ABSTRACT
The use of liquid fuels in combustion systems is ubiquitous. Liquid hydro carbons are both a relatively safe means of storing energy and are ideal for transportation applications where simple refueling technologies are essen tial. To combust these materials they have to be mixed with air and evapo rated. Prevaporization of the fuel, prior to mixing with air, can lead to problems such as carbonization or lacquering'of components. Further, mix ing gases or vapors requires either a significant residence time or a large amount of turbulence to enhance dispersion. Modern liquid fuel injection technology can readily atomize liquid fuels into droplets, which are typically around 25 /xm dia. [1] and may be as small as 1-2 Aim dia. [2]. A key prop erty of the liquid phase is a typically higher momentum per unit volume than the gas phase. Thus fuel droplets can be “ ballistically” patterned across a gas stream to greatly aid fuel-air mixing. Consequently, it is usually the case that a more compact mixing system can be designed using liquid fuel injec tion than gaseous fuel injection.
