Combustion characteristics of a single droplet of hydroprocessed vegetable oil blended with aluminum nanoparticles in a drop tube furnace

This study examines the burning characteristics and disruptive burning phenomena of single droplets of aluminum nanoparticles (n-Al) stably suspended in a biofuel (HVO). The biofuel used in the present work is a promising alternative fuel already tested in the aviation sector to reduce greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. Experiments were conducted with two particle sizes (40 nm and 70 nm) and two particle concentrations (0.5 wt. % and 1.0 wt.%) to study its influence when added to the biofuel. The effect of size and concentration of the aluminum nanoparticles was studied at 1100 degrees C in a drop tube furnace. This experimental facility allows the study of combustion characteristics of falling droplets, ensuring there is no influence of the supporting fiber on the burning rate and disruptive burning phenomena occurrence. A CMOS high - speed camera coupled with a high magnification lens was used to evaluate the droplet size, burning rate, and micro-explosions. Based on this procedure, pure biofuel droplets were compared with those of biofuel blended with nanoparticles. The results suggest that the combustion characteristics of pure HVO can be enhanced with the addition of aluminum nanoparticles. Furthermore, by decreasing the particle size, a slight increase in the burning rate of nanofuels was noticed. Additionally, an increase in the particle concentration leads to a pronounced increase in the burning rate. The particle concentration also influences the delay and intensity of micro-explosions, disruptive burning phenomena detected at the end of the droplet lifetime.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effects of adding aluminum nanoparticles of different sizes and concentrations to biofuel on combustion characteristics. Results show that the addition of nanoparticles enhances the combustion characteristics of pure biofuel, with a slight increase in burning rate observed with smaller particle sizes and a pronounced increase with higher concentrations.