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High-speed visualisation of primary break-up of an annular liquid sheet

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Abstract

In this experimental study, a thin annular moving water sheet is placed between two annular co-flowing air streams. The shear at the interface gives rise to Kelvin–Helmholtz type instabilities and promotes development of a sinuous surface wave at the gas–liquid interface. The amplitude of the surface wave is amplified as it travels downstream of the nozzle exit until it ruptures forming spanwise and streamwise ligaments. The liquid sheet is illuminated with high-powered halogen lamps. High-speed imaging is used in this study to qualitatively visualise the structure of the spray—of particular interest is the evolution of the spray into a ligament structure during the primary break-up and the role the outer air stream plays in this process. Sequences of images with high temporal resolution (∼2,000 fps) are recorded for image processing and analysis of the surface waves and ligament formation. A preliminary analysis of the waveform of the outer gas–liquid interface of the annular liquid sheet over a range of conditions shows the sheet Strouhal number to increase with increasing gas to liquid momentum ratio.

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Acknowledgement

The financial support from AUTO-CRC Australia and GM Holden Australia to undertake this project is gratefully acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank Dr Peter Murdoch and Mr Jarrod Sinclair for their assistance during the early stages of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Turbulence Research in Aerospace & Combustion (LTRAC), Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Stevano Wahono, Damon Honnery, Julio Soria & Jamil Ghojel

Authors
  1. Stevano Wahono
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  2. Damon Honnery
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  3. Julio Soria
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  4. Jamil Ghojel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Damon Honnery.

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Wahono, S., Honnery, D., Soria, J. et al. High-speed visualisation of primary break-up of an annular liquid sheet. Exp Fluids 44, 451–459 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-007-0361-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-007-0361-8

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