Session: 04-16: Atomization & Sprays

Paper Number: 80993

80993 - A Computational Investigation of Wall-Film Formation by an Impinging Liquid Jet in Crossflow 

Accurate fuel injection modeling remains of critical importance to the simulation of gas turbine engines as the predicted spray structure dictates fuel-air mixing, combustion, and emissions in the combustor. The prefilming airblast atomizer relies on the formation of a thin conical sheet of fuel, which breaks up due to its interaction with the counter-swirling airstreams. Recent x-ray imaging performed at Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source of a prefilming airblast atomizer revealed the formation of a frothy film, which is comprised of both liquid and bubbles. This finding challenges the inherent assumption for existing spray models, which assume that the film is only comprised of liquid fuel, and motivates the detailed investigation of the film formation process. To investigate the physics governing the impingement of a liquid jet in crossflow on a plate, a computational study was carried out. Large Eddy Simulations (LES) coupled with a geometric volume-of-fluid (VOF) approach were performed to model a liquid water jet interacting with a Mach = 0.3 crossflow and subsequently impinging on an aluminum plate. Simulations are currently underway to 1) evaluate the required resolution for resolving the jet-wall interaction and film thickness, 2) investigate the role of surface roughness on the film characteristics, and 3) illustrate the process by which bubbles are formed during the jet impingement process. The results from this work can then be used to understand how engineering spray models should be modified to include the impact of film composition on subsequent breakup. 

Presenting Author: Brandon A. Sforzo Argonne National Laboratory

Presenting Author Biography: NA

Authors:

Gina M. Magnotti Argonne National Laboratory
Brandon A. Sforzo Argonne National Laboratory
Christopher F. Powell Argonne National Laboratory