Extraction of a Theoretical Energy-based Model to Estimate Mean Droplet Diameter of the Swirl Injector Spray

Abstract

The droplet formation stage of a spray, which enjoys a great diversity in size and droplet velocity, is predictable through a statistical approach. Since the available methods require experimental data such as mean droplet diameter and mean droplet velocity as inputs to estimate the distribution of the droplets, this study attempts to propose a consistent theoretical model based on the energy conservation equation for the estimation of mean droplet diameter to be used in the predictive models of droplet size distribution, such as maximum entropy model. Therefore, those models can be independent of experimental data. The parameters needed in the model, such as atomization efficiency and the Weber number are provided using a CFD model. Then, a parametric study to evaluate the relationship between the atomization efficiency and spray velocity, and mean droplet diameter is carried out. This new proposed model entitled energy-based model (EBM) can provide a very good prediction of mean droplet diameter in comparison with the available experimental data.

Keywords

• swirl injector
• mean droplet diameter
• energy-based model
• atomization efficiency
• weber number