A COMPARISON OF DIESEL SPRAYS CFD MODELING APPROACHES: DDM VERSUS E-Y EULERIAN ATOMIZATION MODEL

OpenFOAM CFD open-source C++ library. In the case of the Lagrangian-discrete droplet method (DDM) approach, the original dieselFoam solver of OpenFOAM is used. Model predictions have been compared to experimental measurements of free diesel sprays under vaporizing conditions from the database of the Engine Combustion Network (ECN). Accurate predictions of liquid and vapor spray penetration, as well as mixture fraction, can be achieved for the nominal condition with both models, although DDM simulations tend to be less accurate. Additionally, the near nozzle flow structure of the Spray A condition of ECN is also studied with both models. The conclusion is a more accurate prediction of the near-field internal structure of the spray in the case of the Eulerian model, due to both a higher mesh resolution and a more adequate modeling approach. Consequently, results shown in this work put in evidence the benefits of using a Eulerian model to predict qualitatively and accurately the diesel spray behavior under different ambient conditions and injection pressures.