Infrared thermography-based visualization of droplet transport in liquid sprays

An infrared thermography-based technique for the characterization and visualization of liquid sprays was developed. The technique was tested on two atomizers: a high-speed rotary bell atomizer and a high volume low pressure air-assisted atomizer. The technique uses an infrared thermography-based measurement in which a uniformly heated background acts as a thermal radiation source, and an infrared camera as the receiver. The infrared energy emitted by the radiation source in traveling through the spray is attenuated by the presence of the droplets inside the spray. The infrared intensity is captured by the receiver showing the attenuation in the image as a result of the presence of the spray. The captured thermal image is used to study detailed macroscopic features of the spray flow field and the evolution of the paint droplets as they are transferred from the applicator to the target surface.