Emulsified Fuels are emulsions composed of water and a combustible liquid, either oil or a fuel. Emulsions are a particular example of a dispersion comprising a continuous and a dispersed phase. The most commonly used emulsion fuel is water-in-diesel emulsion. [1] In the case of emulsions, both phases are the immiscible liquids, oil and water. Emulsion fuels can be either a microemulsion or an ordinary emulsion (sometimes referred to as macroemulsion, to differentiate it from microemulsion). The essential differences between the two are stability (microemulsions are thermodynamically stable systems, whereas macroemulsions are kinetically stabilized) and particle size distribution (microemulsions are formed spontaneously and have dimensions of 10 to 200 nm, whereas macroemulsions are formed by a shearing process and have dimensions of 100 nm to over 1 micrometer). Microemulsions are isotropic whereas macroemulsions are prone to settling (or creaming) and changes in particle size over time. Both use surfactants (also called emulsifiers) and can be either water-in-oil (invert emulsions), or oil-in-water (regular emulsions) or bicontinuous (also called multiple or complex emulsions).
Water continuous (oil-in-water) emulsified fuels are exemplified by the Orimulsion system and bitumen emulsions. These are often described as a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) because the continuous phase is around 30% of the composition of the fuel, whereas it is more usual for the dispersed phase to be the minor component. Water continuous emulsions of very heavy crudes, bitumen are easier to pump than the original fuel, which would require considerable heating and / or dilution with a distilled product (kerosene or light crude) in order to make them easy to handle. Water continuous emulsions of residual fuel, heavy fuel oils etc. which have a calorific value and are used in industrial applications can also be converted to emulsified fuels, thus reducing the need to use cutter fluids and improving the combustion emissions associated with the inferior fuels.
Oil continuous (water-in-oil) emulsified fuels are exemplified by diesel (or biodiesel blended fuels) and water emulsions. These emulsified fuels were recognized in Europe (France and Italy) and CEN workshop standard was established (CWA 15145:2004). Other types of fuels have been emulsified contain between 5 and 30% water (by mass) in the overall fuel emulsion. Water-in-diesel fuel emulsion could be used as an alternative fuel for low emissions and high brake thermal efficiency. [2]
Emulsion to combustion (E2C) or on-demand water-in-fuel emulsions for HFO and Diesel for shipping and stationary boilers are available from Nonox Ltd. since 2006. The advantage of mixing on demand is no chemical surfactants are required, water/fuel ratio can be adjusted to load for maximum efficiency and no chance of separation in storage. This proven system reduces soot emissions up to 90%, NOx 40% and offers fuel savings which vary depending on the baseline efficiency of the load.
Microemulsions of fuels have also been prepared. The type of surfactants and quantities required to make these emulsion fuels sets them apart from other commercial emulsion fuels. These are considered where safety issues (e.g. fire prevention; [3] ) or commercial return justify the extra costs (e.g. enhance oil recovery, surfactant flooding; [4] ).
The main advantages to using emulsified fuels instead of the fuel itself are environmental and economic benefits. Addition of water to the diesel process decreases combustion temperatures and lowers NOx emissions. [5] A paper compares water injection and emulsified fuels into diesel engines (marine and stationary engines) and discusses the emissions and mechanisms involved. It concludes that emulsified fuels are singularly effective in simultaneously reducing NOx and PM emissions. [6] Another paper has examined the effects of EGR and Emulsion Fuels. [7]
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Although the terms colloid and emulsion are sometimes used interchangeably, emulsion should be used when both phases, dispersed and continuous, are liquids. In an emulsion, one liquid is dispersed in the other. Examples of emulsions include vinaigrettes, homogenized milk, liquid biomolecular condensates, and some cutting fluids for metal working.
Orimulsion is a registered trademark name for a bitumen-based fuel that was developed for industrial use by Intevep, the Research and Development Affiliate of Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), following earlier collaboration on oil emulsions with BP.
In internal combustion engines, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is a nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions reduction technique used in petrol/gasoline, diesel engines and some hydrogen engines. EGR works by recirculating a portion of an engine's exhaust gas back to the engine cylinders. The exhaust gas displaces atmospheric air and reduces O2 in the combustion chamber. Reducing the amount of oxygen reduces the amount of fuel that can burn in the cylinder thereby reducing peak in-cylinder temperatures. The actual amount of recirculated exhaust gas varies with the engine operating parameters.
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat (tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil with an alcohol, producing a methyl, ethyl or propyl ester by the process of transesterification.
Lipophilicity, refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. Such non-polar solvents are themselves lipophilic, and the axiom that "like dissolves like" generally holds true. Thus lipophilic substances tend to dissolve in other lipophilic substances, but hydrophilic ("water-loving") substances tend to dissolve in water and other hydrophilic substances.
Alternative fuels, also known as non-conventional and advanced fuels, are fuels derived from sources other than petroleum. Alternative fuels include gaseous fossil fuels like propane, natural gas, methane, and ammonia; biofuels like biodiesel, bioalcohol, and refuse-derived fuel; and other renewable fuels like hydrogen and electricity.
Vehicle emissions control is the study of reducing the emissions produced by motor vehicles, especially internal combustion engines.
Diesel exhaust is the gaseous exhaust produced by a diesel type of internal combustion engine, plus any contained particulates. Its composition may vary with the fuel type or rate of consumption, or speed of engine operation, and whether the engine is in an on-road vehicle, farm vehicle, locomotive, marine vessel, or stationary generator or other application.
In internal combustion engines, water injection, also known as anti-detonant injection (ADI), can spray water into the incoming air or fuel-air mixture, or directly into the combustion chamber to cool certain parts of the induction system where "hot points" could produce premature ignition. In jet engines — particularly early turbojets or engines in which it is not practical or desirable to have an afterburner — water injection may be used to increase engine thrust, particularly at low-altitudes and at takeoff.
Microemulsions are clear, thermodynamically stable isotropic liquid mixtures of oil, water and surfactant, frequently in combination with a cosurfactant. The aqueous phase may contain salt(s) and/or other ingredients, and the "oil" may actually be a complex mixture of different hydrocarbons. In contrast to ordinary emulsions, microemulsions form upon simple mixing of the components and do not require the high shear conditions generally used in the formation of ordinary emulsions. The three basic types of microemulsions are direct, reversed and bicontinuous.
In atmospheric chemistry, NOx is shorthand for nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, the nitrogen oxides that are most relevant for air pollution. These gases contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting tropospheric ozone.
In liquids, the cloud point is the temperature below which a transparent solution undergoes either a liquid-liquid phase separation to form an emulsion or a liquid-solid phase transition to form either a stable sol or a suspension that settles a precipitate. The cloud point is analogous to the 'dew point' at which a gas-liquid phase transition called condensation occurs in water vapour to form liquid water. When the temperature is below 0 °C, the dew point is called the frost point, as water vapour undergoes gas-solid phase transition called deposition, solidification, or freezing.
A NOx adsorber or NOx trap (also called Lean NOx trap, abbr. LNT) is a device that is used to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NO and NO2) emissions from a lean burn internal combustion engine by means of adsorption.
The Bancroft rule in colloidal chemistry states: "The phase in which an emulsifier is more soluble constitutes the continuous phase." This means that water-soluble surfactants tend to give oil-in-water emulsions and oil-soluble surfactants give water-in-oil emulsions. It is a general rule of thumb, still used, but regarded as inferior to HLD theory, which takes many more factors into consideration.
A miniemulsion is a particular type of emulsion. A miniemulsion is obtained by shearing a mixture comprising two immiscible liquid phases, one or more surfactants and, possibly, one or more co-surfactants. They usually have nanodroplets with uniform size distribution and are also known as sub-micron, mini-, and ultra-fine grain emulsions.
A dispersant or a dispersing agent is a substance, typically a surfactant, that is added to a suspension of solid or liquid particles in a liquid to improve the separation of the particles and to prevent their settling or clumping.
A hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicle (HICEV) is a type of hydrogen vehicle using an internal combustion engine. Hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles are different from hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Instead, the hydrogen internal combustion engine is simply a modified version of the traditional gasoline-powered internal combustion engine. The absence of carbon means that no CO2 is produced, which eliminates the main greenhouse gas emission of a conventional petroleum engine.
The Cummins X-series engine is an Inline (Straight)-6 diesel engine produced by Cummins for heavy duty trucks and motorcoaches, replacing the N14 in 2001 when emissions regulations passed by the EPA made the engine obsolete. Originally called the "Signature" series engine, the ISX uses the "Intellect System" to further improve the engine. This engine is widely used in on highway and vocational trucks and is available in power ranging from 430 hp all the way to 620 hp 2050 lb-ft. The QSX is the off-highway version of the ISX with the Q standing for Quantum. The QSX is used for industrial, marine, oil & gas and other off-highway applications. Cummins also produced a 650 hp and 1950 lb-ft version for the RV market.
Macroemulsions are dispersed liquid-liquid, thermodynamically unstable systems with particle sizes ranging from 1 to 100 μm, which, most often, do not form spontaneously. Macroemulsions scatter light effectively and therefore appear milky, because their droplets are greater than a wavelength of light. They are part of a larger family of emulsions along with miniemulsions. As with all emulsions, one phase serves as the dispersing agent. It is often called the continuous or outer phase. The remaining phase(s) are disperse or inner phase(s), because the liquid droplets are finely distributed amongst the larger continuous phase droplets. This type of emulsion is thermodynamically unstable, but can be stabilized for a period of time with applications of kinetic energy. Surfactants are used to reduce the interfacial tension between the two phases, and induce macroemulsion stability for a useful amount of time. Emulsions can be stabilized otherwise with polymers, solid particles or proteins.
An internal combustion engine is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high-pressure gases produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine. The force is typically applied to pistons, turbine blades, a rotor, or a nozzle. This force moves the component over a distance, transforming chemical energy into kinetic energy which is used to propel, move or power whatever the engine is attached to.