Combustion of foamed emulsion containing biochar microparticles: Foam as a medium for incomplete hydrocarbons oxidation

Abstract

The paper studies experimentally and analyzes the effect of biochar microparticles on the process of foamed emulsion combustion. Combustible foamed emulsion is a new promising type of fuel, which distinctive feature is that it could contain a significant amount of water (about 80 wt %) and it would be still combustible. In the process of experimental study we measured the speed of flame propagation through the foamed emulsion with the use of high-speed camera. It is obtained that the dependence of total burning rate of the foam on biochar content is non-monotonic and characterized by a maximum at certain biochar content. This is due to the effect of biochar microparticles on the heat losses from the flame front. By means of chromatographic analysis of combustion products it is shown that the use of biochar as a part of foamed emulsion favors the increase in syngas yield while the yields of methane, propane, ethylene and acetylene decrease. Structural characteristics of foamed emulsion were determined on the basis of microphotography while coefficients of surface and interfacial tensions were measured using a duNouy ring tensiometer.