Emergence and dynamics of gas-accelerated liquid sheets

This study examines the behavior of liquid chain, open rim, and transitional jet–liquid chain regimes in gas-accelerated liquid micro-sheets using experimentally validated numerical simulations. The simulations employ the finite volume method with a volume-of-fluid framework to resolve compressible ideal gas flow impinging on a Newtonian, laminar liquid jet under atmospheric conditions. Adaptive mesh refinement is used to resolve the gas–liquid interface. The validation of the model is performed based on a purpose-built experimental setup over the range of gas–liquid momentum flux ratios 0.03 < MFR < 2.6, and Weber numbers, evaluated at the liquid capillary inlet, 3.8 < We < 49, achieving an agreement of the simulated liquid-sheet shape below experimental uncertainty. Three typical flow regimes are explained by the interplay of gas momentum, liquid inertia, and surface tension, scaled by the liquid-sheet rim Weber number (We▫$_{rim}$▫), based on rim curvature and the rim transverse velocity. The transitional jet–liquid chain regime occurs at We▫$_{rim}$▫ < 0.1