Combustion and micro-explosion of multicomponent droplets

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6053130

Wang, C H

An experimental investigation of the gasification, combustion, and micro-explosion of droplets of miscible multicomponent fuel mixtures and water/oil emulsions in hot, oxidizing, pressurized environments is described. The experiment involves generating a stream of droplets of uniform and controllable size, spacing, and velocity by the ink-jet printing technique, injecting them into the continuously flowing combustion environment produced by a flat-flame burner, and examining the subsequent combustion processes using high-speed photography. Results show that the gasification mechanism of miscible multicomponent droplets consist of an initial phase of transient adjustment of the droplet surface layer such that it becomes more concentrated with the less volatile component, and a second phase of liquid-phase-diffusion-limited steady-state combustion with the fractional gasification rate of the constituents being equal to their respective initial mass fractions in the mixture. Micro-explosion of miscible multicomponent droplets is found to be favored with an unstable droplet generation mode, with increasing the system pressure, and with light alcohol addition. The internal bubble growth process is a relatively slow one, occupying about 10% of the droplet lifetime. Micro-explosion of water/oil emulsion droplets occurs under both normal and high pressure environments. Results also show that prior to the onset of micro-explosion in the nominally opaque droplet becomes transparent, indicating deterioration of the emulsion structure. Results and insights on the ignition, extinction, and soot formation characteristics are also documented.

• OSTI ID: 6053130
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400800* -- Combustion
Pyrolysis
& High-Temperature Chemistry
BUBBLE GROWTH
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
COMBUSTION
DISPERSIONS
DROPLETS
EMULSIONS
EXPLOSIONS
FUEL OILS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID FUELS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER