Macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of a single-hole spray under low ambient pressure induced conditions

Flash boiling spray is a promising method to improve atomization, which subsequently affects the combustion phenomenon in engines. Therefore, an investigation on both macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the flash boiling spray should be done to understand this behavior and mechanism. A mini-sac injector with a single hole was used under different injection pressures among 10, 15, and 20 MPa. Experiments were performed in a constant volume chamber with low ambient pressures varying from 5 to 100 kPa. First, macroscopic behaviors including morphology, spray tip penetration, spray angle, and spray cone angle were compared by a Mie scattering method. Then, microscopic characteristics of flash boiling spray were obtained with the help of particle image analysis technology. In order to analyze the droplet behaviors along the spray axis completely, a spray "slicer" was introduced to filter the spray. The influences of measurement location, injection pressure, and ambient pressure were discussed in detail. Results showed that although the injection pressure and measurement location have influences on the spray and atomization in both macroscopic and microscopic cases, the ambient pressure plays a more critical effect on it, indicating the low ambient pressure-induced flash boiling spray could improve the atomization much more efficiently.