This study examines the behavior of liquid chain, open rim, and transitional jet–liquid chain regimes in gas-accelerated liquid micro-sheets using experimentally validated numerical simulations. The simulations employ the finite volume method with a volume-of-fluid framework to resolve compressible ideal gas flow impinging on a Newtonian, laminar liquid jet under atmospheric conditions. Adaptive mesh refinement is used to resolve the gas–liquid interface. The validation of the model is performed based on a purpose-built experimental setup over the range of gas–liquid momentum flux ratios 0.03MFR2.6, and Weber numbers, evaluated at the liquid capillary inlet, 3.8We49, achieving an agreement of the simulated liquid-sheet shape below experimental uncertainty. Three typical flow regimes are explained by the interplay of gas momentum, liquid inertia, and surface tension, scaled by the liquid-sheet rim Weber number (Werim), based on rim curvature and the rim transverse velocity. The transitional jet–liquid chain regime occurs at Werim0.1, where the surface tension dominates, resulting in only a slight change of the liquid jet cross section. In the liquid chain regime (0.1Werim1) gas inertia forms the sheet, then surface tension bends the rim inward, and transverse momentum transfer forms an orthogonal secondary link. In the open rim regime (Werim2), dominant rim inertia prevents sheet closure. The Weber number (We), based on the nozzle inlet parameters, can predict the liquid chain regime in the range 1.5 ≲ MFR We0.84 ≲ 4. This relation provides practical guidance for stable liquid chain operation.
Kovačič et al. (Thu,) studied this question.