Influence of inclined electric field on decay of a liquid jet during heat treatment and surfacing

The combined effect of inclined electric fields and a transverse acoustic field on the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability of the interface of viscous electrically conductive liquids is studied using the example of air – water and argon – iron systems. An inclined electric field, regardless of the effect of sound vibrations, leads to the increased Kelvin–Helmholtz instability in the micrometer wavelength range. The most intense increase in the disturbances of the interface is observed at the angle of inclination of the electric field π/3. This opens up new opportunities for the development of technologies for accelerated cooling of rolled products and surfacing materials by regulating the drop transfer of material. The combined effect of acoustic and electric fields has an ambiguous effect on the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. In the case of an air – water system, sound vibrations lead to suppression of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, while a tangential electric field with a strength of 3·10 6 V/m enhances this effect, and a normal field, on the contrary, weakens it. For the argon – iron system, sound vibrations lead to the complete disappearance of the viscosity-conditioned maximum and to a significant decrease in the growth rate of disturbances at the interface, which corresponds to the first maximum. Application of a horizontal electric field with a strength of 3·10 7 V/m significantly weakens the effect of suppressing the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, while in a vertical field, on the contrary, increases it. It was established that the restoration of the first hydrodynamic maximum in a normal electric field is possible with a ratio of specific electrical conductivities σ greater than 0.012, regardless of the presence of a sound field. A change in the influence of the vertical electric field from a stabilizing to a destabilizing one is possible with a ratio of σ from 0.015 or more.