Recent increases in fuel costs, concerns for global warming, and limited supplies of fossil fuels have prompted wide spread research on renewable liquid biofuels produced domestically from agricultural feedstock. In this study, two types of biodiesels and vegetable oil (VO) are investigated as potential fuels for gas turbines to generate power. Biodiesels produced from VO and animal fat were considered in this study. The problems of high viscosity and poor volatility of VO (soybean oil) were addressed by using diesel-VO blends with up to 30% VO by volume. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and density, kinematic viscosity, surface tension, and water content measurements were used to characterize the fuel properties. The combustion performance of different fuels was compared experimentally in an atmospheric pressure burner with an air-assist injector and swirling primary air around it. For different fuels, the effect of the atomizing airflow rate on Sauter mean diameter was determined from a correlation for air-assist atomizers. Profiles of nitric oxides and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were obtained for different atomizing airflow rates, while the total airflow rate was kept constant. The results show that despite the compositional differences, the physical properties and emissions of the two biodiesel fuels are similar. Diesel-VO fuel blends resulted in slightly higher CO emissions compared with diesel, while the emissions correlated well with the flame temperature. The results show that the CO and emissions are determined mainly by fuel atomization and fuel/air mixing processes, and that the fuel composition effects are of secondary importance for fuels and operating conditions of the present study.
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Combustion Performance of Biodiesel and Diesel-Vegetable Oil Blends in a Simulated Gas Turbine Burner
Heena V. Panchasara,
Heena V. Panchasara
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Benjamin M. Simmons,
Benjamin M. Simmons
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Ajay K. Agrawal,
Ajay K. Agrawal
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Scott K. Spear,
Scott K. Spear
Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Daniel T. Daly
Daniel T. Daly
Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
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Heena V. Panchasara
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Benjamin M. Simmons
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Ajay K. Agrawal
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Scott K. Spear
Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Daniel T. Daly
Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence,
University of Alabama
, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. May 2009, 131(3): 031503 (11 pages)
Published Online: February 6, 2009
Article history
Received:
March 30, 2008
Revised:
May 17, 2008
Published:
February 6, 2009
Citation
Panchasara, H. V., Simmons, B. M., Agrawal, A. K., Spear, S. K., and Daly, D. T. (February 6, 2009). "Combustion Performance of Biodiesel and Diesel-Vegetable Oil Blends in a Simulated Gas Turbine Burner." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. May 2009; 131(3): 031503. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2982137
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