Estimating droplet charge in numerical simulations of charged sprays

A novel method for estimating droplet charge in numerical simulations of conductively and inductively charged sprays is presented. This method is based on balancing the effective electric field at the sprayer nozzle with the global electric field induced by the charged droplets. The global approach avoids the need for computationally expensive local resolution of the spray formation region, allowing it to be used in Eulerian–Lagrangian simulations of high-flowrate sprays. The method is validated against experimental data from literature, proving it can predict droplet charge with reasonable engineering accuracy, over a wide range of spray parameters, for conductive spray liquids.