Stability of Thin Liquid Sheet Flows

Marc W. McConley*Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139Donald L. ChubbtNASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135andMatthew S. MeMaster¢ and Abdollah A. Afjeh§University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606A two-dimensional, linear stability analysis of a thin nonpinnar liquid sheet flow in vacuum is carriedout. A sheet flow created by a narcow slit of W and 5-attuins a nonplanur cross section as a consequencoof cylinders forming on the sheet edge under the influence of surface tens/on forces. The region wherethese edge cylinders join the sheet is one of high curvature, and this is found to be the location whereinstability is most likely to occur. The sheet flow is found to be unstable, but with low growth rates forsymmetric wave disturbances and high growth rates for antisymmetrie disturlmm:_ By combining thesymmetric and antisymmetric disturbance modes, a wide range of stability characteristics is obtained.The product of unstable growth rate and flow time is proportional to the width-to-thickness ratio of theslit generating the sheet. Three-dimensional effects can alter these results, partieulaHy when the sheetlength-to-width ratio is not much greater than unity.