Experimental Study on the Atomization of Plain Orifice Injector Under Uniform and Non-Uniform Cross Flowing Air Stream

Abstract

The effects of three parameters: air velocity, nozzle pressure drop and injector orifice diameter, on the spray characteristics of a plain orifice injector under uniform and non-uniform cross flowing air stream have been studied experimentally. For uniform cross flowing air stream, the results show that the effects of these parameters are interrelated. The exponents of these terms in a correlation are not constants. Based on a very large amount of experimental data, the following correlation has been derived for Sauter Mean Diameter. SMD = 8.28 • 10 4 V ¯ a A • Δ P ¯ f B • d ¯ C where: A = −1.59 −0.0044ΔP̄f −0.01 d̄ B = −0.13 −0.025 d̄ +0.34 Ma C = 0.36 −0.55 Ma −0.0032ΔP̄f (Va ≤ 140 M/s ; ΔPf ≤ 11 Kg·f/cm2 ; d ≤ 2.5 mm) For small orifice diameters, the drop size distribution parameter, N (Rosin-Rammler distribution ), decreases until a minimum then increases with air velocity. For large orifice diameters, it decreases with air velocity. N always decreases with the increases of nozzle pressure drop or orifice diameter. For non-uniform cross flowing air stream, atomizations under four velocity profiles with same averaged velocity and with a velocity recess of same shape but at different radial positions have been tested. The atomization data were compared with that of uniform cross flowing air stream. Two types of comparison were made based on: a) the undisturbed velocity, b) the averaged velocity, equals to the velocity of uniform cross flowing air stream. For former situation the atomization for non-uniform cross flowing air stream tested is always poorer. The influence from the velocity recess will be maximum at certain nozzle pressure drop. The experimental evidence obtained has shown that cross flow atomization is a combination of pressure atomization (at low air flow velocity) and airblast atomization (at high air flow velocity).