Research Paper
Year: 2019 | Month: July | Volume: 6 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 448-456
Effect of Fuel Physical Properties on Spray Parameters of Residual Fuel Oil (RFO)
Martins. B. Ogunedo1, Kelvin C. Nduaguba2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imo State University, Owerri.
2Department of Mechanical Engineering, NnamdiAzikiwe University Awka, Anambra.
Corresponding Author: Martins. B. Ogunedo
ABSTRACT
This paper studied the effect of fuel physical properties on spray parameters of RFO. To achieve this, the fuel (RFO) was characterized to determine its physico-chemical properties, and an experimental set up was designed to visualize and capture the spray pattern of the fuel. After which images obtained were processed and analysed using Image J software to determine the spray length, spray cone angle, spray area, spray volume, and spray velocity values of the fuel. Results obtained showed that the viscosity of RFO decreases with increase in temperature. It was also seen that the high viscosity and surface tension of RFO accounts for the higher spray parameters values of 456 mm for spray length, 22.67° for spray cone angle, and 2.85 mm for SMD at a viscosity of 9.16 mPa.s. This condition, will lead to a higher spray volume causing the engine to run on a rich mixture after initial start-up conditions. This leads to challenges such as reduction in power and clogging of injector nozzle tip due to increase in carbon deposit.
Key words: Viscosity, Density, Surface Tension, Spray length, Spray Area, Spray volume, Spray cone angle, Sauter mean diameter.
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