Prediction of the Initial Drop Size and Velocity Distribution in the Cold Cryogenic Spray

Abstract

The polydispersed nature of the spray is captured through the use of probability density functions based on the maximum entropy method to stand for the complete atomization characteristics of spray dynamics. The droplet and velocity size distributions are practical tools for the analysis of sprays cooling. The special benefit of the model is a Eulerian based which is less computationally intensive when compared to models that are based on the Lagrangian approach that tracks droplet parcel. The accuracy of using Lagrangian approach in polydispersed phase is always accurately less than Eulerian approach because it depends on the number of parcels while in Eulerian approach it depends on the proposed continuous distribution function. The main intent of the current work is to evaluate the capability of using the model for the initial predictions of the droplet size and velocity distribution for liquid nitrogen spray of solid-cone pressure swirl nozzle. The use of liquid injection pressure cases of up to 0.6MPa and spray cone angles of just 30◦ from three different sets of experimental data. The results being characterized are spray drop size distribution, liquid volume fraction and spray cone angle values. The unsteady analyses of the effect of injection pressure are studied on the cryogenic liquid nitrogen. The numerical results show that the maximum entropy method applies to liquid cryogenic spray and indicates that the model reacts correctly to changes in different injection pressures. Comparisons are also made with measured drop size distribution data that are reasonably captured and the spray cone angle is found to be in good agreement during initial and far-field spray angles.