Optical fuel injector patternation measurements in advanced liquid-fueled,high pressure, gas turbine combustors

Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging and planar Mie scattering are used to examine the fuel distribution pattern (patternation) for advanc ed fuel injector concepts in kerosene burning, high pressure gas turbine co mbustors. Three fuel injector concepts for aerospace applications were inve stigated under a broad range of operating conditions. Planar fuel PLIF patt ernation results are contrasted with those obtained by planar Mie scatterin g. For one injector, further comparison is also made with data obtained thr ough phase Doppler measurements. Differences in spray patterns for diverse conditions and fuel injector configurations are readily discernible. An exa mination of the data has shown that a direct determination of the fuel spra y angle at realistic conditions is also possible. The results obtained in t his study demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of these nonintrusiv e optical techniques for investigating fuel spray patternation under actual combustor conditions.