Atomization Performance Predictions of Gas-Centered Swirl-Coaxial Injectors

Abstract

The ability to predict injector performance can reduce the cost of rocket engine development. This paper details a new theory to predict the atomization efficiency and droplet diameter from the atomization of wall-bounded films with strong gas-phase influences. In this theory atomization occurs when a disturbance is created on the film surface then breaks down into droplets via stripping. The theory relates the mass of film lost via atomization to the mass of liquid introduced into the atomizer to predict atomization efficiency and offers some estimations of primary droplet diameter. A specific example involving a gas-centered swirl coaxial injector is discussed. The results of experiments and simulations are used to support assumptions and are successfully compared to some simple predictions from the theory. Despite the application to a specific injector efforts are made to keep the theory as general as possible so that it applies to many types of injectors and a wide range of operating conditions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 16, 2007
Accession Number
ADA468183

Entities

People

  • Douglas G. Talley
  • Malissa D. Lightfoot
  • Stephen A. Danczyk

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Layer
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Diameters
  • Efficiency
  • Engines
  • Equations
  • Flow Rate
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Geometry
  • Injectors
  • Rocket Engines
  • Rockets
  • Shape
  • Simulations
  • Surface Tension

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Technology.