Emergence and dynamics of gas-accelerated liquid sheets : insights into liquid chain formation

Kovačič, Krištof (author), Zahoor, Rizwan (author), Kušar, Jernej (author), Bajt, Saša (author), Šarler, Božidar (author)

This study examines the behavior of liquid chain, open rim, and transitional jet–liquid chain regimes in gas-accelerated liquid micro-sheets using experimentally validated numerical simulations. The simulations employ the finite volume method with a volume-of-fluid framework to resolve compressible ideal gas flow impinging on a Newtonian, laminar liquid jet under atmospheric conditions. Adaptive mesh refinement is used to resolve the gas–liquid interface. The validation of the model is performed based on a purpose-built experimental setup over the range of gas–liquid momentum flux ratios 0.03 < MFR < 2.6, and Weber numbers, evaluated at the liquid capillary inlet, 3.8 < We < 49, achieving an agreement of the simulated liquid-sheet shape below experimental uncertainty. Three typical flow regimes are explained by the interplay of gas momentum, liquid inertia, and surface tension, scaled by the liquid-sheet rim Weber number (We▫$_{rim}$▫), based on rim curvature and the rim transverse velocity. The transitional jet–liquid chain regime occurs at We▫$_{rim}$▫ < 0.1; where the surface tension dominates, result- ing in only a slight change of the liquid jet cross section. In the liquid chain regime (0.1 < We▫$_{rim}$▫ < 1) gas inertia forms the sheet, then surface tension bends the rim inward, and transverse momentum transfer forms an orthogonal secondary link. In the open rim regime (We▫$_{rim}$▫ > 2), dominant rim inertia prevents sheet closure. The Weber number (We), based on the nozzle inlet parameters, can predict the liquid chain regime in the range 1.5 ≤ MFR We▫$^{0.84}$▫ ≤ 4. This relation provides practical guidance for stable liquid chain operation.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ideal gas, physical quantities, computer simulation, finite volume methods, adaptive mesh refinement, gas liquid interfaces, fluid dynamics, fluid flows, fluid jets, multiphase flows
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 25 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 38, issue 1, art. 012008
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178214
• UDC: 532.5
• ISSN on article: 1089-7666
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0311193
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265567747
• Publication date in RUL: 21.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Physics of fluids
• Shortened title: Phys. fluids
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics
• ISSN: 1089-7666
• COBISS.SI-ID: 18986023

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: idealni plin, fizikalne veličine, računalniška simulacija, metoda končnih volumnov, adaptivno zgoščevanje mreže, plinsko kapljevite meje, dinamika tekočin, tokovi tekočin, kapljeviti curki, večfazni tokovi