THE INTERACTION OF LIQUID DROPS WITH A ROTATING GAS STREAM WITHIN A RAPIDLY REVOLVING ANNULAR ENCLOSURE

The flow phenomena occurring around a rotating shaft are extremely complex and are a common feature in turbomachinery such as the bearing chambers of aero engines. As the liquid jet impinges onto the shaft, circumferential streams of lubricating liquid droplets centrifuge away from the rotor surface and impinge onto the inner circumference of the stationary case. A further break-up of drops occurred whilst rotating around the shaft before impacting on to the casing surface.Non-intrusive laser techniques have been employed to aid the visualisation processes and the analysis of the flow phenomena occurring within the rotating annular enclosure. Results reveal that, the liquid flow conditions and the shaft rotation regimes, along with the aerodynamic movement of the air circulating around the shaft influence the dynamics of the droplets and consequently the lubrication processes within the bearing chambers.