| To determine the spray combustion mode and clarify the spray flame structure, a multiphase spray group combustion model has been formulated and applied to the case of laminar, open sprays. The mathematical formulation comprises the application of Eulerian parabolic conservation equations to both gas and disperse phases. A computational procedure has also been developed for the prediction of spray flame characteristics.;The results of this study of spray flame structure were found to be in qualitative agreement with experimental data. The observed discrepancies between the measured and predicted results are related to the over-simplified assumptions employed in the present model. An important feature of this model is that it allows us to look inside of the collective behavior of droplets in sprays.;The study has established the criteria for determining the combustion mode of laminar spray flames. It was found that three parameters, the group combustion number, the spray angle and the inlet fuel flow rate, are required to identify the spray combustion mode. The parametric study reveals that the internal group combustion mode is preferred for the design of a clean and compact combustor with a high combustion intensity. |
