A numerical comparison of spray combustion between raw and water-in-oil emulsified fuel

International audienceHeavy fuel-oils, used engine oils and animal fat can be used as dense, viscous combustibles within industrial boilers. Burning these combustibles in the form of an emulsion with water enables to decrease the flame length and the formation of carbonaceous residue, in comparison with raw combustibles. These effects are due to the secondary atomization among the spray, which is a consequence of the micro-explosion phenomenon. This phenomenon acts in a single emulsion droplet by the fast (< 0.1 ms) vaporization of the inside water droplets, leading to complete disintegration of the whole emulsion droplet. First, the present work demonstrates a model of spray combustion of raw fuel. Secondly, the spray combustion of water-in-oil emulsified fuel is exposed to the same burning conditions, taking into account the micro-explosion phenomenon. Finally, the comparison between the results with and without second atomization shows some similar qualitative tendencies with experimental measurements from the literature