ON THE DISINTEGRATION OF FAN-SHAPED LIQUID SHEETS

This paper presents a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the disintegration of fan-shaped liquid sheets produced by industrial fan-spray atomizers. The disintegration regimes observed for different geometries and operating conditions are described, proving the paramount role of nozzle flow on the final characteristics of the spray produced. The concept of breakup length is redefined to account for the stochastic nature of liquid stream disintegration. An analogy is established between the breakup of a liquid sheet dominated by the wave mode and a radial sheet, obtaining good agreement with the experiments. However, in those cases where several disintegration regimes coexist, the breakup length cannot be given by an analytical expression. Finally, the influence of the disintegration regime on both the droplet size and the spatial distribution of the droplets is investigated, confirming the strong influence of rim breakup.