EFFECTS OF EMULSIFIED FUEL ON THE PERFORMANCE AND EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF AEROENGINE COMBUSTORS

The aim of the present work is the experimental investigation of the effects of the addition of water and urea into jet fuels, on the reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions and eventually improvement of the lean flame stability in aeroengine combustors. Experiments have been carried out using a 300-kW liquid-fueled swirling combustor. Various urea and/or water concentrations have been tested at the same fuel/air ratio. In order to study the flame behavior, non-invasive optical diagnostic techniques, as charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras in different spectral ranges (Visible and UV ranges, with different optical filters), have been adopted to analyze the shape and the brightness of the flame structure. Measurements of exhaust emissions (NOx, SO2, CO, CO2 and O2) have also been performed in order to evaluate the impact of emulsification on the entire combustion process. Finally, the thermal efficiency losses with respect to the neat jet test case were also analyzed for each emulsified fuel condition.