High speed visualization of the bio derived fuel droplet deformation & breakup in continuous air flows.

Endeavor to develop droplet breakup test rig and carry out visualization of different droplet breakup modes was intended to provide exposure to TEQIP Phase-III intern at IIT Hyderabad in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. Quest for alternative fuel is catalyzing agent for experimental research and demonstration of biomass derived fuels and their by-product in conventional combustor design. These biofuels and by-products of biofuels have certain thermo-physical (viz. viscosity, surface tension) properties that inhibits the atomization process. Besides injector atomization efficiency, combustor flow geometry plays an important role in achieving fine droplets and dictate the reaction zone characteristics. Present study focuses on the fundamental understanding of secondary atomization or single droplet deformation & breakup regimes, time taken for the breakup and path length required for the droplet to undergo breakup that could be used to optimize combustor flow geometry. Experiments were conducted for glycerine water mixture for Weber no 12.44 to 136.87