Further developments of a novel self-driven spray nozzle

An experimental study of a further development of a novel atomizing nozzle is presented. The novelty of the nozzle lies in the incorporation of a self-driven, hydraulic turbine, which provides improved atomization performance. The inclusion of this rotating component promotes smaller particle sizes within the plume for a given pressure and flow rate. A new version of the nozzle is described in terms of both design and performance. Previous versions of the nozzle produced spray plumes by a variety of atomization processes. This new version incorporates a series of enclosed spray channels that provide a spinning disk-type atomization effect. The effect on the spray plume is to produce a Sauter mean diameter that varies with fluid feed pressure and a plume spray density that is similar to a solid cone-type plume. The Sauter mean diameter was found to vary within the range of 80-190 µm. The observed droplet size distributions suggest that the nozzle produces a spray similar to that produced by spinning disk atomizers in the outer region of the spray plume. The volumetric concentration in the inner spray is reduced to 40% of that in the outer plume, and the droplets present in this region are smaller than in the outer plume. Copyright © 2006 by Begell House, Inc.