Experimental Investigation of the Comparison between Helium and Hydrogen Jets Exiting a DI Outward-Opening Injector via Schlieren Technique

This paper deals with the hydrogen-to-helium jets comparison within the framework of the assessment of helium as a potential hydrogen surrogate. The comparison is centred on the assessment of the combined action of pressure ratio with gas properties on the dynamics of the jet exiting an outward-opening injector. The shots are performed at injection pressures and backpressures ranging from 21 to 36 bar and from 1.2 to 5 bar, respectively. The Schlieren technique is deployed to capture the jets images. The study demonstrates that at certain pressure ratios helium is an appealing solution bridging the lab safety with fidelity to hydrogen-like jet behaviour. Decreasing pressure ratio minimizes the hydrogen-to-helium difference in axial penetration and area, enabling helium to yield a hydrogen-like development. The findings underscore the impact of the pressure ratio on how the gas properties, such as density and diffusivity, dictate the evolution of the axial propagation and area, respectively.