CHAPTER IV

TYPES OF
ATOMIZERS

Requirements from Atomizers

Good atomization over a wide range of liquid flow rate

Fast response to change in flow rates
Stable flow (less instabilities)
Low power requirements
Easy scalability, design flexibility
Low Cost
Low Weight
Easy to maintain
Easy to remove for servicing
Less susceptible to damage

Fuel Nozzles
ALL THE ABOVE FEATURES PLUS..
Less blockage
Low carbon buildup
Less gum formation
Uniform fuel distribution

Classification of Atomizers

Based on type of energy used

Liquid

Energy (Jet atomizers, Fan atomizers, Swirl

atomizers)
Gas Energy (Air assisted, Air blast)
Mechanical Energy (Rotary atomizers)
Vibration, Electric, etc. (acoustic, ultrasonic,
electrostatic etc.)

Pressure Atomizers

Conversion of pressure difference into kinetic energy of liquid

jet/sheet
High relative velocity between liquid and surrounding gas
Most common atomizers
Atomization promoted by increased velocity
Increased Turbulence Level
Increased Aerodynamic Forces

Atomization quality = Fn (P )(Vr is higher,higher quality)

(dp=.5*dens*Vr*Vr)
Flow Rate = G(P )
Lower limit of flow rate => Atomizer design => Low P => Poor
atomization
Higher Limit of Flow rate => High operating Pressure => Good
Atomization but requires large energy input for pressurization
INJ

INJ

Classification of Pressure
Atomizers
Plain Orifice (Jet breakup)
Fan Atomizers (multiple jets)
Swirl (Sheet breakup)

Plain Orifice Atomizers

Typically for atomization of low viscosity
liquids
Passing the liquid through small holes
Typically operated at high pressure
High velocity jet is formed at disintegrates
into atomized spray
If velocity is low liquid emerges as thin
distorted pencil form.so for high velocity
liquid pressure should be higher than

Mechanism
Increase in flow velocity
Increase in level of turbulence
Increase in Aerodynamic forces
Resisted by viscosity and surface tension

Spray shape
Cone angle between 5 and 15 degrees
Cone angle is weakly dependent on
geometry
Cone angle is dependent on viscosity,
surface tension and turbulence

Schematic of Pressure Atomizers

Diesel Injectors
Best example of plain orifice atomizer
Provides a pulsed or intermittent supply of
fuel for each power stroke
Requires very high injection pressure (air
is already at high pressure)
Requires desired spray characteristics

Penetration,

angle, quality and relative motion

Structure
Continuous jet of fuel moving at high
speed
Finely atomized at the outer edge
Solid fuel jet surrounded by a mantle
containing drops of fuel in air
Highest velocity at the centre
Zero velocity at the edges

Process

Atomization
Evaporation of fuel drops
Spontaneous ignition
Flame spreads rapidly along the progressing spray
Burning occurs in a mixture containing air, fuel vapour
and partially evaporated droplets
Towards the later stages of injection, fuel is injected into
flame, combustion under turbulent, fuel-rich conditions
Fuel spray entrains air
UHC, NOX, particulates are dependent on aerodynamic
motion of spray and rate of fuel-air mixing

Fan atomizers

Collision of two impinging jets

Waves develop
Sheet disintegrates

Swirl Atomizers

Liquid passes through a

swirler/ tangential port
Sheet created by
tangential velocity of
liquid
Sheet disintegrates due
to perforation, wave
generation, tip
atomizatiom

Simplex Atomizer

The low cone angle is disadvantage for

plain orifice atomizers.
Simplex-high cone angle
The atomization is done in stages given by
fig below

Diff
types

Duplex Atomizer
Swirl chamber employs two sets of
tangential ports
Primary port for low flows
Secondary port for main or secondary
passage for large flows ,with spring loaded
valve
Beyond a specific supply pressure (flow
rate), the valve opens and flow from both
the ports emerge simultaneously

Dual Orifice
Two simplex nozzles
Fitted concentrically
One inside another

Air Assisted Atomizers

Compressed air/gas used to aid atomization

process
Also called pneumatic or twin-fluid atomizers
Amount of air required << Liquid Flow rate
Assistance is typically internal
Conventional

air-assisted

Effervescent
Air-assisted

swirl

Conventional Air-assisted
Atomizers
Air and Liquid flow

LIQUID

through same passage

Liquid squeezed to
smaller area => Liquid
accelerates
Shear between Air and
Liquid produces droplets
L

AIR

DT

Psl

0
DHl

X le
m

Needs additional compression of atomizing air

Features of conventional airassisted atomizers

Two control parameters

Liquid Supply Pressure
Air Supply Pressure

Possibility of independent control of atomization quality and flow rate

Large turndown ratio with good atomization
Minimum geometric effect of atomization due to the possibility of
control
Good atomization at low pressures
Self cleaning
Solid cone spray
Requirement of compressed air

Controlled Atomization using air-assisted atomizer

10 psi
50 psi

Sauter Mean Diameter ( m)

160

20 psi
60 psi

30 psi

40 psi

140
120
100
80

Constant droplet size (80 m)

changing flow rate (55-170 g/min)

60
40

Constant Flow Rate (118.4 g/min)

Different Droplet Sizes (60-140 m)

20
0
0

50

100

150

200

Water Flow Rate (g/min.)

250

300

Effervescent Atomizers
Invented by A. H. Lefebvre
Offspring of flushing atomizers
Applications in RAMjets / SCRAMjets
Very limited assistance from air

Principal of Operation

Small amount of air or gas is

introduced into the bulk liquid in a
mixing chamber upstream of the
discharge orifice
The injected gas forms a bubbly
two-phase, gas-liquid flow when it
mixes with the liquid in the mixing
chamber inside the injector
When the gas bubbles emerge
from the injector they explode
This rapid expansion of gas
bubbles shatters the surrounding
liquid ligaments, resulting in the
formation of very fine droplets

Features of Effervescent Atomizers

Good quality of atomization even at very low injection pressures.

Have large holes and passages and can thus atomize dirty fuels
without plugging of the injectors.
These injectors are reliable, simple and cheap.
Intermittent or unsteady spray if the gas flow rate is not controlled
properly
Bubble growth inside the atomizer causing blockage
Bubble burst inside the atomizer

Limited operating range

Difficult design due to complex two-phase flow dynamics
Sensitive to acceleration owing to the sensitivity of air bubbles to
acceleration

Air-assisted swirl atomizer

New development
Air-liquid mixture
flows through a
swirler
Two dimensional
Two-phase flow
Axial and
tangential velocity
increases

2
4
6
1

Advantages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Good atomization with small pressure drop

Both hollow-cone and solid cone spray from
same atomizer (wide range of applications)
Possible to atomize very viscous liquid
Self cleaning
Finer atomization at low flow rates
Less sensitive to manufacturing defects
Spray
structure
can
be
controlled
independent of the flow rate
The liquid flow rate and atomization quality
can be controlled

Spray Patterns

Hollow Cone

Solid Cone

Atomization of engine oil

Airblast Atomizers

Atomization is induced by blasting of liquid sheets and ligaments by

slow moving, high-pressure air.
The kinetic energy of the blasting air is limited.
Therefore, they require large quantities of air (typically 500 to 600
percent of the liquid mass) to attain satisfactory atomization.
They require lower fuel pump pressures and produce finer sprays.
The atomization process ensures very good mixing of air and fuel,
thus, reducing soot formation.
The main disadvantage of airblast atomizers is that the large
quantities of atomizing air.
Furthermore, the drowning and blasting of the liquid jet by huge
quantities of air leaves very little room for any kind of control of the
atomization process.

Types of Air-blast atomizers

External Air-blast (pre-filming)

Internal Air-blast

Rotary Atomizers

Liquid is supplied through a stationary

tube to the inner part of a rotating surface
The friction between the liquid and the
rotating surface causes the liquid to rotate
with the surface and the centrifugal force
causes it to flow towards the periphery.
Under the action of this centrifugal force,
the liquid leaves the edge of the surface
with a high velocity, producing a fine
spray.
Even high flow rates of liquid can be
atomized with relatively low pressure.
They can be cleaned readily and display
minimal flow blockage.
The design is complex, including a
rotating element with accompanying
transmission and lubrication systems.
They require high rotational speed of the
surface to achieve good quality of
atomization. Such high speeds reduce the
reliability and require appropriate
protections.

Advanced Atomizers
Piezo-electric atomizers
Ultrasonic atomizers
Electrostatic atomizers
Acoustic Atomizers
Thermo-electric atomizers

Piezo-electric Atomizers

Piezo-driver for plunger

Intermittent spray
Application in inkjet
printers
Monosize droplet
generator

Ultrasonic Atomizers

Force driven
Periodic

force with
ultrasonic frequency
Instability of liquid
column
Capillary breakup due to
resonance
Pinhole plate

Electrostatic Atomizers

Liquid column
charged
Repulsion of similar
charge
Disruption of column
due to increased
internal disturbances
Further external
atomization

Acoustic Atomizers

Acoustic
disturbance in
resonance
cavity
Increased jet
instability

Thermo-electric atomizers

Temperature changed by
electric heating/cooling
Change is surface
tension
Controlled atomization
Small flow rates
Ink-jet printers

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