Effects of varying the liquid fuel type and air co-flow conditions on the microscopic spray characteristics in an atmospheric annular co-flow spray burner

Abstract

[EN] The atomization process is critical for combustion systems since it directly influences emissions and perfor-mance. Thus injection system should provide the spray required structure and characteristics, e.g., angle and droplet size distribution. Therefore, this work investigates the effects of varying the fuel type, air co-flow rates, fuel mass flow rate and air co-flow temperature on the spray characteristics (e.g., droplet size distribution and droplet velocity) in an annular co-flow spray burner. These effects were investigated by measuring droplet sizes and velocities at different radial and axial positions of n-Heptane, n-Decane and n-Dodecane sprays under non-reacting conditions at a room pressure of 1 atm and temperature of 298 K and using the Microscopic Diffused Back-illumination (MDBI) technique. In addition, the Sauter mean diameter (SMD) for different flow conditions were predicted using three well-known correlations and compared to experimental measurements. The outcomes of this research provided a fair understanding of the influence of varying these parameters on the droplet sizes and velocity through a wide test matrix. Finally, the findings reported here will support future research into the function of phase change in flame stability.