Effects of Ambient Pressure on Combustion Behavior of an Emulsified Fuel Droplet

An experimental study was made of the burning behavior of an emulsified fuel droplet under high pressure conditions. Fuel in water emulsions were employed, which consisted of a hydrocarbon fuel and water doped with the surfactant. The water content of emulsions was varied from 0% to 40%. Experiments were carried out at ambient pressures from 0.1MPa to 3.0MPa. The results showed that a pressure beyond which microexplosion does not take place exists, and that its value depends on the water content of the emulsified fuel. As the ambient pressure increases, the waiting time for the onset of microexplosion decreases and the intensity with which the microexplosion occurs decreases. The distribution of the waiting time is correlated with the wear out type of Weibull distribution at high pressures.