This project conducts vaporization experiments and modeling of petroleum and biofuel droplets. The fuels to be studied include both traditional petroleum-biofuel blends and novel biofuels, including pyrolysis oil, green diesel, hydrotreated diesel, and various aviation biofuels. Liquid biofuels are usually blended with petroleum fuels; their clean and efficient combustion is of vast interest in terms of economy and environmental impacts. One of the major obstacles to their widespread application arises from their unusual vaporization characteristics, which have a determining effect on mixture distribution and combustion. The intellectual merit of this proposal is the experimental characterization, and creation, of predictive models for petroleum-biofuel vaporization under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. Such experimental data are very rare and can be used by the research community for model validation, thus making significant impacts. This work will address several critical fundamental aspects of droplet vaporization, including effects of biofuel components, effects of high pressure on droplet lifetime, relative importance of latent heat and boiling point on vaporization, the role of internal mixing in the liquid phase, and micro-explosion of pyrolysis oil drops. The broader impact of this project is the promotion of bio-renewable energy through research and education. The proposed activities include the research training of K-12 science teachers, who can then serve to inspire their students, and a plan to foster long-term relationships and regular interactions between the PI and the visiting teachers. The proposed outreach activities also include the visits by undergraduate students to K-12 students in regional high-need school districts, demonstrating racing vehicles using biofuels.
