The effect of swirling flow in the mixing chamber of atomizer and the length/diameter ratio of atomizer exit on the distribution of coal particles in CWM spray

Abstract

This research is aimed to investigate how the swirling phenomena in an atomizer and the ratio of length/diameter of the atomizer exit affect the size distribution of coal particle in spray. CWM slurries are injected by a swirling twin-fluid atomizer. Five different caps and a swirler are designed and fabricated into an existing twin fluid atomizer. The droplets are sampled by test tubes and microscope slides coated with magnesium oxide. The data analysis are done by photo technique and Malvern particle sizer. The experimental results reveal that there are many droplets which do not have any coal particles. Those are simply water droplets. The population ratio of droplets without coal particles to total sampled CWM droplets is increased as the sampling position moves outward in the radial direction from the axis of spray. The length/ diameter ratio of an atomizer exit and the swirling phenomena in an atomizer affect a lot the spray pattern and the spray angle but they make no noticeable effects on the size distribution of coal particles in droplets and spray.