Effects of Injection Angle on Primary Atomization of Kerosene Jets in Supersonic Crossflow

Fuel atomization in the scramjet combustor is crucial for its combustion efficiency and stability. To investigate the influence mechanism of injection angle on atomization characteristics, this study employs Large Eddy Simulation (LES), the Coupled Level Set and Volume of Fluid (CLSVOF) method, and Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) to conduct high-accuracy numerical simulations of the kerosene jet atomization process in a supersonic crossflow (Ma=2.85, q=4.5, We=1.14×10 4 , Oh=0.012) across seven different injection angles. The research systematically analyzed the jet evolution, penetration, spanwise width, surface waves, flow field, and vortex characteristics. The results indicated that: in downstream injection cases, the gas-liquid interaction is weak, resulting in low jet curvature, small penetration, and narrow spanwise width; the vertical injection case significantly enhances penetration and spanwise width; among the countercurrent injection cases, the 120° injection case exhibits the best performance, with its penetration depth and spanwise width increasing by 18% and 22% respectively compared to the 90° injection case, and it exhibits the most pronounced surface waves, the strongest shock wave intensity, and the densest vortex distribution, leading to the most thorough atomization. This study reveals the decisive impact of injection angle on jet atomization and provides a theoretical basis for the optimal design of fuel injection configurations in scramjet engines.