Experimental and Numerical Study of Gasoline Refueling Nozzle Spray Pattern

Experimental and numerical studies have been performed to understand the fluid flow characteristics of gasoline refueling nozzle. Experimental study constitutes flow visualization techniques using high-speed camera and strobe light to qualitatively understand the nozzle spray pattern and turbulent structures. Numerical study was performed using a commercially available CFD package. The nozzle geometry was recreated to a close approximation and VOF multiphase model was used to simulate the spray pattern. A comparison between experimental and numerical studies was completed. Further, to understand the effect of turbulence model on the spray pattern, a comparative study between a traditional RANS model and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) was performed.