Atomization of Liquid Fuels

W in Supersonic Flow
by
Asredme Misourn., Kakkattukurhy M. Isaact
and
James A. DraUmeiert
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department
University of Miouri-Rolla, Rolla 65401-0249

ABsmu!x with increase in both air-tdiquid mass Bow ratio and

Weber number. The drop size decreased towards the
An experimental investigation of the atomization
outer edges of the jet. The results lead one to con-
of a round liquid jet by coaxial, coflowing injection
clude that the coaxial, coeowing configuration is very
into a supersonic, Mach 1.6 air Bow is reported in this
attractive for atomizing liquid fueb.
paper. Extensive Bow visualisation was conducted
using nchlieren/shadowgraph, Bash photography and
short duration (nu) h e r imaging. The liquid and air I. NOMENCLATURE
pressures were varied individually. Photographic ev- A area ma
idence indicates the presence of three regions within D exit dia m
the liquid jet: a primary region enclosed by the first m mass Bow rate kgs-'
shock cell where the primary breakup occurs, a sec- r radial coord.
ondary region in which the jet is totally broken be- R exit radius m
cause of its interaction with the supersonic wave struc- W(?) Reynolds number
ture and a thud, subsonic region further downstream. U velocity m-1
It WM found that the complete atomization rnechk U velocity at x = 0 mu-1
nism of liquid jets in supersonic airstreams is quite
complex. The breakup seems to be initiated by the
we(*) Weber number
X axial coord.
growth of the turbulence structure on the liquid sur-
Ir dynamic viscosity kgrn-ls-'
face. After this initial growth, detachment of the
P density kgm-3
three-dimensional structure as fine droplets by the
0 surface tension Nm-'
intense shear at the liquid-gas interface is observed.
subscripts
This seems t o confirm the boundary layer stripping
amb ambient
mechanism proposed by Ranger and Nicholls. The
e n o d e exit
liquid jet expands into a b u b b l d k e formation M it in-
teracts with the 6rst met of waves. Higher liquid injec- B BM
1 liquid
tion pnasures resulted in higher initial spray angles.
8 separation point
The spray boundary displayed a geometry strongly
0 stag. condition
dependent on the pressure distribution resulting from
the wave structure predent in the supersonic gas Bow.
Droplets she and velocity distributions were measured
by the P/DPA (Phase/Doppler Particle Analyier) sys-
tem. The Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) was me- 11. INTRODUCTION
swed at several axial and radial locations at various The atomization of liquid jets resulting from their
i
liquid and air pressures. The SMD shows a decrease sudden exposure to a high velocity gas Bow has many
'PhD. Candidate, Member AUA applications in the fields of aerospace engineering, en-
t h o c i a t e Profmor of Aerospace Engineering, Aero- ergy utiliration and material lynthesis. The rates
- propubion Lab, Member AUA of cdmbwtion and mixing can be greatly enhanced
* h i a t a n t Professor, Member AUA by virtue of better atomhation of the fuel jet. In
Copyright @992 by Kakkattukurhy M. Isaac. Pub- aerospace vehicles such as the high speed civil trans-
L hhed by the American Institute of Aarouautiu and A#- port (HSCT) under development, atomization, com-
tronautica, Inc. with permhion.