Droplet breakup in accelerating gas flows. Part 1: Primary atomization

Abstract

An experimental study of the effects of an accelerating gas flow on the atomization characteristics of liquid sprays was conducted. The sprays were produced by impinging two liquid jets. The liquid was molten wax, while the gas was nitrogen. The use of molten wax allowed for a quantitative measure of the resulting dropsize distribution. The effects of the accelerating gas flow on the formation of the spray were examined. The results of this study indicate that the parameters that most affect the resulting dropsize are the injector parameters of orifice diameter and injection velocity, the maximum gas velocity, and the distance from the injector face at which the maximum gas velocity is attained. Empirical correlations for both the mass median dropsize and the dropsize distribution are presented. These correlations can be readily incorporated into existing computer codes for the purpose of calculating rocket engine combustion performance.