Flow Field Analysis and Structural Optimization of Pressure Swirl Atomizing Nozzle

doi:10.3901/JME.260133

Abstract

Abstract: Atomizing nozzle is the end execution element of hydraulic transmission system, which can atomize fluid media such as water or oil. Its atomization performance significantly impacts the work efficiency in application scenarios such as firefighting, pesticide spraying, and dust reduction. This study focuses on a typical pressure-swirl atomizing nozzle. Using the VoF to DPM (VtD) multiphase model, the Realizable k-ε turbulence model, and the grid adaptive technology, a flow field simulation model is established to analyze the atomization principle of the nozzle and explore the variation of the nozzle atomization spray angle and droplet mean diameter under different inlet pressures. With the swirl groove width, number of swirl grooves, length of the nozzle straight pipe section, and nozzle diameter as design variables, and the nozzle atomization cone angle and droplet mean diameter as objective variables, an orthogonal experiment is designed. Combining neural networks with the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), the key structural parameters of the nozzle are optimized. The atomization spray angle of the optimized nozzle is 64.14°, and the droplet mean diameter is 0.102 mm, which are 8.6% and 5.6% higher than the initial design model, respectively. The maximum errors between the simulation and experimental results of the atomization cone angle and system flow rate are 6.2% and 6.6%, respectively. This research can provide theoretical support for the study of atomizing jet mechanisms of nozzle products.

Key words: atomizing nozzle, VtD model, orthogonal test, genetic algorithm, structure optimization

CLC Number:

TH16

YUAN Xiaoming, XIAO Haoyang, XU Xinyu, ZHANG Jie, SONG Jubao, LIU Cunfei. Flow Field Analysis and Structural Optimization of Pressure Swirl Atomizing Nozzle[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2026, 62(4): 377-391.

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