Theoretical investigations of spinning disk atomizer

Droplet breakup- scaling analysis

Droplets are formed at the edge of the disc. Just before break-up the net centrifugal force acting
on the protrusion formed near the edge of the disc is balanced by the surface tension forces.

𝐶𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑔𝑎𝑙~𝑆𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒

𝑚𝑣 1 2𝛾
~ (𝜋𝑅31 )
𝑅3456 𝑅3

𝑚𝑅3456 (2𝜋𝑁)1 ~2𝛾𝜋𝑅3

4 ?
𝜋𝑅 𝜌𝑅 (4𝜋 1 𝑁 1 )~2𝛾𝜋𝑅3
3 3 3456
3 𝛾 1
𝑅31 ~ A 1 C A C
8𝜋 𝜌𝑅3456 𝑁 1

1 3 𝛾
𝑅3 ~ D F H F 𝑁 IJ
2𝜋 2 𝜌𝑅3456

1 3 1
𝑅3 ~ D F H 𝑅3456 F
2𝜋 2 𝑊𝑒

Balancing the two forces yields a scaling for the size of the droplet formed. The droplet radius
scales as 𝑁 IJ as shown in eq 1. This exercise also tells us that there is no effect of viscosity of
the fluid or the ratio of viscosities of fluid and air on the dynamics of droplet formation because
the physics that dominate is purely inertial and surface tension. We should expect this scaling
to hold for very high flow rates or correspondingly small film thickness on the disc- both these
factors reduce the time of momentum diffusion across the depth of the fluid on the disc. The
time scale for this ‘viscous penetration’ can be calculated as shown in eq.

𝜌𝑢̇ M ~𝜇𝛻 1 𝑢M

𝜌𝑈5 𝜇𝑈5
~ 1
𝑡5 𝐿5,S 2

𝜌
𝑡5 ~ 𝐿15,S
𝜇

The rate at which droplets are produced can be related to the flowrate of the liquid to the
spinning disk as shown in eq 2.

𝜌𝑢̇ M ~𝜌𝑢M . 𝛻𝑢M 3

 𝜌𝑈5 𝜌𝑈51
~
𝑡5 𝐿5,M

𝐿5,M
𝑡5 ~
𝑈5

𝐿5,M 𝜌 1
> 𝐿5,S 4
𝑈5 𝜇

𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡 × 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

= 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑

4 ?
𝜋𝑅 × 𝑛̇ 3 = 𝑞
3 3
?
5
4 1 3 𝛾
𝜋 ^D F H F 𝑁 IJ _ × 𝑛̇ 3 = 𝑞
3 2𝜋 2 𝜌𝑅3456

?
? J 𝜌𝑅3456 1
𝑛̇ 3 = A21 𝜋 1 31 C 𝑞 A C 𝑁?
𝛾

Droplet projectiles
A droplet that detaches from the spinning disk is thrown in the direction tangential to the disc
from the point of pinch off on the disc.