Bifurcation of a liquid micro-jet in a vacuum

Abstract

The horizontal outflow of liquid from micro-holes in a thin wall into a rarefied medium with a controlled degree of pressure drop is investigated. An azeotropic mixture of ethanol and water was used as a working fluid. With the help of photographic and video equipment, changes in the parameters of the flow of a liquid jet were recorded: the deflection of the flow of an overheated micro-jet against the force of gravity, the appearance of bifurcation points with the formation of several jet two-phase flows, and explosive decay of the jet flow. Possible reasons for the observed effects due to capillary-pressure instability of superheated ethanol micro-flows are discussed.