Experimental Test Rig With Results on Liquid Atomization by Slinger Injectors

Abstract

In this work, a rotary atomizer, referred to as a slinger injector, is investigated. An experimental setup has been designed to model the environment of the combustion chamber, and an optical measurement system has been implemented to analyze the liquid atomization provided by the slinger injector. In actual small gas turbines, a critical aspect is related to the start-up phase, which typically takes place at speeds around 10,000 rpm. The main scope of this research was to study the liquid spray at relatively low velocities. The primary breakup visualization, breakup length measurement, and droplet size measurement were performed for different rotational speeds. Several pictures of liquid breakup are included, and various mean and representative diameters are presented. In addition, drop size histograms and cumulative volume distribution curves are also included. The results show a decrease in both the breakup length and the mean droplet sizes with increasing rotational speed.