Analysis and comparison of correlations established for prediction of SMD for pressure swirl atomizers

Sauter Mean Diameter of droplets plays a key role in many industrial applications like engines of gas turbine, furnaces, boilers and also in agricultural sprays. Prediction of optimum SMD is vital not only in the design phase of gas turbine combustor but also influences its performance. Due to complex phenomena involved in atomization of pressure swirl atomizers, the physical phenomena of atomization have not been sufficiently understood. Hence most of the correlations developed so far are empirical in nature. Different scientists have developed various theoretical and empirical correlations for measurement of SMD which are applicable under certain operating conditions. In this study empirical and semi empirical correlations developed for measurement of SMD by different scientists and researchers have been analyzed and compared using data from literature. The study shows how predicting accuracy of different correlations changes with changing atomizers geometry and operating conditions. At the end a collective comparison of the measured values and predicted values of SMD by different equations is presented.