Rapid emulsification of a fuel–water rapid internal mixing injector for emulsion fuel combustion

Abstract

In this study, a fuel–water rapid internal mixing injector capable of reducing emissions from combustion furnaces operating under high load conditions was developed. Employing this injector allows the injection of a fresh emulsified fuel mixture without requiring surfactants or additional processing equipment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the emulsification, atomization, and emission performance of the injector when using soybean oil as a model high-viscosity fuel from a renewable source. Successful emulsification was observed in the mixing chamber over a wide range of water content ratios up to 0.5, under which a water-in-oil emulsion was discharged from the injector. As the water content ratio was increased, the Sauter mean diameter of the droplets in the spray increased. This is a result of the decrease in the mass flow ratio of atomizing gas to liquid and the increase in the viscosity of the fuel emulsion. Although the emulsification of the base fuel resulted in the discharge of large droplets, the results showed that the nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions from a combustion furnace incorporating the injector were found to be reduced simultaneously following the introduction of water even under a high combustion load.