Simultaneous Measurements of Droplet Size, Temperature, and Velocity Using an Integrated Phase-Doppler/Rainbow Thermometer

Abstract

This work summarizes efforts to determine the accuracy and performance characteristics of a new and novel laser diagnostic to measure instantaneous, in flight, droplet temperatures. The instrument uses the location of the rainbow peak to deduce the refractive index of the droplet, which in turn is related to the droplet temperature. Preliminary experiments were undertaken in order to understand the fundamental operating principles and limitations of the instrument. These experiments measured the temperature of an isothermal, single stream of monodisperse droplets. These measurements indicate that the mean refractive index can be measured with a standard deviation as low as 0.0001m. Once the operation of the refractometer was proved under isothermal conditions, the measurement of droplet temperatures in a swirl-stabilized combustor was performed. These measurements indicate that the strength of the rainbow signal is significantly hampered by the noise induced by the flame. Preliminary temperature measurements with the combustor equipped with 45° vanes showed relatively constant radial temperature profiles (∼55–60°C) at locations less than 2 inches from the nozzle exit. A detailed examination of the temperature correlation with velocity and diameter revealed that larger and faster moving droplets dominate the distributions. Thus, the smaller droplets that are suspected of having the highest temperatures are inadequately represented in the mean droplet temperature.