On the autoignition and combustion characteristics of kerosene droplets at elevated pressure and temperature

The effects of high ambient pressure and temperature were experimentally investigated on the autoignition delay times of isolated kerosene fuel droplets. The droplet was hanged at the tip of a quartz fiber and suddenly exposed to high ambient temperature by the help of falling electric furnace at desired ambient pressures under normal gravity. The ignition was detected visually by the use of high-speed photography. Results have shown that the autoignition delay time decreases with an increase in both temperature and pressure. Also an increase in ambient pressure reduces the ignition location distance from the droplet. The experimental results of autoignition delay times were correlated with the equation tau = AP(B)exp( D/T). The combustion of the kerosene droplet was also investigated at various ambient temperatures and at atmospheric pressure. The droplet burning rate was calculated using temporal histories of droplet diameter. The droplet combustion followed d(2)-law. And a comparison between evaporation and burning rate constants has shown that their difference reduces at higher ambient temperatures.