Industrial-scale experimental study of internal-mixing air-blast nozzle for sludge atomization

Abstract The atomization of sewage sludge is a key step in its drying process. This study conducts an industrial-scale experimental study to investigate the performance of a self-developed internal-mixing air-blast nozzle for atomizing sewage sludge. The size of atomized droplets is calculated using image processing technology. Using the specific size and characteristic size of the droplets, the droplet distribution and the droplet motion behavior in spray field are investigated at various air-to-liquid mass flow rate ratio (ALR). The larger the ALR, the smaller the atomization droplets. By installing outlet diffusers and impaction pins, the atomization angle can be increased and the distribution of droplets in the spray field can be improved. The outlet diffuser with an outlet angle of 90° and the square impaction pin exhibit optimal effect. Experiments with real scale and industrial grade have a significant reference value for industrial applications of sludge atomization.