Effect of ambient pressure on the performance of a gas-centered swirl coaxial injector

In this study, water and air were used as simulated media to investigate the spray characteristics of a gas-centered swirl coaxial (GCSC) injector under different ambient pressures through experimental, simulation, and theoretical approaches. The results showed that for the same liquid mass flow rate, the breakup length of the liquid film decreased with increasing ambient pressure, with the extent of the decrease diminishing as the ambient pressure increased. In addition, it was found that under the same ambient pressure, the larger the liquid mass flow rate, the shorter the liquid film breakup length. Moreover, for any gas–liquid mass flow ratio (GLR), the spray angle increased significantly with ambient pressure, and the liquid film suddenly expanded compared to the no-ambient pressure condition. At the same time, the breakup length of the liquid film increased. As ambient pressure increased, the spray angle increased while the breakup length decreased. When the GLR was small, self-pulsation occurred, which gradually disappeared with increasing ambient pressure. The frequency of self-pulsation decreased with increasing ambient pressure. The periodic self-pulsation of the spray was the result of the combined effects of the centrifugal force of the rotating liquid film, surface tension of the liquid film, aerodynamic force, and pressure difference inside and outside the liquid film. Overall, these findings provide insight into the spray characteristics of GCSC injectors under different ambient pressures, which can be of importance to the design and optimization of liquid rocket engines.