The analysis of silica suspensions atomization

The paper contains the results of experimental investigation of air–water and air–silica suspension atomization process in effervescent nozzles with internal mixing obtained by the use of the digital microphotography method. In experiments the different aqueous solutions of silica Aerosil 300 of different concentration have been used. The suspensions containing up to 0.04 (kg solid particles/kg solution) have Newtonian rheological properties. The observations were carried out at liquid flow rates changed from 0.0014 to 0.011 (kg/s) and gas flow rates from 0.00015 to 0.0065 (kg/s). It corresponded to gas to liquid mass ratios (GLR) values from 0.014 to 0.46. The analysis of photos shows that the droplets which have been formed during the liquid atomization have very different sizes. The differences between characteristics of effervescent atomization for water and suspensions used have not been observed. The present study confirmed the previous reports which suggested that the small particles added to solution do not change spray characteristics. The experimental results show that CD and SMD are non-linear functions of GLR. Their values are decreasing rapidly as GLR is increased from zero to around 0.07 and thereafter decreasing at a slower rate with further increase in GLR. In the same point (GLR = 0.07) the value of α is maximal. The first regime is characteristic for bubbly flow. The second is typical of annular flow regime. Boundary between bubbly and annular flow regime is observed at GLR = 0.07 for investigated systems. The correlations for CD and Sauter mean diameter were proposed. The results may be used for example to verify numerical models or comparisons with respect to similar atomization processes.