A new robust modeling strategy for multi-component droplet heat and mass transfer in general ambient conditions

Liquid fuels applied to spray combustion processes are predominantly composed by a mixture of components. Following an injection process, multi-component liquid droplets are subject of heat and mass transfer processes in a multitude of atmosphere compositions, resulting in complex interaction processes. This example based on a spray combustion process summarizes the diversity of scenarios that a droplet may experience in a spray flow. Typically, available models in the literature have limitations to characterize such complex interactions. In view of this, the present work proposes a novel modeling strategy to account for such interactions in diverse scenarios grounded in a consistent computational approach. To accomplish this task, a new formulation is derived from general transport equations of the gas phase. The resulting model is validated by comparing numerical results with available experimental data. Herein, binary mixtures of liquids evaporating in diverse atmospheres are considered. In contrast to other reference approaches, the derived model demonstrates to overcome all tested scenarios, which includes severe atmosphere compositions and states. Additional effects could be observed regarding the different diffusivity among the participating species, which are not only perceived in mass transfer but also on heat transfer. A more comprehensive description of the different underlying phenomena relative to the spray combustion could be obtained with the proposed strategy