Effect of liquid physical properties and flow rates on the surface area of sprays from a pressure atomizer

Abstract

The effects of the physical properties and volume flow rate of liquids on the surface area of sprays produced by a pressure type of atomizing nozzle were determined experimentally. the specific surface area of the sprays is correlated by an equation of two dimensionless groups in terms of the variables surface tension to the −1.0 power, kinematic viscosity to the −0.4 power, and volume flow rate to the 2.4 power. The volume flow rate is correlated by an equation of two dimensionless groups containing the variables viscosity to the 0.17 power, density to the −0.58 power, and spray pressure to the 0.42 power. The conversion of compression energy to surface-area energy appears to be constant at approximately 0.1%.