Effect of liquid viscosity on internal flow and spray characteristics of Y-jet atomizers

Abstract

Internal flow characteristics within Y-jet atomizers and the local drop size distribution and cross-sectional averaged drop size at the outside were investigated with the liquid and air injection pressures, mixing port length of atomizers, and the liquid properties taken as parameters. To examine the effect of the liquid viscosity, glycerin-water mixtures were used in this study. The liquid viscosity plays only a minor role in determining the internal flow pattern and the spatial distribution shape of drops, but the drop sizes themselves generally increase with increasing of the liquid viscosity. An empirical correlation for the liquid discharge coefficient at the liquid port was deduced from the experimental results; the liquid discharge coefficient strongly depends on the liquid flow area at the mixing point which is proportional to the local volumetric quality(.betha.), and the volumetric quality was included in the correlation. Regardless of the value of the liquid viscosity, the compressible flow through the gas port was well represented by the polytropic expansion process(k=1.2), and the mixing point pressure could be simply correlated to the aspect ratio( / ) of the mixing port and the air/liquid mass flow rate ratio( / ) as reported in the previous study.udy.udy.y.