The Optical Swirling Spray Injector: A new Test Section for Investigations of Atomization Inside an Aero Engine Burner at Real Conditions

Abstract

This paper describes a new test section for fuel spray investigations of a generic aero engine burner. The test section is designed for air-preheat temperatures up to 900 K, air pressures up to 2.5 MPa and air mass flow of 1.5 kg/s. The cross section of the spray chamber has a dimension of 102 x 102 mm. The fuel is not burned in the spray chamber itself, but in a catalytic combustor downstream of the test section. Due to this, optical investigations of the swirling spray without disturbing effects of the combustion are possible. Another outstanding feature of this test section is the possibility of investigations of the fuel atomization inside a burner with tomographic shadowgraphy [1]. Four large optical accesses to the burner flow field in the chamber and additional three accesses at the end of the chamber offer the possibility for a wide range of optical measuring methods like LDA, PDA or Mie- Scattering.