Single-jet spray mixing with a confined crossflow

In order to achieve uniform mixing between spray droplets and crossflow, cold-model experiment of a hollow-cone water spray in an air crossflow is investigated via a numerical simulation. The simulation cases are designed by using the orthogonal design method. The Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation is employed for modeling the droplets-crossflow two-phase flow while the realizable k-ε turbulence model is used to describe the turbulence. A new index, mixedness quality, is proposed to assess the overall mixing of the droplets in the crossflow. The simulation results demonstrate that the counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP) imposes a more significant impact on the spatial distribution than on the size distribution of the droplets. Pairs of CVP with smaller scales are preferable for achieving a better mixing. The influencing factors are listed in the following order in terms of the degree of their impact from the greatest to the least: the Sauter diameter of the initial droplets, the mixing tube diameter, the spray angle, the velocity of the inlet crossflow, and the vertical velocity of the initial droplets. A moderate droplet diameter, a smaller tube diameter, a moderate spray angle, a greater crossflow velocity and a moderate vertical velocity of the droplet are favorable for achieving a higher mixedness quality of the jet spray in a confined crossflow.