Air density effect on the atomization of liquid jets in crossflow

An experimental study of liquid injection in a transverse airflow at high pressure and temperature was performed. Collected shadowgraphs were processed by image statistical analysis tools. The breakdown point location was correlated to liquid-to-gas momentum ratio, gas Reynolds number and aerodynamic Weber number. The substantial uniformity of behavior of the normalized jet trajectories allowed providing an empirical correlation validated in a range of operating conditions of interest for LPP gas turbines. Liquid dispersion in the gas phase, atomization and evaporation were qualitatively investigated by means of statistical parameters related to the behavior of the spray plume. For liquid spraying and spreading, the relevance of the interaction between aerodynamic and capillary pressure was underscored, whereas in the range of operating conditions studied, both experimental evidence and theoretical estimation indicate that even at 600K temperature the evaporation of water drops is not significant within 100 diameters downstream the injection point.