Study of a high-velocity liquid jet stressed by an electric field

GUILLERMO ARTANA; HUBERT ROMAT; GERARD TOUCHARD

PHYSICS OF FLUIDS

AMER INST PHYSICS

Lugar: New York; Año: 1998 vol. 10 p. 2922 - 2931

1070-6631

In this work we report an experimental study dealing with the modifications of the breakup phenomena of a high-velocity jet when stressed by an electric field. We considered an arrangement consisting of a cylindrical electrode coaxial with the jet imposing an electric field at the jet exit. With this arrangement we analyzed the behavior of the electrified and nonelectrified jet. We tested a water liquid jet and measured the droplet size and velocity ratio of the droplets of the spray at different positions by means of a Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer. Our results indicate that the electric field increases monotonically the ratio of the components of the velocity in the radial and axial direction and promotes an earlier detachment of droplets from the jet. No significant change in droplet size could be detected. With the aid of a previously reported linear stability analysis we have analyzed the experimental data. This theory reveals itself as a good first approach to compare some aspects of the breakup phenomena of electrified and nonelectrified jets of conducting liquids flowing at high velocities.