Computational and experimental study of the effect of mass transfer on liquid jet break-up

A computational method has been developed to predict the effect of mass transfer on liquid jet break-up in coaxial, low velocity gas streams. Two conditions, both with and without the effect of mass transfer on the jet break-up, are calculated, and compared with experimental results and the classical linear theory. Methanol and water were used as the injectants. The numerical solution can predict the instantaneous shape of the jet surface and the break-up time, and it is very close to the experimental results. The numerical solutions and the experimental results both indicate that the wave number of the maximum instability is about 6.9, higher than 4.51 which was predicted by Rayleigh's linear theory. The experimental results and numerical solution show that the growth of the amplitude of the trough is faster than the growth of the amplitude of the crest, especially for a rapidly vaporizing jet. The numerical solutions show that for the small rates of evaporation, the effect of the mass transfer on the interface has a stabilizing effect near the wave number for maximum instability. Inversely, it has a destabilizing effect far from the wave number for maximum instability. For rapid evaporation, the effect of the mass transfer always has a destabilizing effect and decreases the break-up time of the jet.