%0 Journal Article %A Ballester, Javier %A Dopazo, Cesar %D 1996 %I Begell House %N 4 %P 377-408 %R 10.1615/AtomizSpr.v6.i4.10 %T DROP SIZE MEASUREMENTS IN HEAVY OIL SPRAYS FROM PRESSURE-SWIRL NOZZLES %U https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/6a7c7e10642258cc,06be2ff7348fa22d,35334c9b37891b73.html %V 6 %X The performance of pressure-swirl nozzles atomizing heavy oil is examined using laser diffractometry. Errors due to multiple scattering in dense sprays are avoided by the specific arrangement of the laser-diffraction particle size analyzer adopted in the present work. A parametric study of the influence of injection conditions and nozzle internal dimensions on mean drop size has been conducted, and empirical correlations are proposed. The results display significant differences with respect to previous studies, which are considered to be related to the small dimensions of the atomizers tested (orifice diameters down to 0.45 mm). The relevant role of viscous effects on the flow inside smalt-size nozzles is thought to be the factor responsible for their different behavior. %8 1996-08-01