Definition and Correlation for Spray Angle in Non-Reacting Diesel Fuel Sprays

Of the macroscopic spray characteristics of non-reacting diesel fuel sprays, the spray angle reflects directly the atomization and air entrainment processes downstream the nozzle. In addition, spray angle is important because it will be closely related to the spray penetration. The existing definitions for the measurement of spray angle as well as the correlations for the prediction of spray angle are, therefore, summarized and reviewed. The existing definition of spray angle can be classified into four groups: distance based on orifice diameter, distance based on spray tip penetration, definition based on surface wave, and definition based on atomization. It is strongly required to specify the definition and measurement method when the data for spray angle is reported. The existing correlations for spray angle can be classified into two groups: theoretical and empirical correlations. The study on the evaluation of the existing correlations fer spray angle is required.