Computational Flow Analysis of the Aerodynamic Effects of Conical Nozzle Design in Spray Nozzles

In this study, spray behavior in the nozzle was analyzed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method through parametric simulations. Accordingly, parametric analyses were conducted using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in the commercial software ANSYS Fluent. The input variables were the nozzle outlet angle, the outlet diameter, and the nozzle outlet velocity. The flow velocity and pressure distribution in the control volume, as well as turbulence kinetic energy and eddy viscosity, were compared. For the input variables of the nozzle output angle the minimum value of 145°-165°, the width of the output orifice 0.6-0.8 mm and the outlet velocity of the nozzle 10-16 m/s were sequentially taken as the minimum and maximum values. The maximum flow velocity (1187.34 m/s) occurred at 155°, 0.6 mm, and 16 m/s. The highest pressure (614029 Pa) was recorded at 145° and 0.6 mm, while turbulence kinetic energy peaked at 24260 J at 145° and 13 m/s. The maximum eddy viscosity (0.02339 Pa·s) was found at 155° and 16 m/s. These results provide practical recommendations for optimizing nozzle design using CFD and RSM. The analyses revealed that reducing the nozzle angle increases flow velocity but simultaneously intensifies turbulence, highlighting the trade-off between efficiency and stability. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of computational methods in nozzle design and offers clear guidelines for achieving improved spray performance.