SPH simulation of fuel drop impact on heated surfaces

Abstract: The interaction of liquid drops and heated surfaces is of great importance in many applications. This paper describes a numerical method, based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), for simulating n-heptane drop impact on a heated surface. The SPH method uses numerical Lagrangian particles, which obey the laws of fluid dynamics, to describe the fluid flows. By incorporating the Peng-Robinson equation of state, the present SPH method can directly simulate both the liquid and vapor phases and the phase change process between them. The numerical method was validated by two experiments on drop impact on heated surfaces at low impact velocities. The numerical method was then used to predict drop-wall interactions at various temperatures and velocities. The model was able to predict the different outcomes, such as rebound, spread, splash, breakup, and the Leidenfrost phenomenon, consistent with the physical understanding.