Effect of flow conditions on spray cone angle of a two-fluid atomizer

A visual study is conducted to determine the effects of operating conditions on the spray cone angle of a two-fluid atomizer. The liquid (water) jets exit from peripheral inclined orifices and are introduced into a high-speed gas (air) stream in the gravitational direction. Using a high-speed imaging system, the spray cone angle is determined for Reynolds numbers ranging from 4×104 to 9×104 and different Weber numbers up to 140. The droplet sizes (Sauter mean diameter) and their distributions are determined using a Malvern Mastersizer X. The results show that the spray cone angle depends on the operating conditions, especially in lower values of Reynolds and Weber numbers. An empirical correlation is also obtained to predict the spray cone angle in terms of these two parameters.