Study on Swirling Flow and Spray Characteristics of Central Stage Direct Injection Combustor
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Flow Fields Distribution
3.2. Spray Pattern
3.2.1. Pilot Stage Spray
3.2.2. Main Stage Spray
3.3. Droplet Size Distribution
3.3.1. SMD of Pilot Stage
3.3.2. Main Stage SMD
4. Conclusions
- (1)
- For dual-stage swirl flow field, the air velocity distribution is non-uniform, particularly in the central upstream region, where velocity variations are more pronounced. The flow field exhibits a tendency to contract toward the center along the axial downstream. The velocity of the flow field is primarily concentrated between axial positions Z = 5 mm and Z = 10 mm, where distinct lip recirculation zones (LRZs) and high-velocity swirling axial jet zones (SJZs) are observed.
- (2)
- The primary dimensionless parameters affecting spray penetration, spray cone angle, and droplet SMD are the liquid–gas momentum ratio () and the gas Weber number (). For the pilot stage spray, when the fuel injection velocity () is low, the spray cone angle does not increase monotonically with rising . Instead, when the gas shear effect on the fuel becomes too strong, the radial dispersion of the spray is suppressed, causing smaller droplets to follow the high velocity airstream. This inward contraction initially increases the spray cone angle before causing it to decrease. The spray penetration increases significantly with increasing . The SMD of the spray is influenced by , , and axial distance. At high pressure drops, the aerodynamic shear of the swirling airstream is sufficient to promote thorough fuel atomization, maintaining the SMD within an optimal range. As increases, when , the SMD stabilizes, indicating that the aerodynamic shear effect of the air swirl on the fuel has reached its maximum.
- (3)
- For the main stage spray, when the is high, the penetration does not increase monotonically with rising . As aerodynamic shear intensifies, the jet breaks into progressively smaller droplets, causing to first increase and then decrease, which in turn results in an initial decrease followed by an increase in spray penetration. The variation trends in the spray characteristics of both the main and pilot stages are further confirmed by SMD measurements. For the main stage spray, greater initial momentum transfers the jet into a broader range, improving atomization. Additionally, the larger the axial position, the smaller its influence on SMD. Consequently, the swirl atomizer examined in this study achieves superior atomization within the lower operational conditions, providing a theoretical foundation and data support for the design of a high-performance swirl atomizer.
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Test Cases | Ambient Pressure (kPa) | Ambient Temperature (K) | Air Pressure Drop |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 101 | 288 | 1% |
2 | 101 | 288 | 2% |
3 | 101 | 288 | 3% |
4 | 101 | 288 | 4% |
5 | 101 | 288 | 5% |
Test Cases | Pressure Drop | Gas Weber | Mass Flow Rate (kg/h) | Fuel Exit Velocity (m/s) | Liquid–Gas Momentum Ratio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1% | 40 | 3.6/7.2/10.8 | 0.76/1.62/2.43 | 13/27/40 |
2 | 2% | 75 | 3.6/7.2/10.8 | 0.76/1.62/2.43 | 9/19/28 |
3 | 3% | 110 | 3.6/7.2/10.8 | 0.76/1.62/2.43 | 7/15/23 |
4 | 4% | 145 | 3.6/7.2/10.8 | 0.76/1.62/2.43 | 6/13/20 |
5 | 5% | 180 | 3.6/7.2/10.8 | 0.76/1.62/2.43 | 6/12/18 |
Test Cases | Pressure Drop | Gas Weber | Mass Flow Rate (kg/h) | Fuel Jet Velocity (m/s) | Liquid–Gas Momentum Ratio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1% | 45 | 16.2/21.6/32.4 | 3.43/4.58/6.86 | 56/75/112 |
2 | 2% | 90 | 16.2/21.6/32.4 | 3.43/4.58/6.86 | 40/53/79 |
3 | 3% | 130 | 16.2/21.6/32.4 | 3.43/4.58/6.86 | 32/43/65 |
4 | 4% | 175 | 16.2/21.6/32.4 | 3.43/4.58/6.86 | 28/37/56 |
5 | 5% | 215 | 16.2/21.6/32.4 | 3.43/4.58/6.86 | 25/33/50 |
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Jiang, W.; Qi, Z.; Yang, J.; Mei, D.; Wang, K.; Liu, Y.; Wang, S.; Liu, F.; Mu, Y.; Liu, C.; et al. Study on Swirling Flow and Spray Characteristics of Central Stage Direct Injection Combustor. Energies 2025, 18, 2926. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18112926
Jiang W, Qi Z, Yang J, Mei D, Wang K, Liu Y, Wang S, Liu F, Mu Y, Liu C, et al. Study on Swirling Flow and Spray Characteristics of Central Stage Direct Injection Combustor. Energies. 2025; 18(11):2926. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18112926
Chicago/Turabian StyleJiang, Wenjie, Ziyu Qi, Jinhu Yang, Deqing Mei, Kaixing Wang, Yushuai Liu, Shaolin Wang, Fuqiang Liu, Yong Mu, Cunxi Liu, and et al. 2025. "Study on Swirling Flow and Spray Characteristics of Central Stage Direct Injection Combustor" Energies 18, no. 11: 2926. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18112926
APA StyleJiang, W., Qi, Z., Yang, J., Mei, D., Wang, K., Liu, Y., Wang, S., Liu, F., Mu, Y., Liu, C., & Xu, G. (2025). Study on Swirling Flow and Spray Characteristics of Central Stage Direct Injection Combustor. Energies, 18(11), 2926. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18112926