Performance of Canola Methyl Ester Biofuel in a Partial Swirl Spray Flame Combustor

Abstract

The performance of canola methyl ester (CME) biofuel in a partial swirl spray flame combustor is compared to that of No. 2 diesel fuel in this paper. The spray flame was enclosed in an optically accessible combustor and operated at atmospheric pressure with a co-flow of heated air. Fuel was delivered through a swirl-type air-blast atomizer with an injector diameter of 300 microns. A two-component phase Doppler particle analyzer was used to measure the spray droplet size, axial and radial velocity distributions. Radial and axial concentration measurements of NO, CO, CO2 and O2 were made in the flame environment. Axial and radial flame temperature measurements were made using a Type R thermocouple. The volumetric flow rates of fuel, atomization air and co-flow air were kept constant for both fuels. The droplet SMD at the nozzle exit for CME biofuel are smaller than the No. 2 diesel fuel implying faster vaporization rates for the CME biofuel. Flame temperature decreases more rapidly for the CME biofuel than for the No. 2 diesel fuel in both axial and radial directions. CME biofuel produced lower in-flame NO and CO peak concentrations than No. 2 diesel fuel.