Numerical Investigation and Validation of the Pressure-Swirl Circuit of an Aviation Non-Proprietary Atomizer

For numerical simulations of fuel atomization in jet engines to be effective, they must accurately capture the influence of injector geometry on spray behavior. In this work, we present a numerical investigation of the near-nozzle spray behavior of Jet A fuel from the pressure-swirl circuit of a recent non-proprietary atomizer, focusing on the differences between the design intent (“nominal") atomizer geometry with the actual (“real") geometry obtained from X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans. The study assesses how micro-scale surface defects and macro-scale geometric deviations in the real geometry influence the spray morphology compared to the nominal design. Large eddy simulations of the liquid injection are performed, wherein the volume of fluid method is used to capture the phase interface. The results are validated against X-ray phase contrast measurements of the spray morphology. By isolating the effects of geometric deviations, this work provides insight into the role of injector design fidelity in influencing spray behavior. The findings highlight the importance of accurate geometric representation in numerical simulations of fuel atomization, particularly for applications in aviation and other high-performance combustion systems.