Description
Cavitation in Spray Nozzles – Progress and ChallengesDr Daniel Duke
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Monash University, Australia
Cavitation is a common occurrence in the nozzles used to produce sprays for a wide range
of applications, from automotive and aerospace fuel injectors to medical inhalers. Aside
from its eGects on nozzle erosion, cavitation alters the initial conditions for spray formation
and generates instabilities and vortical structures which can influence the atomisation
process in complex ways. After more than 50 years of research on orifice and nozzle
cavitation, many research questions are yet to be answered. Cavitating flows are unsteady
and three-dimensional in even in the simplest canonical geometries. Practical
considerations for real-world engineering systems such as the eGects of dissolved gases,
and the role of cavitation on flash-evaporating sprays remain unresolved. Over the last 15
years, advancements in X-ray diagnostics and numerical simulation have made some
progress in answering these questions. Supported by conventional optical diagnostics, we
show how a fusion of measurement techniques continues to advance our fundamental
understanding of these complex multiphase flows while also addressing practical
engineering challenges spanning energy, climate change and healthcare.
| Period | 22 Apr 2026 |
|---|---|
| Held at | Institute of Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems (ILASS-Americas), United States of America, Arizona |
| Degree of Recognition | International |