Experimental studies on structure of airblast spray in crossflow

The present investigation is focused on experimental studies on the structure of airblast spray in crossflow. Atomizer is at a higher pressure than ambient and the airblast gas is expected to exhibit features generally found in under-expanded gas jets. High-speed images are captured using shadowgraphy technique. Certain wave-like structures observed in the near-nozzle region are attributed to shock-vortex interactions, generally observed in under-expanded gas jets. Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) analysis has been carried out using these images. POD mode shapes clearly show signatures of shock-vortex oscillations and frequencies close to the screeching frequency observed in under-expanded jets. The POD modes are compared for different conditions and the significance of dynamic structures and their temporal behavior is discussed. Finally, a regime map is also proposed to characterize spray behavior in crossflow.