Jianxun Li

Currently, the primary method for controlling red tides in the ocean involves spraying water solutions with special chemicals as solutes. High-pressure spraying results in the formation of typical jet structures. In this study, numerical simulation methods are employed to investigate the velocity variations, turbulent characteristics, and gas content distribution of jet flow fields under different initial jet flow pressures, cone angles, and nozzle diameters. Based on practical application scenarios, cluster analysis is used to explore the similarities and differences in jet equivalent diameters under different parameter conditions. The research findings indicate the following. (1) The difference of jet velocity distribution at the far field exit will be enlarged with the increase in the nozzle cone angle. When the nozzle cone angle is 4 mm, the velocity uniformity at the outlet is the best. (2) The TKE of the flow field has no consistent change law along the central axis. At the jet exit, the TKE shows an obvious multi-peak structure. (3) The gas content demonstrates a typical “double-valley” feature at the jet outlet cross-section. Increasing the initial pressure leads to a decrease in the gas content within the jet due to reduced entrainment, while the entrainment range remains largely constant. (4) Cluster analysis reveals that the similarity of jet flow width when it reaches the water surface is minimal compared to other operating conditions when the initial pressure is 0.36 MPa, the cone angle is 115°, and the nozzle diameter is 2 mm. All conditions can be categorized into two or three groups to ensure jet effectiveness. The study results provide scientific guidance for selecting spray devices for controlling red tides in the ocean.