Effect of Injector Exit Geometry on Atomization of a Liquid-Liquid Double Swirl Coaxial Injector using Non-Invasive Laser, Optical and X-ray Techniques

The spray characteristics of a liquid-liquid double swirl coaxial injector were studied using non-invasive optical, laser, and X-ray diagnostics. A parametric study of injector exit geometry demonstrated that spray breakup time, breakup type and sheet stability could be controlled with exit geometry. Phase Doppler interferometry was used to characterize droplet statistics and non-dimensional droplet parameters over a range of inlet conditions and for various fluids allowing for a study on the role of specific fluid properties in atomization. Further, X-ray radiography allowed for investigation of sheet thickness and breakup length to be quantified for different recess exit diameters and inlet pressures. Finally, computed tomography scans revealed that the spray cone was distinctively non-uniform and comprised of several pockets of increased mass flux.