Numerical investigation of a perturbed swirling annular two-phase jet

A swirling annular gas–liquid two-phase jet flow system has been investigated by solving the compressible, time-dependent, non-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations using highly accurate numerical methods. The mathematical formulation for the flow system is based on an Eulerian approach with mixed-fluid treatment while an adjusted volume of fluid method is utilised to account for the gas compressibility. Surface tension effects are captured by a continuum surface force model. Swirling motion is applied at the inlet while a small helical perturbation is also applied to initiate the instability. Three-dimensional spatial direct numerical simulation has been performed with parallelisation of the code based on domain decomposition. The results show that the flow is characterised by a geometrical recirculation zone adjacent to the nozzle exit and by a central recirculation zone further downstream. Swirl enhances the flow instability and vorticity and promotes liquid dispersion in the cross-streamwise directions. A dynamic precessing vortex core is developed demonstrating that the growth of such a vortex in annular configurations can be initiated even at low swirl numbers, in agreement with experimental findings. Analysis of the averaged results revealed the existence of a geometrical recirculation zone and a swirl induced central recirculation zone in the flow field.