Numerical modeling of high-speed modulated water jets (Q1076561)

During the last decade the study of the characteristics of liquid jets has gained significant importance with the increased interest shown for hydraulic mining and ink-jet printing. In both instances, the transition of the jet into a train of discrete droplets is achieved by modulating the discharge exiting from the nozzle. Initially, mining and jet cutting technology relied essentially on the conventional steady water jet-nozzle system to cut, drill, or fracture a target material. The failure mechanisms contributing to such an action are considered to be: (a) some granular erosion; (b) fracture under shear or tensile stress; and (c) water permeation into cracks and pores. However, it has been observed that the highest rate of erosion occurs during the initial period of impact, as the pressure in the impact area approaches the waterhammer value, far above the stagnation pressure. This observation has lead several investigators to look into the possibility of reducing the jet flow into a series of drops in order to get full advantage from the initial impact characteristics of water jets. Similarly, the need to produce crisp, clear-printed characters has inspired jet-printing technology to develop also the necessary ink-jet printing technique with the specific goal of achieving a droplet formation at a desired rate and at a desired location from the nozzle. The droplet formation is brought about, in the case of jet cutting, by the kinematics of the velocity modulation, and, in the case of jet printing, by capillary instability. The purpose of the present paper is to offer a comprehensive survey of the various mathematical and numerical models, as they are applied to the flow of a modulated water jet.