UC Irvine

The breakup of a liquid sheet is of fundamental interest in the atomization of liquid fuels. The present study explores the breakup of a two-dimensional liquid sheet in the presence of co-flow air with emphasis on the extent to which liquid properties affect breakup. Three liquids, selected with varying values of viscosity and surface tension, are introduced through a twin-fluid, two-dimensional nozzle. A pulsed laser imaging system is used to determine the sheet structureat breakup, the distance and time to breakup, and the character of the ligaments and droplets formed. Experiments are conducted at two liquid flow rates with fiveflow rates of co-flowing air. Liquid properties affect the residence time required to initiate sheet breakup, and alter the time and length scales in the breakup mechanism. © 1992 ASME.