Modelling of multi-component fuel droplet heating and evaporation

The results of numerical study of heating and evaporation of monodisperse fuel droplets in an ambient air of fixed temperature and atmospheric pressure are reported and compared to experimental data from the literature. The numerical model is based on the Effective Thermal Conductivity (ETC) model and the analytical solution to the heat conduction equation inside droplets. It is pointed out that the interactions between droplets lead to noticeable reduction of their heating in the case of ethanol, 3-pentanone, n-heptane, n-decane and n-dodecane droplets, and reduction of their cooling in the case of acetone. A simplified model for bi- component droplet heating and evaporation is developed. The predicted time evolution of the average temperatures is shown to be reasonably close to the measured one (ethanol/acetone mixture). The above-mentioned simplified model is generalised to take into account the coupling between droplets and the ambient gas. The model is applied to the analysis of the experimentally observed heating and evaporation of a monodispersed n-decane/3-pentanone mixture of droplets at atmospheric pressure. It is pointed out that the number of terms in the series in the expressions for droplet temperature and species mass fractions can be reduced to as few as three, with possible errors less than about 0.5%. In this case, the model can be recommended for implementation into CFD codes. The simplified model for bi- component droplet heating and evaporation, based on the analytical solutions to the heat transfer and species diffusion equations, is generalised to take into account the effect of the moving boundary and its predictions are compared with those of the model based on the numerical solutions to the heat transfer and species diffusion equations for both moving and stationary boundary conditions. A new model for heating and evaporation of complex multi-component hydrocarbons fuel droplets is developed and applied to Diesel and gasoline fuels. In contrast to all previous models for multi-component fuel droplets with large number of components, the new model takes into account the effects of thermal diffusion and diffusion of components within the droplets.