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Experimental and Computational Study on Liquid Atomization by Slinger Injector

Sescu, Carmen
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1310163402

Abstract Details

2011, Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering, University of Toledo, College of Engineering.
In this research work the flow characteristics of a type of rotary atomizer, referred to as slinger injector, were experimentally and numerically investigated at relatively low rotational speeds. Although slinger injectors provide a good level of atomization at high rotational speeds where they are intended to operate (30,000 rpm or higher), a critical aspect in small gas turbines is related to the start-up phase, which typically takes place at speeds around 10,000 rpm. The quality of atomization is very important, especially at these low speeds where smaller mean fuel droplet diameters are desirable. The current work focused on the study of atomization provided by slinger injectors at rotational speed related pertinent to the start-up phase (up to 15,000 rpm). An optical measurement system was implemented to investigate the liquid atomization provided by the slinger injector. The qualitative behavior of fuel emerging from the slinger was evaluated to determine whether a satisfactory atomization was provided within a distance compatible with the size of a small gas turbine engine combustion chamber. The size of the droplets was measured using the Global Sizing Velocimetry (GSV) system. Visualization of the primary liquid breakup process, determination of breakup lengths, and measurement of droplet size were performed by varying rotational speed, liquid flow rate, injector hole shape, size and orientation, and number of holes. Photographs of the liquid breakup, various mean and representative diameters, droplet size histograms and cumulative volume distribution are presented. The findings of this thesis show that droplet size decrease with an increase in rotational speed, as expected. Moreover, hole diameter, hole shape and flow rates affect the slinger atomization. For a given flow rate and a given rotational speed, the experimental data show that the droplet sizes decrease by increasing the hole diameter. The droplets increase in size when the flow rates is increased for a given hole size. The atomization was found to be characteristically different for a slit compared to a circular hole injector. However, the orientation of the emerging jet relative to the axis of rotation insignificantly influenced the slinger atomization for the cases studied. A correlation equation was obtained for a slinger with circular hole, estimating the Sauter mean diameter as a function of the rotational speed of the slinger, the hole diameter, the liquid flow rate and the liquid properties. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional numerical simulations of the internal flow and the external near-field flow for a slinger atomizer were conducted. The simulations were carried out using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics code FLUENT, wherein the Volume of Fluid model was used to track the interface between the two phases. A User Defined Function was developed to take into account the centrifugal and Coriolis forces needed for FLUENT computations. The numerical simulations focused on the study of formation of the liquid film along the channel injector wall, and on the upstream characteristics of the liquid jet near the exit of the atomizer. The numerical simulations were in qualitative agreement with the experiment, showing that an annular jet exiting from the channel collapses and the liquid breaks up into droplets a short distance from the exist. The results show that the Volume of Fluid model is appropriate for developing simulation models of the working of a slinger atomizer.
Abdollah A. Afjeh, PhD (Advisor)
K. Cyril Masiulaniec, PhD (Committee Member)
Terry T. Ng, PhD (Committee Member)
Ray D. Hixon, PhD (Committee Member)
Sasidhar Varanasi, PhD (Committee Member)
244 p.
Mechanical Engineering
slinger atomization; spray droplets; Sauter mean diameter; computational simulations

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sescu, C. (2011). Experimental and Computational Study on Liquid Atomization by Slinger Injector [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1310163402

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sescu, Carmen. Experimental and Computational Study on Liquid Atomization by Slinger Injector. 2011. University of Toledo, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1310163402.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sescu, Carmen. "Experimental and Computational Study on Liquid Atomization by Slinger Injector." Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1310163402

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.