Influences of nozzle flow and nozzle geometry on the shape and size of an air core in a hollow cone swirl nozzle

Abstract Theoretical and experimental studies have been carried out to determine the influences of nozzle flow and nozzle geometry on the shape and size of a fully developed air core in a hollow cone swirl nozzle. The theoretical study is based on the numerical solution of conservation equations for mass and momentum along with the volume fraction of the liquid phase. An interface capturing method has been adopted in the numerical simulation of free surface flow in the nozzle. Experiments have been carried out with a number of nozzles fabricated in Perspex material. The air core diameter has been measured from photographs taken by a camera outside the nozzle. It has been observed that the shape of the fully developed air core in a conical swirl nozzle is cylindrical with a considerable bulging at the entrance to the orifice, while in the case of a conical nozzle without a finite length of orifice, the air core is uniform throughout the nozzle. The values of the air core diameter in the swirl chamber (da1) and in the orifice (da2) of a nozzle increase sharply with an increase in inlet Reynolds number (Re) below 1.1 × 104, but become almost independent of Re above this (up to 1.7 × 104). The air core diameter, both in the swirl chamber and in the orifice, increases with an increase in the value of the ratio of orifice to swirl chamber diameter and the cone angle of the swirl chamber and with a decrease in the value of the ratio of entry port to swirl chamber diameter and the ratio of orifice length to swirl chamber diameter.