Penetration and breakup of slurry jets in a supersonic stream

An experimental study of the transverse injection of a particle laden liquid jet into a supersonic air stream was conducted. Five micron-diameter silicon dioxide particles with a specific gravity of 2.35 were suspended in water and injected across a Mach 3.0 air stream. A stagnation pressure of 4.2 atm and a stagnation temperature of 15 C were maintained throughout the tests. Particle loadings of up to 68% by mass were injected. The penetration and behavior of the jets were examined through a light extinction survey and through a series of streak and nanoflash photographs. The breakup mechanism of the slurry jets appeared similar to that of all liquid jets. About 1/8 of the particles agglomerated into clumps that ranged up to 40 microns in diameter. The clumps separated from the liquid plume and penetrated up to 45% further into the air stream than the liquid. For mass loadings greater than 55%, the jet column appeared more rigid than those for jets of lower or zero particle loadings.