Airblast Atomization of Alternative Liquid Petroleum Fuels under High Pressure Conditions

Abstract

A study has been conducted of the effects that fuel and air properties have upon the mean droplet size characteristics of a pre-filming airblast atomizer of the type commonly employed in the gas turbine engine. The fuels tested included kerosine, gas oil and two blends of gas oil in residual fuel oil. The tests were carried out over a wide range of air pressures (about 1 to 13 atmospheres), fuel viscosities (about 0.001 to 0.037 Ns/m2) and the spray mean drop sizes were measured using a laser light-scattering technique. The experimental data accumulated in the study is presented in the paper and it is concluded that the spray Sauter Mean Diameter performance of the atomizer studied can be predicted to a reasonable degree of accuracy, over the range of conditions studied, by a relatively simple correlating equation.