Automatic Mixing Valve for Prescribed Injection Ratio Versus Variable Fuel Flow Rate

Abstract

Using water or ethanol in fuel oils (including gasoline) results in a very fine atomization of the fuel due to micro-explosions (primary, secondary and tertiary) occurring during combustion. Thus the tiny nano-particles produced during combustion may better follow the flow and less particle impingement on the surfaces (tube walls, blades, etc.) occurs. The emulsion is produced by a device on board the engines using no chemical additives. Since the above engines operate at variable fuel flow rate from idle to full power there is a broad range of flow rates of the two liquids to be mixed. This paper deals with an automatic device that is capable of producing the prescribed injection ratio of the dispersed phase into the variable fuel oil flow rate. A design model has been developed to size the device. An ample description of the model and prototype is presented. Experimental validation of the model has been performed with the results discussed in this paper. The final automatic mixing valve arrangement is presented with the experimental set up. Parametric analyses of results together with the simulations are discussed.