Application of the scale entropy diffusion model to describe a liquid atomization process

Whatever the situation, liquid atomization processes show a continuous evolution of the liquid system shape. However, such a system is a multiscale object, i.e., its shape cannot be fully described by a single geometrical parameter. The present work makes use of the scale entropy function to describe this multiscale object. This function is found similar to the scale distribution previously introduced to take into account the droplet shape in liquid spray characterization. Time-averaged scale entropy is locally measured on images of atomizing liquid flows issuing from a low injection pressure single-hole triple-disk nozzle. The advantage in using this nozzle is that the atomization process and the spray are inscribed in a plane and can be fully described by 2-D visualizations. The measurements are performed from the nozzle exit down to the spray region. The operating conditions consider varying injection pressure and liquid physical properties. The temporal evolution of the scale entropy is described by the scale entropy diffusion model. Initially developed in turbulence. this model introduces new parameters such as the scale diffusivity and the local scale entropy flux sink, which characterize the diffusion dynamic of the scale entropy in the scale space. For the first time, these parameters are measured and strong correlations between them and the working conditions are evidenced. Furthermore, new parameters are introduced such as a scale viscosity and the total scale entropy flux lose. These results demonstrate the relevance of the scale entropy diffusion model to describe a liquid atomization process. This application is the first of its kind. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.