SPRAYING CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMERCIAL BLACK LIQUOR NOZZLES

Black liquor at typical nozzle conditions has been sprayed through sta ndard splashplate, V-jet, and swirl cone nozzles using an enclosed spr ay chamber. Flow rate/pressure drop characteristics were measured as a function of temperature and solids concentration. Videos of the resul ting liquor sprays were subjected to image analysis, and droplet size distributions were determined. Mass fraction as a function of diameter follows a square root-normal distribution law. Median diameters have been correlated using statistically significant dimensionless groups. Implications for nozzle operating conditions on recovery furnace perfo rmance are discussed.