Towards an interpretation of the scale diffusivity in liquid atomization process: An experimental approach

Recent investigations have presented an application of the scale entropy diffusion theory to model liquid atomization process. This theory describes multi-scale behavior by a diffusion equation of the scale entropy function. In atomization, this function is related to the scale-distribution which provides a measurement of the specific-length of the eroded liquid system according to the scale of erosion. The present paper performs a detailed description of the scale diffusion mechanism for the atomization process of a liquid jet emanating from a gasoline injector with the objective of determining the scale diffusivity parameter introduced by the diffusion theory. The 2-D description of the gasoline jet as a function of the injection pressure reveals that the scale space is divided into two regions according to the sign of the scale specific-length variation rate: The small-scale region refers to the scales that undergo an elongation mechanism whereas the large-scale region concerns the scales that undergo a contraction mechanism. Furthermore, two phases of the atomization process are identified depending on whether the elongation mechanism is governed by the jet dynamics or surface tension effects. A non-dimensional number segregating these two phases is established. During the atomization process, the contraction mechanism diffuses in the small scale region. This manifests by a temporal decrease of the scale with a zero specific-length variation. It is found that the scale diffusivity parameter can be determined from the evolution of this characteristic scale in the second phase of the atomization process. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.