Diesel fuel combustion in a direct-flow evaporative burner with superheated steam supply

A method of liquid hydrocarbon combustion in a new evaporative burner with a controlled forced supply of superheated steam jet into the reaction zone was experimentally studied in this paper using diesel fuel. For the first time, dependences of the flame temperature and thermal and environmental characteristics on the steam flow rate and overheating were obtained. The boundaries of characteristic combustion regimes were determined. During fuel combustion in a superheated steam jet, the concentrations of nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide in the combustion products are significantly lower than the maximum permissible concentrations established for this type of burner device, according to EN 267: 0-5 ppm for CO and 25-50 ppm for NOx. The relative steam mass flow rate, in contrast to the steam temperature, substantially influences the main characteristics of the combustion process. Maximum heat release 45 MJ/kg is achieved in a system in which the steam mass flow rate equals half of the fuel mass flow rate. The new combustion method ensures high-energy efficiency and environmental safety and may be used in the development of technologies for the disposal of nonstandard liquid hydrocarbon fuels and industrial wastes with simultaneous heat energy production.