Microexplosion of fuel droplets under high pressure

C. H. Wang, C. K. Law

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

159 Scopus citations

Abstract

The influence of pressure on the occurrence of microexplosion has been experimentally investigated for freely falling miscible multicomponent and water/oil emulsion droplets in hot, oxidizing, high pressure environments up to 5 atm. Results conclusively demonstrate that increasing pressure not only enhances the possibility of microexplosion of an otherwise nonexplosive mixture, but also advances the instant of its occurrence during the droplet lifetime. For the range of pressures tested, it is further shown that droplets of alkane and alcohol mixtures do (do not) microexplode when the volatile component is alcohol (alkane), that droplets of water/alkane emulsions do not microexplode for alkanes lighter than dodecane, and that while microexplosion is generally enhanced with increasing water emulsification up to 30% in the low pressure range, the influence may be reversed in the high pressure range. Quantitative results are also presented for ethanol/diesel solutions and water/diesel emulsions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)53-62
Number of pages10
JournalCombustion and Flame
Volume59
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1985
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Fuel Technology
  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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