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Atomization and Sprays, Vol.24, No.1, 81-96, 2014
EFFECT OF THE LIQUID INJECTION ANGLE ON THE ATOMIZATION OF LIQUID JETS IN SUBSONIC CROSSFLOWS
This work is focused on the study of sprays produced by pressure atomizers of single-hole type when subjected to air crossflows at atmospheric pressure. The study was carried out in a wind tunnel. Prior to spray characterization, the air flow inside the wind tunnel was evaluated with the aid of laser Doppler anemometry. The sprays were first characterized using a shadowgraphy technique, which allowed for a qualitative evaluation of the overall quality of the atomization. Subsequently, the use of phase Doppler anemometry allowed performing detailed measurements of the spray droplet diameters and velocities, as a function of the injection angle, for various nondimensional atomizer distances. The main findings of this study are as follows: (i) The liquid column disintegration process is significantly affected by the liquid injection angle and, less considerably, by the liquid-to-air momentum flux ratio; (ii) the Sauter mean diameter decreases noticeably as the injection angle of the liquid increases; and (iii) the characteristics of droplet diameter and velocity distributions vary significantly as the distance to the injector increases.