Abstract

Flow and heat transfer characteristics of gas, and trajectories and cooling characteristics of droplets/particles in a gas atomizer were investigated by a numerical simulation using FLUENT code. Among several kinds of solution method, the k-varepsilon turbulent model, power-law scheme, SIMPLE algorithm is adopted in this study. Momentum and heat exchange between a continuous phase(gas) and a dispersed phase(particle) were taken into account. Particle trajectories are simulated using the Lagrangian method, and Rosin-Rammler formula is used for the particle size distribution. Streamlines, velocities and pressures of gas, and trajectories, velocities and cooling rates of particles have been investigated for the various gas inlet conditions. Small but very intensive recirculation is found just below the melt orifice, and this recirculation seems to cause the liquid metal to spread radially. Particle trajectory depends on the particle size, the location of particle formation and the turbulent motion of gas. Small particle cools down rapidly, while large diameter particles solidify slowly, and this is mainly due to the differences in thermal inertia.