Study of combustion characteristics of diesel-vegetable oil blends utilizing an industrial fuel burner

Abstract

This study delves into the combustion characteristics of diesel-vegetable oil blends using an industrial fuel burner, shedding light on essential factors that impact the viability of these alternative fuels in industrial applications. Viscosity, a key concern in vegetable oil-based fuels, can be effectively mitigated by blending with diesel. This viscosity reduction enhances fuel atomization, optimizing combustion efficiency and mitigating nozzle blockages. The study also explores the density variation in these blends, indicating potential implications for combustion kinetics and injection dynamics. Furthermore, the research addresses the trade-off between energy content and viscosity reduction as the calorific value decreases with an increasing volume ratio of vegetable oil. Flame behavior, crucial for combustion system design, exhibits an inverse relationship with the volume ratio of vegetable oil, resulting in shorter and less intense flames at higher vegetable oil content. Through comprehensive experiments, the study demonstrates that increased vegetable oil content leads to reduced flame length and stability, primarily attributed to the elevated density and viscosity of vegetable oil. A comparative analysis highlights the similarity in combustion properties between a 40 % vegetable oil and a 60 % diesel blend, which exhibited a kinematic viscosity of approximately 1.58 cP emphasizing the potential of vegetable oil as a viable substitute for diesel in industrial fuel burners.

Keywords

• Combustion
• Vegetable oil
• Diesel
• Kinematic viscosity
• Density
• Energy