Sensitivity Analysis of Heavy Fuel Oil Spray and Combustion under Low-Speed Marine Engine-Like Conditions

Lei Zhou, Aifang Shao, Haiqiao Wei and Xi Chen
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Lei Zhou: These authors contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors.
Aifang Shao: These authors contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors.
Haiqiao Wei: State Key Laboratory of Engines, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
Xi Chen: State Key Laboratory of Engines, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: On account of their high power, thermal efficiency, good reliability, safety, and durability, low-speed two-stroke marine diesel engines are used as the main drive devices for large fuel and cargo ships. Most marine engines use heavy fuel oil (HFO) as the primary fuel, however, the physical and chemical characteristics of HFO are not clear because of its complex thermophysical properties. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of fuel properties on the spray and combustion characteristics under two-stroke marine engine-like conditions via a sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis of fuel properties for non-reacting and reacting simulations are conducted by comparing two fuels having different physical properties, such as fuel density, dynamic viscosity, critical temperature, and surface tension. The performances of the fuels are comprehensively studied under different ambient pressures, ambient temperatures, fuel temperatures, and swirl flow conditions. From the results of non-reacting simulations of HFO and diesel fuel properties in a constant volume combustion chamber, it can be found that the increase of the ambient pressure promotes fuel evaporation, resulting in a reduction in the steady liquid penetration of both diesel and HFO; however, the difference in the vapor penetrations of HFO and diesel reduces. Increasing the swirl flow significantly influences the atomization of both HFO and diesel, especially the liquid distribution of diesel. It is also found that the ambient temperature and fuel temperature have the negative effects on Sauter mean diameter (SMD) distribution. For low-speed marine engines, the combustion performance of HFO is not sensitive to activation energy in a certain range of activation energy. At higher engine speed, the difference in the effects of different activation energies on the in-cylinder pressure increases. The swirl flow in the cylinder can significantly promote fuel evaporation and reduce soot production.

Keywords: spray combustion; fuel properties; heavy fuel oil (HFO); sensitivity analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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