Computational Prediction of Primary Breakup in Fuel Spray Nozzles for Aero-Engine Combustors

Primary breakup of liquid fuel in the vicinity of fuel spray nozzles as utilized in aero-engine combustors is numerically investigated. As grid based methods exhibit a variety of disadvantages when it comes to the prediction of multiphase flows, the "Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics" (SPH)-method is employed. The eligibility of the method to analyze breakup of fuel has been demonstrated in recent publications by Braun et al, Dauch et al and Koch et al [1, 2, 3, 4]. In the current paper a methodology for the investigation of the two-phase flow in the vicinity of fuel spray nozzles at typical operating conditions is proposed. Due to lower costs in terms of computing time, 2D predictions are desired. However, atomization of fluids is inherently three dimensional. Hence, differences between 2D and 3D predictions are to be expected. In course of this study, predictions in 2D and based on a 3D sector are presented. Differences in terms of gaseous flow, ligament shape and mixing are assessed.