Initial Drop Size and Velocity Distributions for Airblast Coaxial Atomizers

Initial drop size and velocity distributions, after complete disintegration of coaxial liquid jets, were determined by phase Doppler measurements. The measured radial distributions of Sauter mean diameter (SMD) were compared with the photographs of the disintegrating liquid jet. The SMD distribution was found to be strongly affected by the structure and behavior of the preceding liquid intact jet. The results showed that SMD increases with increasing liquid supply pressure as well as with decreasing air supply pressure. The axial measurement stations were determined from the photographs of the coaxial liquid jet at very short distances (1–2 mm) downstream of the observed break-up locations. The droplets accelerated at these regions under the influence of the air velocity. Smaller droplets were found to reach higher velocities because of their larger drag-to-momentum ratio. In general, minimum droplet mean velocities were found at the center, and the maximum velocities were near the spray boundary. Size velocity correlations show that the velocity of larger drops did not change with drop size. Drop rms velocity distributions have double peaks whose radial positions coincide with the maximum mean velocity gradients.