Spray Characteristics of Non-Newtonian Fluids

This report is about fundamental study of non-Newtonian fluid sprays. The
concept of non-Newtonian fluid sprays is not well understood and research on this
topic needs to be done in order to gain more information and to make this
information useful. This concept is usually applied in the painting industry. The
material that we used as non-Newtonian fluid is Xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is an
extracellular polysaccharide produced by the micro-organism
Xanthomonascampestris (Phillips, 2000).
The purpose of this dissertation report is to represent all the flow and result of
the study starting from introduction until conclusion. The first chapter makes brief
introduction to the project. The report continues with the second chapter, which is
literature review. Then it is followed by methodology and discussion which is
discuss about how the process of study will carry and the obtain result. Conclusion
part summarizes the result. The objective of the present research is to study
characteristics of different concentration of non-Newtonian fluid sprays which are
mean velocities, droplet sizes, and spray angle by using different pressure and same
penetration range.
Spray characteristics of 4Xanthan gum solution with different concentration
(0.1% concentration of Xanthan gum solution, 0.5% concentration of Xanthan gum
solution, 1.0% concentration of Xanthan Gum solution, 2.0% concentration of
Xanthan gum solution and water) are analyzed by Laser Doppler Anemometry
(LDA) and Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA). Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA)
systems were used to measure droplet velocities of fluid sprays. Phase Doppler
Anemometry (PDA) systems were used to measure the droplet sizes of fluid sprays.
These results were compared with each other and relate it to spraying efficiency. All
the results are analyzed to further understand the characteristics of non-Newtonian
fluid sprays with different concentration. High speed digital camera was used in
order to observe the structure of fluids and to measure the spray angles at nozzle exit.