Atomization of cross-injecting sprays into convective air stream

Experimental investigations have been made for cross-injecting sprays into a convective air stream as a primary means of fuel atomization. A laser diffraction particle-analyzing technique (the Malvern system) is used assuming a Rosin-Rammler two-parameter model for the drop size distribution function. The study's varied injection parameters include the convective air flow rate, the flow rate of the injected liquid (distilled water), the orifice diameter, and measurement locations along the two-dimensional spray plane. Buckingham-PI analysis finds the correlation of dimensionless parameters. A correlation of drop Sauter mean diameter (SMD) normalized to the orifice diameter is obtained from all the experimental data as SMD/D-0 = 1.015 x 10(19)Re(?)g(-3.5998)Re(f)(-1.8094)We(2.2474)(x/D-0)(-0.6867)(y/D-0)(1.9718) where D-0 is the injector orifice diameter that constitutes the length scale of Re-f and of We. The air Reynolds number, Re-g, is defined based on the channel hydraulic diameter. A statistical analysis of the correlation equation shows a 97.5% confidence interval and a coefficient of multiple determination, R(2), of 0.94.