The properties of sustainable aviation fuel I: Spray characteristics

This study measures the spray penetration, spray angle and spray volume of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) experimentally using an optical constant volume combustion chamber under different ambient temperatures, injection pressures, and ambient pressures. The results show that when the ambient temperature increases from 200 °C to 300 °C, the spray penetration decreases by ∽10%–20%, while it further decreases by ∽40%–50% when the temperature increases from 300 °C to 400 °C. Furthermore, the spray penetration of SAF will reach its stable stage fastest at 400 °C. As the ambient temperature increases, the spray angle and spray volume of SAF decreased by 10%–20% and 50%, respectively. In addition, the spray penetration and spray volume of SAF increased by 10% and 20%, respectively, with an increase in injection pressure at 200 °C. An increase in injection pressure at 400 °C causes the decrease in spray penetration and spray volume of SAF by 20%, and both of them showed increasing and decreasing trends at the stable stage. Thus, increase in injection pressure has little effect on the spray angle. Moreover, the spray penetration and spray volume of SAF showed a decreasing trend on increasing ambient pressure, but significant effect was observed at a high temperature of 400 °C than at a low temperature of 200 °C. Conversely, the spray angle of SAF showed an increasing trend with an increase in ambient pressure, but this influence was larger at a low temperature of 200 °C than that at a high temperature of 400 °C.