• 한국분무공학회지
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.83-90
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• 2024

Understanding the fundamental characteristics of supersonic hydrogen jets is important for the optimization of combustion in hydrogen engines. Previous studies have used helium as a surrogate gas to characterize the hydrogen jet characteristics due to potential explosion risks of hydrogen. It was based on the similarity of hydrogen and helium jet structures in supersonic conditions that has been confirmed using hole-type injectors and large-cone-angle pintle-type injectors. However, the validity of using helium as a surrogate gas has not been examined for recent small-cone-angle pintle-type injectors applied to direct-injection hydrogen engines, which form a supersonic hollow cone near the nozzle and experience the jet collapse downstream. Differences in the physical properties of hydrogen and helium could alter the jet development characteristics that need to be investigated and understood. This study compares supersonic jet structures of hydrogen and helium injected by a small-cone-angle (50°) pintle-type hydrogen injector and discusses their differences and related mechanisms. Jet penetration length and dispersion angle are measured using the Schlieren imaging method under engine-like injection conditions. As a result, the penetration length of hydrogen and helium jets showed a slight difference of less than 5%, and the dispersion angle showed a maximum of 10% difference according to the injection condition.