Investigation into Characteristics of Combustion of n-Heptane Sprayed by Jet of Steam or Air

This work investigates experimentally the thermal and environmental performance of combustion of n-heptane sprayed by superheated steam and heated air in a laboratory atmospheric burner. The one-component analogue n-heptane (formula C7H16) is often used for numerical simulation of diesel fuel combustion. The results obtained are compared with data on diesel fuel. It is shown that during combustion of n-heptane atomized by a steam jet, all the main features typical of combustion of liquid hydrocarbons with supply of steam are retained. High completeness of the fuel combustion is ensured, and the emission of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide is reduced in comparison with air combustion. The CO emission per combustion of 1 kg of n-heptane is about three times lower at steam atomization than that at air spraying, and NOx is about two times lower. The experimental results are topical for verification of results of numerical calculations in relation to study of combustion of liquid fuel sprayed with a jet of superheated steam (or air).

Automated summary

This study experimentally investigates the thermal and environmental performance of n-heptane combustion sprayed by superheated steam and heated air in a laboratory atmospheric burner, and compares the results with diesel fuel. The findings show that when n-heptane is atomized by a steam jet, it exhibits typical features of combustion of liquid hydrocarbons with steam supply, resulting in high completeness of fuel combustion and reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.