Fuels produced from renewable sources offer an economically viable pathway to curtail emissions of greenhouse gases. Two such liquid fuels in common usage are biodiesel and ethanol derived from soybean, corn, or other food crops. In recent years, significant effort has been devoted to identify alternate feedstock sources and conversion techniques to diversify the biofuels portfolio. In this study, we have measured emissions from flames of diesel, biodiesel, emulsified bio-oil, and diesel-biodiesel blends. Experiments are conducted in an atmospheric pressure burner with an air-atomized injector and swirling primary air around it to replicate typical features of a gas turbine combustor. Experiments were conducted for fixed air and fuel flow rates, while the airflow split between the injector and the coflow swirler was varied. Results show a significant reduction in emissions as the fraction of total air fed into the atomizer is increased. Blue flames, reminiscent of premixed combustion, and low emissions of nitric oxides and carbon monoxide were observed for all fuel blends. In general, the emissions from biofuel flames were comparable or lower than those from diesel flames.
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Combustion Performance of Liquid Biofuels in a Swirl-Stabilized Burner
Daniel Sequera,
Daniel Sequera
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Ajay K. Agrawal,
Ajay K. Agrawal
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Scott K. Spear,
Scott K. Spear
Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence,
The University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Daniel T. Daly
Daniel T. Daly
Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence,
The University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Daniel Sequera
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Ajay K. Agrawal
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Scott K. Spear
Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence,
The University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Daniel T. Daly
Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence,
The University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. May 2008, 130(3): 032810 (9 pages)
Published Online: April 2, 2008
Article history
Received:
June 20, 2007
Revised:
June 22, 2007
Published:
April 2, 2008
Citation
Sequera, D., Agrawal, A. K., Spear, S. K., and Daly, D. T. (April 2, 2008). "Combustion Performance of Liquid Biofuels in a Swirl-Stabilized Burner." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. May 2008; 130(3): 032810. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2836747
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