Atomization and Sprays, Vol.16, No.8, 945-962, 2006
Analysis of liquid breakup regimes in fuel slinger atomization
Results are presented from analyses of liquid breakup regimes in which.fuel slingers have recently been found to operate. A result is obtained for the liquid film thickness t that provides the proper length scale,for correlating the atomization performance of slingers operating in the supercritical film-mode breakup regime. A corresponding result is also found for the subcritical ligament diameter d' that correlates the atomization performance of slingers operating in the subcritical film-mode regime. The transition between these modes is shown to scale as we(t)(1/2). Corresponding results are also presented for noncircular channel shapes. An analysis of in-channel Coriolis effects indicates how such liquid accumulation can be avoided. Slinger atomization performance is shown to correlate with a Weber number based on the appropriate length scale that governs the liquid breakup regime in which the slinger operates, with only effect. weak residual Ohnesorge number effect. Available data on slinger atomization performance are found to correlate well with the present results.