Steam-generated emulsion fuel

A novel device was designed and tested to produce an emulsion fuel in the absence of a surfactant. The emulsion was generated in the device by mixing condensing steam. The device modified Malaysian Euro2 standard diesel (D2M) to feed a 5 kW direct-injection diesel engine. The combustion and emission characteristics of the emulsion fuel were compared to D2M and a conventional emulsion containing 10 v/v% water (E10). D2M recorded the highest in-cylinder pressure (ICP) of all fuels amounting from 56.48 to 64.64 bar respectively across loads of 1 to 4 kW. D2M exhibited an ignition delay (ID) of 16°, while the emulsion fuels showed longer IDs, with 21° for E10 and 20° for SD. The rate of heat release (ROHR) graphs showed an increase in the maximum ROHR up to 45.12 J/deg in both emulsions at the maximum load of 4 kW. At lower loads, the ROHR increase was less apparent. Both emulsions reduced the emissions of nitrogen oxides up to 43.0% and particulate matter up to 36.6%. However, carbon monoxide emission of both emulsions increased up to 52.7% higher. Both emulsions reduced the brake specific fuel consumption up to 9%, corresponding in higher brake thermal efficiency of up to 9.9%.

Autorentext

The writer works as a researcher in fuel and energy at Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi/The Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, an Indonesian government research agency. The work in this publication was performed during his PhD study at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between 2016 to 2019.