Ignition and Combustion Behavior of Asphalt/Water-Emulsified Fuels

The ignition and combustion behavior of single droplets of asphalt/water-emulsified fuel (As/W) were observed in an electric furnace in order to obtain fundamental data for practical use. The ignition delay and burnout time of single droplets of asphalt, 'C'-heavy oil and the As/W emulsions were investigated under specified furnace temperatures. Each fuel showed unique ignition and combustion behavior, and the As/W-emulsified fuel-J (As/W-J) in particular, showed very strong microexplosions. The values of ignition delay and burnout time of As/W emulsified fuels were smaller than those of asphalt and 'C'-heavy oil. This can be explained by the occurrence of microexplosion phenomena caused by the rapid vaporization of the water phase in the droplets. Thus, it is possible to use asphalt/water-emulsified fuels as substitute fuels for 'C'-heavy oil, because of their superior combustibility.