Spray Nozzle Bent Flow Path for Uniform Mixing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current two-fluid spray nozzles face challenges in achieving efficient atomization of liquid fuels while minimizing the amount of spray medium used and the pressure required, often resulting in uneven mixing and reduced atomization performance due to conflicting effects of spray fluid and spray medium flow rates, and issues with blocked outlet holes affecting flow paths and maintenance.

Innovation Solution

The spray nozzle design incorporates a bent part in the mixed fluid flow path to change the flow direction, facilitating turbulence and uniform mixing of the spray fluid and spray medium, which reduces the need for excessive spray medium and pressure, and features multiple outlet holes with branching flow paths to maintain atomization characteristics even if some outlets are blocked.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the amount of spray medium is reduced to improve thermal efficiency, then thermal efficiency is improved, but atomization performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal efficiencyVSAvoidatomization performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The spray nozzle divides the spray medium flow into multiple independent flow paths (first and second flow paths) that merge upstream of the outlet. This segmentation allows optimized distribution of spray medium to enhance atomization while controlling total spray medium consumption, resolving the contradiction between thermal efficiency and atomization performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The spray fluid and spray medium are mixed in advance in the mixing chamber upstream of the outlet hole, creating a pre-mixed fluid with optimized composition. This preliminary mixing ensures that even with reduced spray medium quantity, the atomization performance is maintained through proper pre-combination of components before ejection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by moving object

If the pressure to jet spray fluid and spray medium is reduced to lower energy consumption, then energy consumption is reduced, but atomization performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidatomization performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle design incorporates dynamic flow interaction between spray fluid and spray medium in the mixing chamber, where the fluids mix and collide before ejection. This dynamic mixing process generates internal turbulence and collision forces that enhance atomization even at lower jet pressures, resolving the contradiction between energy consumption and atomization performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mixed fluid acts as an intermediary between the spray fluid and spray medium, combining their properties before ejection. This intermediary mixture optimizes the atomization process by leveraging the interaction between the two components, allowing effective atomization at reduced pressure while maintaining performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If more outlet holes are formed to increase capacity, then capacity is increased, but complexity of flow paths increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecapacityVSAvoidflow path complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle employs multiple outlet holes (first and second outlet holes) with corresponding segmented flow paths. Each outlet hole has its own dedicated flow path from the mixing chamber, allowing independent optimization of each spray stream while maintaining overall system capacity. This segmentation increases capacity without creating excessive cross-complexity in the flow path design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Manufacturing precision

If spray fluid and spray medium are mixed upstream to improve atomization, then atomization is improved, but mixing uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveatomizationVSAvoidmixing uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The mixing chamber employs a curved or rounded geometry that promotes uniform flow patterns and enhances mixing between spray fluid and spray medium. The curved flow paths in the mixing chamber create rotational and turbulent effects that improve mixing uniformity while maintaining the upstream mixing location needed for optimized atomization performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design enhances atomization efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and maintains thermal efficiency by ensuring uniform mixing and stable atomization characteristics, while minimizing the use of spray medium and pressure, and prevents blockages from expanding upstream, facilitating easier maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

The spray nozzle design incorporates a bent part in the mixed fluid flow path to change the flow direction, facilitating turbulence and uniform mixing of the spray fluid and spray medium

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Data Source

PatentEP2881662B1Spray nozzle, and burner and combustion device equipped with same
Publication Date: 2017.07.19 MITSUBISHI HITACHIPOWER SYST LTD
  • EP2881662B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2881662B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2881662B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a spray nozzle that can facilitate atomization of spray fluid and can also reduce the amount of spray medium to be used and a force with which the spray medium is pressurized. To achieve the above object, a spray nozzle in the present invention, comprising: at least two spray fluid flow paths for flowing a spray fluid flows; at least two spray medium flow paths for flowing a spray medium, in each of which joins a relevant spray fluid flow path at a first joining part; at least two mixed fluid flow paths, in each of which a mixed fluid of the spray fluid and the spray medium that have joined together at the first joining part for flowing the mixed fluid and which are formed so as to face each other and allow mixed fluids to flow oppositely and have a second joining part at which the mixed fluids flowing oppositely collide with each other and join together; and an outlet hole from which the mixed fluids that have joined at the second joining part are jetted; wherein in each mixed fluid flow path, a bent part at which a direction of a flow of the mixed fluid is changed is formed between the first joining part and the second joining part.