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The Rotoclear S3 (@rotoclear.gmbh) is a self-cleaning window that allows for optical access in our spray booth, where we characterize the performance of spray nozzles at flow rates up to 1000 litres/min. Spinning at about 2300 RPM, droplets that land on the window will experience a force between 120 to 680 times the force of gravity, and will be instantaneously ejected, maintaining a clear viewing area for spray measurements.

The addition of this spin window provides a major advantage over other options such as a water curtain or a gas jet to clear droplets, as it does not introduce a new fluid that can contaminate the sample material, nor is there a periodic visualization disruption that a wiper would provide.

There are two main measurement techniques that the S3 enables us to do, the first is flow visualization which can be performed with cameras, including DSLR cameras, or one of our Phantom high-speed cameras.

The second is spray characterization using our Artium Inc. phase-Doppler interferometer (PDI). PDI is a nonintrusive laser-based measurement technique, utilizing laser-Doppler anemometry, in which the diameter, velocity and volume flux of individual droplets are measured simultaneously.