Spray Dynamics of Aeroengine Fuel Injectors

The optimization of aircraft engines’ efficiency and emissions has led to staged combustors. To develop fuel nozzles that satisfy the requirements of staged combustion, it is necessary to obtain detailed and reliable information about the fuel distribution and homogeneity in the combustor primary zone. A detailed and systematic investigation of fuel nozzles under real engine conditions involves high costs and diagnostic risks.

The need to reduce development costs leads to simplified test procedures wherever possible. In the case of the cold-fuel spray, expensive high-pressure tests can, to a certain extent, be avoided. A successful investigation of the spray dynamics of fuel injectors for aero engines under simulated pressure conditions is described below.