Penetration and diffusion characteristics of liquid jets with phase transition in supersonic crossflows

This paper investigates the penetration and diffusion characteristics of liquid kerosene jets undergoing phase transition in a supersonic crossflow. A series of numerical simulations of gas-liquid two-phase flows were conducted in various supersonic flow fields using the Euler–Lagrangian method. Through post-processing of simulation data, the penetration and diffusion behaviors of kerosene in different supersonic inflows were analyzed, revealing the key influencing factors and governing laws. The results indicate that in high-enthalpy supersonic inflows, the primary drivers of kerosene diffusion shift from injection mass to evaporation mass and temperature gradients, as compared to low-enthalpy inflows. The penetration and diffusion capabilities of kerosene are jointly determined by the evaporation momentum ratio and the injection momentum ratio induced by phase transitions. Furthermore, the presence of the heat release zone significantly enhances kerosene's penetration and diffusion, with the kerosene boundary closely aligning with the heat release zone. Enhancing the heat and mass transfer between the supersonic inflow and kerosene droplets to accelerate the phase transition rate emerges as an effective strategy to improve kerosene's penetration and diffusion performance. These insights provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing the performance of supersonic combustors.