Sylvain Marty

Experimental and analytical study of the shear instability of a gas-liquid mixing layer

We carry out an inviscid spatial linear stability analysis of a planar mixing layer, where a fast gas stream destabilizes a slower parallel liquid stream, and compare the predictions of this analysis with experimental results. We study how the value of the liquid velocity at the interface and the finite thickness of the gas jet affect the most unstable mode predicted by the inviscid analysis: in particular a zero interface velocity is considered to account for the presence in most experimental situations of a splitter splate separating the gas and the liquid. Results derived from this theory are compared with experimentally measured frequencies and growth rates: a good agreement is found between the experimental and predicted frequencies, while the experimental growth rates turn out to be much larger than expected.

Vortices catapult droplets in atomization

A droplet ejection mechanism in planar two-phase mixing layers is examined. Any disturbance on the gas-liquid interface grows into a Kelvin-Helmholtz wave, and the wave crest forms a thin liquid film that flaps as the wave grows downstream. Increasing the gas speed, it is observed that the film breaks up into droplets which are eventually thrown into the gas stream at large angles. In a flow where most of the momentum is in the horizontal direction, it is surprising to observe these large ejection angles. Our experiments and simulations show that a recirculation region grows downstream of the wave and leads to vortex shedding similar to the wake of a backward-facing step. The ejection mechanism results from the interaction between the liquid film and the vortex shedding sequence: a recirculation zone appears in the wake of the wave and a liquid film emerges from the wave crest; the recirculation region detaches into a vortex and the gas flow over the wave momentarily reattaches due to the departure of the vortex; this reattached flow pushes the liquid film down; by now, a new recirculation vortex is being created in the wake of the wave—just where the liquid film is now located; the liquid film is blown up from below by the newly formed recirculation vortex in a manner similar to a bag-breakup event; the resulting droplets are catapulted by the recirculation vortex.