Predictive Criteria for Electrospray-Assisted Droplet Dynamics in Aerodynamic Flow Fields
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arXiv
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866915516871868416 |
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| author | Kahn, Ethan |
| author_facet | Kahn, Ethan |
| contents | Electrospray technology enables external electric fields to steer charged droplets, with potential applications in fuel-air mixing and aerodynamic flow control. This study develops a computational framework that couples a steady OpenFOAM RANS solution of a NACA 1912 airfoil channel flow with a reduced-order Lagrangian particle model to examine droplet trajectories under viscous drag and electrostatic forces. Baseline uniform-flow tests confirmed that electrostatic deflection weakens as inertial effects grow with freestream velocity. In the non-uniform aerodynamic field, an opposing streamwise electric field increased residence times and produced local reversal in low-speed pockets. Building on these results, we derive a predictive criterion linking the minimum electric field for reversal to the local convective velocity and introduce a "control authority" map that highlights regions where modest fields achieve strong kinematic response. Together, these diagnostics provide a design-oriented basis for positioning electrodes and tuning field strength in aerodynamic environments. The framework thus establishes both a computationally efficient tool for parametric studies and predictive criteria for electrospray-assisted flow manipulation, laying groundwork for three-dimensional extensions and experimental validation. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_22676 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Predictive Criteria for Electrospray-Assisted Droplet Dynamics in Aerodynamic Flow Fields Kahn, Ethan Fluid Dynamics 76T25 Electrospray technology enables external electric fields to steer charged droplets, with potential applications in fuel-air mixing and aerodynamic flow control. This study develops a computational framework that couples a steady OpenFOAM RANS solution of a NACA 1912 airfoil channel flow with a reduced-order Lagrangian particle model to examine droplet trajectories under viscous drag and electrostatic forces. Baseline uniform-flow tests confirmed that electrostatic deflection weakens as inertial effects grow with freestream velocity. In the non-uniform aerodynamic field, an opposing streamwise electric field increased residence times and produced local reversal in low-speed pockets. Building on these results, we derive a predictive criterion linking the minimum electric field for reversal to the local convective velocity and introduce a "control authority" map that highlights regions where modest fields achieve strong kinematic response. Together, these diagnostics provide a design-oriented basis for positioning electrodes and tuning field strength in aerodynamic environments. The framework thus establishes both a computationally efficient tool for parametric studies and predictive criteria for electrospray-assisted flow manipulation, laying groundwork for three-dimensional extensions and experimental validation. |
| title | Predictive Criteria for Electrospray-Assisted Droplet Dynamics in Aerodynamic Flow Fields |
| topic | Fluid Dynamics 76T25 |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.22676 |