NOMENCLATURE
acceleration
amplitude
speed of sound I. INTRODUCTION
drag coefiicient
droplet diameter Knowledge of the mean drop size that results from
jet diameter the atomization of liquid jets by supersonic airstreams is
parameter determined experimentally of great interest because of its application in air-breathing
force
propulsion systems which mix liquid fuel and gaseous
the modified sheltering parameter
constant of proportionality oxidizer prior to combustion. In addition, the recent
mass interest in scramjet engines, which require fuel injection
free stream Mach number into a supersonic airflow, has added to the importance of
kpa kiloPascal understanding liquid atomization processes. A
Q voumetric flowrate considerable amount of research effort has been
SMD Sauter mean diameter undcrtakcn in the past to study this complex phenomenon;
time but most of these studies dealt with subsonic airstreams.
wave velocity ,

free stream velocity A number of viscous, inviscid and surface

mass flowrate tension-dominated mechanisms may be important in liquid
Weber number
jet break-up. Previous theoretical investigations have
revealed some of the underlying mechanisms of jet
brcak-up. most of thcsc studies have becn limited to the
Greek letters subsonic regime. It is known that one of the important
mechanisms in liquid jet break-up is the growth of unstable
modes at the liquid'gas interface. The instability of a
dy laminar jet in a quiescent or coflowing gas medium has
a= - slope of the liquid surface'
p dx sheltering parameter been investigatcd in the past and it was first trcated by .
Lord Rayleighl, who showed that capillary forces were
*Graduate Student, Mechanical and Aerospace Engi-
the primaq factor in liquid jet break-up process and that
the jet would break when the wavelength on its surface
n e e r i n g and Engineering Mechanics Department. rcachcs 4.5 times the jet diameter.
**A s s i s t a n t
P r o f e s s o r of Aerospace Engineering,
Member AIAA.
Copyright @ 1990 American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.