Numerical Modeling of Evaporation and Combustion of Isolated Liquid Fuel Droplets: a Review

Abstract

Understanding the transport processes during evaporation
and combustion of isolated liquid fuel droplet is highly important
in several applications involving sprays. Comprehensive numerical
models assist in carrying out simulations involving interlinked transport
processes in liquid and gas phases using proper interface coupling
conditions. The predictions from such numerical models reveal flow,
temperature and species fields, with which the evaporation, as well as
combustion characteristics, can be thoroughly analyzed. In this article,
a detailed review of numerical models used to simulate evaporation of
isolated droplets under several operating conditions is presented. This
includes evaporation in high-pressure conditions, where real gas effects
and solubility of ambient gas into the liquid droplet, come into play.
Subsequently, a review of droplet combustion models, which are comprehensive enough to reveal the burning characteristics of an isolated
droplet, is presented. Importance of liquid phase motion on evaporation
and combustion behavior and water absorption in the case of alcohol
droplets are reported. This review also includes modeling concepts
applied to multi-component droplets.