Experiments and Lagrangian simulations on the formation of droplets in continuous mode

Experimental and computational studies on the dynamics of millimeter-scale cylindrical liquid jets are presented. The influences of the modulation amplitude and the nozzle geometry on jet behavior have been considered. Laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) was used in order to extract the velocity field of a jet along its length, and to determine the velocity modulation amplitude. Jet shapes and breakup dynamics were observed via shadowgraph imaging. Aqueous solutions of glycerol were used for these experiments. Results were compared with Lagrangian finite-element simulations with good quantitative agreement. © 2011 The American Physical Society.

On the transition from finite-volume negatively buoyant releases to continuous fountains

An experimental investigation to identify the source conditions that distinguish finite-volume negatively buoyant fluid projectile behaviour from fountain behaviour in quiescent environments of uniform density is described. Finite-volume releases are governed by their source Froude number Fr D and the aspect ratio L/D of the release, where L denotes the length of the column of fluid dispensed vertically from the nozzle of diameter D. We establish the influence of L/D on the peak rise heights of a release formed by dispensing saline solution into fresh water for 0continuous flux. The critical aspect ratio (L/D) f, for a given Fr D, which when exceeded no longer influenced release behaviour, led to the determination of Fr D, (L/D) f paired source conditions that give rise to solely Froude-number-dependent, i.e. fountain-like, behaviour. As such, we make the link between finite-volume releases and continuous fountains. The Fr D(L/D) f pairs led us directly to the classification of a Fr D, L/D space from which source conditions giving rise to either negatively buoyant projectiles or fountains may be readily identified. The variation of (L/D) f with Fr D corresponds closely to established fountain regimes of very weak, weak and forced fountains. Moreover, our results indicate that the formation or otherwise of a primary vortex, as fluid is ejected, has a profound influence on the length of the dispensed fluid column that is necessary to achieve rise heights equal to fountain rise heights. © 2012 Cambridge University Press.