Influence of adjacent nozzles on flow and fuel atomization characteristics of the central nozzle in a triple-nozzle combustor

This paper examined the influence of adjacent nozzles on the flow and fuel atomization characteristics of the central nozzle in a triple-nozzle model combustor. High-frequency particle imaging velocimetry testing for airflow and phase Doppler particle analyzer testing for fuel particles were employed. Under the central nozzle air intake mode, the momentum exchange between the swirling flow and the surrounding stationary air leads to a seemingly shrinking flow field. While under the triple nozzles air intake mode, the low static pressure at the geometric center between adjacent nozzles attracts the swirling flows to converge, resulting in a larger expansion angle. Confinement has a complex impact on swirling flow. When the angle of the swirling airflow is small, it guides the flow to expand. However, when the angle becomes too large, it restricts further expansion. Observed Sauter mean diameter (SMD) peaks for the tested cases lie within a similar range, suggesting comparable spray angles. Nevertheless, the triple-nozzle air intake mode exhibits consistently higher SMD values and significantly greater spray core penetration depth. Instantaneous flow characteristics deepen the understanding of these differences in atomization results. The large range of airflow oscillation under the central nozzle air intake mode allows the airflow to directly interact with the droplets. While under the triple-nozzle air intake mode, the air flow path is too far away from the spray, resulting in that most droplets do not receive sufficient aerodynamic forces for atomization.