Influence of fuel characteristics on the alternative jet fuel atomization at non-reacting conditions

Synthetic paraffinic kerosene jet fuel derived from natural gas (NG-SPK) is gaining importance as a low-emission alternative fuel for aviation combustors. In this context, the influence of fuel properties on the atomization of NGSPK jet fuel at non-reacting, evaporating conditions is investigated. The spray results of NG-SPK jet fuel are compared with the reference, Jet A-1 fuel. This study considers a simplex atomizer, commonly deployed as a pilot injector in aviation gas turbine combustors for ignition at sea level and in high-altitude relight conditions. The local atomization characteristics like droplet concentration, mean diameters, and mean axial droplet velocity is obtained experimentally using phase Doppler anemometry technique at different ambient gas pressures of 100, 500, and 900 kPa while maintaining the ambient temperature at 400 K. The fuel dispersion parameters are measured at two nozzle pressure differentials of 300 and 900 kPa. The NG-SPK jet fuel exhibited higher droplet concentrations for the conditions studied than conventional fuel. Furthermore, the droplet size distribution of NG-SPK jet fuel revealed a higher percentage of smaller droplet diameters than Jet A-1 fuel. This difference in droplet characteristics can positively influence the heat release patterns under reacting conditions.