A simple expression for predicting the inlet roundness of micro-nozzles

N Anantharamaiah, H Vahedi Tafreshi, B Pourdeyhimi
2007 Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering  
The inlet roundness of micro-nozzles can directly influence properties of the liquid jets conducted through them. Obtaining accurate information regarding the inlet roundness of such tiny nozzles, however, is not easy. This is mainly due to the minute dimensions of these nozzles which render most nondestructive examination methods ineffective. In this study, a series of steady-state two-phase computational fluid dynamics simulations is performed to predict the inlet roundness of micro-nozzles
more » ... ed for producing constricted waterjets, i.e., waterjets resulting from a detached nozzle flow. Different micro-nozzles with inlet roundness ranging from r/d = 0 to 0.18 (where r and d are the inlet radius of curvature and the capillary diameter, respectively) were considered to obtain an expression for predicting the nozzle's inlet roundness as a function of its discharge coefficient. It is demonstrated that the discharge coefficient of nozzles conducting a detached flow increases with increasing inlet roundness. The inlet roundness predicted by our expression is in good agreement with the actual roundness determined by sectioning the nozzle and imaging its cross-section. Our expression is believed to be useful for manufacturers and users of capillary micro-nozzles for producing liquid micro-jets.
doi:10.1088/0960-1317/17/5/n01 fatcat:xrfy7yls5zdbbobrovk4vkopgm