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Nozzles Control Analysis Fabrication

FloMax® Air Atomizing Nozzles

Unique Atomization Process
Provides Unmatched Efficiency
in Gas Conditioning Operations
 For Applications Demanding Precision and Efficiency,
FloMax® Nozzles Outperform All Others

If your application requires a finely atomized, controlled Overview of the FloMax

spray, you won’t find a more effective solution than our air atomizing nozzle line
high-efficiency FloMax air atomizing nozzles.

FloMax nozzles are not traditional air atomizing nozzles. FloMax A and
Using patented multi-stage atomization processes, FloMax FloMax Anti-Bearding Series
nozzles produce very small drops with exceptional efficiency.
Compressed air use and energy consumption are low. FM3A and FM3A-AB: 0.03 to 3 gpm (1.13 to 11.3 l/min)
The nozzles also offer significantly higher turndown 55° spray angle standard, 20° spray angle optional*
ratios than standard air atomizing nozzles for maximum
operating flexibility. FM5A and FM5A-AB: 0.7 to 7.0 gpm (2.6 to 26.5 l/min)
55° spray angle standard, 20° spray angle optional*
There are many other features that result in better spray
performance and lower operating costs than competitive FM10A and FM10A-AB: 1.3 to 13.0 gpm (4.9 to 49.2 l/min)
nozzles. In the sections that follow, you’ll find more detailed 55° spray angle standard, 20° spray angle optional*
information on the FloMax A Series, the FloMax Anti-Bearding
Series, the smaller capacity FloMax X Series and how these FM25A and FM25A-AB: 10.0 to 30.0 gpm (37.8 to 114 l/min)
nozzles can help you optimize the performance of your 55° spray angle standard, 20° spray angle optional*
spray system.

Typical applications and industries

FloMax A Series:
• Gas cooling and conditioning FloMax X Series
- Cooling prior to baghouse, ESP, heat exchanger, kilns
- Cooling towers FMX015: 0.03 to 0.25 gpm (0.11 to 0.94 l/min)
- Induct cooling 20° spray angle
- NOx control FMX030: 0.05 to 0.5 gpm (0.19 to 1.89 l/min)
- SO2 removal 20° spray angle
FloMax Anti-Bearding Series: FMX090: 0.5 to 1.5 gpm (1.89 to 5.67 l/min)
• Gas cooling and conditioning
20° and 55° spray angles
- High concentration of dust particulates
- Slurry spraying

FloMax X Series:
• Gas cooling and conditioning Options
- Induct cooling
- NOx control
• Chemical injection Standard and custom spray lances available in a wide
range of materials and configurations.
Industries:
• Aluminum • Power generation Compatible with AutoJet® Gas Conditioning System
for a fully automated, turnkey solution.
• Cement • Pulp and paper
• Chemical • Refinery Pre-assembled Valve Regulation Packages to save
• Lime • Steel engineering and installation time.
• Petrochemical • Waste incineration
*FloMax Anti-Bearding Series only available in 55° spray angle.

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If your application involves gas conditioning,
consider our automated AutoJet®
Gas Conditioning System
Maximize the performance of FloMax® nozzles
and enjoy the benefits of automation by using the
AutoJet Gas Conditioning System. The system uses the
AutoJet Spray Controller, with SprayLogic® firmware and
software, to monitor operating conditions and automatically
adjust system components as needed. By regulating liquid
and air flow to the nozzles based on data gathered from
temperature sensors, the controller ensures the highest
level of reactivity and accuracy for the system.

All system components – nozzles, pumps, sensors and

other hydraulic and pneumatic devices – are controlled
by the AutoJet Spray Controller. If a problem is detected
the controller can’t resolve automatically, operator
warnings will be displayed or sounded.

Other key features include:

• Multiple lance zones can be configured to allow
greater turndown of flow rate under variable
system conditions.

• Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) pumps provide

proportional liquid regulation and significant
electricity savings.

• Energy-efficient proportional air regulation reduces

air consumption and operating costs.

• The AutoJet Spray Controller is easy to use and

equipped with complete spray “knowledge”
for easy configuration.

• Operates independently or can be integrated

with other plant control systems.

AutoJet Gas
Conditioning System

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 FloMax® A Series: Produces Smaller Drops, Uses Less Air. Here’s How:
When it comes to drop size, the goal is to minimize Dmax
and achieve a finely atomized spray with D32 less than
100 microns at 10 gpm (37.8 l/min). This drop size cannot
be achieved with a single-step atomization process.
A multi-stage process is required.

FloMax nozzles use a patented three-stage atomization

principle to produce a highly focused air stream that shears
the liquid with minimal air. The result is a D32 drop size
34% smaller using 20% less air than competitive nozzles
(flow rate of 10 gpm [37.8 l/min]). Each nozzle uses as little
as 45 scfm (76 Nm3/hr). Energy costs are lowered and
compressor life extended.

The very small drops produced by FloMax A Series nozzles

reduce dwell time required for complete evaporation and
reduce the risk of wetting. Plus, the liquid being sprayed 1
generates more surface area per gallon (liter).

The uniformity of drop size distribution produced by

FloMax A Series nozzles ensures precise, tight control
of drop size. This is another unique attribute – 2
FloMax nozzles provide a narrower Relative
Span Factor (RSF) than many other air atomizing 3
nozzles at most air pressures.

FloMax A Series: principle of operation

1 Stage One: Primary Fluid Breakup

Air and liquid converge at the annulus allowing
high velocity air to shear the liquid column.

2 Stage Two: Secondary Fluid Breakup

Focused stream impacts the target bolt
forcing additional mechanical breakup.

3 Stage Three: Final Mixing

Air cap acts as a final mixing chamber. As
liquid crosses multiple orifices, an additional
pressure drop provides the final atomization.

FloMax A
Series Nozzles

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FloMax® Anti-Bearding Nozzles
FloMax Anti-Bearding nozzles provide all the benefits of
FloMax A nozzles but feature a patented air cap design to resist
material build-up near nozzle orifices and prevent performance
problems. FloMax Anti-Bearding nozzles can last up to five
times longer before maintenance is required to remove
build-up making them ideal for use in slurry and
high-particulate spraying applications.

A bit about bearding:

In many air atomizing applications, a low-pressure zone is
created by the high-velocity fluid stream exiting from the nozzle
orifices. This zone draws a few fine droplets back to the air
cap. The droplets dry, build up in layers and often block liquid
and air orifices. This phenomenon is called bearding and is a
leading cause of distorted spray distribution and clogging.

FloMax Anti-Bearding Standard FloMax

The areas where low-pressure zones are typically created in air atomizing
nozzles – the center of the air cap and between orifices – have been
minimized on the FloMax Anti-Bearding nozzle. FloMax Anti-Bearding Series feature 10 orifices at compound
angles. These orifices produce a very full spray when leaving the air
cap. The spray pulls in as it travels and provides a 55° spray angle.

Five Additional Benefits FloMax A and FloMax Anti-Bearding Series Offer

Fewer nozzles required for cooling. Use lower quality water sources.
FloMax nozzles offer a large flow rate per nozzle. Competitive FloMax nozzles feature large free passages. This means the
nozzles with equivalent flow rates produce larger drops. risk of clogging is reduced and lower cost water supplies
Fewer FloMax nozzles can be used, resulting in lower initial such as river water, basins and run-off water can be used
costs and less maintenance time on an on-going basis. with confidence.

Maximum flexibility because of high turndown ratios. Reduced maintenance time.

High turndown of flow rate – up to 10:1 – is possible. Durable, long-wearing parts require little maintenance.
This allows the air pressure to be constant while the But when maintenance is required, it is fast and easy.
liquid varies based on process requirements. Replacement of the nozzle or just the air cap and/or air
annulus can be done without special tools. Competitive
Effective even in harsh environments. nozzles require more maintenance and more frequent
A wide choice of materials ensures optimal nozzle replacement because of smaller free passages and
performance even in high-temperature and corrosive the use of higher air and liquid pressures.
applications. Typical materials include 316 and 310 stainless
steel, Hastelloy®, Stellite® and reaction-bonded silicon
carbide. Others are available upon request.

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 FloMax® X Series Nozzles Offer Similar
Benefits to the A Series and Outperform
All Other Small Capacity Nozzles
A new multi-stage cross-hole nozzle design provides
superior atomization by shearing the liquid prior to
mixing with the high velocity air stream. This unique
atomization process yields small drops at lower 1
operating pressures than other nozzles. The result
is tight drop size control, lower consumption of
compressed air and/or use of a smaller compressor
2
and longer compressor life.

FloMax X Series nozzles have a liquid turndown ratio

of up to 10:1. This allows the air pressure to be constant
while the liquid varies based on process requirements.
The 10:1 turndown ratio far surpasses conventional
air atomizing nozzles with ratios of 2:1 or 3:1. The
wide operating range of the FloMax X Series adds
significant flexibility during operation without 3
compromising performance.

The narrow 20° spray angle is ideal for applications

where tight control of drop size and spray precision are
critical. Multiple nozzles can be configured on a lance
or in a duct or vessel to deliver targeted sprays in
critical processes. FloMax X Series nozzles provide a
narrower RSF than many other air atomizing nozzles at
most air pressures.

A 55° spray angle is also available for applications

requiring more spray coverage.

FloMax X Series nozzles are suitable for demanding

applications – material options include 310 and 316 FloMax X
stainless steel and Hastelloy®. Other materials Series Nozzles
are available upon request.

FloMax X Series: principle of operation

Similar to the FloMax A Series,
FloMax X Series nozzles feature: 1 Stage One: Primary Fluid Breakup
The cross holes in the liquid orifice split the
• Large free passage to minimize clogging.
flow into four smaller streams.
• A choice of mounting options and easy installation.
2 Stage Two: Secondary Fluid Breakup
The liquid – all four streams – is sheared by
air as it exits the cross holes.

3 Stage Three: Final Mixing

The air cap acts as a final mixing chamber.
As liquid exits the orifice, an additional
pressure drop provides the final atomization.

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Lance and Injector Solutions
Ranging from Simple to Complex
FloMax® nozzles are designed to yield very precise performance.
Equally important in a spray system is the spray injector (also known
as a spray lance) that delivers the liquid and/or gas to the spray
nozzle. Spray injectors must also meet exacting standards to
ensure optimal performance.

We offer a full range of spray injectors:

• Our standard lightweight FloMax injectors are readily available in 0°, 45°
and 90° configurations with quick-release or bolt-on flanges and optional
adapters, cooling jackets, purge tubes and protective tubes.
0° Lance Assembly
• When non-standard solutions are needed to meet challenging physical
spaces or hostile environments, injectors are built to order. Common
designs include insulated, water- and steam-jacketed, recirculating,
retractable and/or cluster nozzle injectors in a wide range of
high-temperature and corrosion-resistant materials. Manufacturing
to meet B31.1 and B31.3 and other codes is available along with testing
45° Lance Assembly
in accordance with ANSI® and ASTM® standards, material certification,
magnetic particle examination, material test reports and more.

90° Lance Assembly

90° Lance Assembly

Ensure Optimal Performance with Computational Fluid Dynamics

There are dozens of variables that can affect spray CFD shows the change in drop size based
on nozzle placement in the duct.
performance in a gas stream. In many cases, we can predict D32
performance by using our sophisticated, proprietary gas (µm)

cooling software and conducting spray characterization 220

testing in our fully equipped spray laboratories. However, in
some applications, we rely on Computational Fluid Dynamics 165 Nozzle spraying
Z = 0.6 m in-line with duct
(CFD) to model gas flow based on actual operating conditions.
110

55
Nozzle spraying
0 at 45° in duct

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Other Helpful Resources

Performance Data for FloMax® Nozzles A Guide to Optimizing Spray

Injector Performance,
Performance data for FloMax nozzles is available upon
Bulletin 579
request. Please contact your local sales engineer.
12-page guide examines the
role of spray injectors in various
applications and provides detailed
specification guidelines.

Spray Technology Reference Guide: Optimizing Spray Performance

Understanding Drop Size, with Computational Fluid
Bulletin 459 Dynamics, Bulletin 621

36-page guide delves into drop Eight-page bulletin explains

size measurement, instrumentation how CFD is used to predict
and data analysis/interpretation. performance in spray operations
and how models are created.
Case studies are included.

Hastelloy® is a registered trademark of Haynes International, Inc.

Stellite® is a registered trademark of Deloro Stellite.

ASTM® is a registered trademark of ASTM International.

ANSI® is a registered trademark of the American National Standards Institute.

Spray Spray Spray Spray

North Avenue and Schmale Road, P.O. Box 7900, Wheaton, IL 60187-7901 USA Nozzles Control Analysis Fabrication

Tel: 1.800.95.SPRAY Intl. Tel: 1.630.665.5000

Fax: 1.888.95.SPRAY Intl. Fax: 1.630.260.0842
www.spray.com

Bulletin No. 487D Printed in the U.S.A. ©Spraying Systems Co. 2011