OBSERVATIONS OF THE EMULSION FUEL GENERATING PROCESS ON UNDERWATER EXPLOSION

摘要

Emulsion fuel is a mixture of fuel and water which can reduce nitrogen oxide (NO_x) and partic-ulate matter (PM) in an exhaust gas when it is burned by a diesel or other heat engine. However, emulsion fuel has low stability because oil and water can easily be separated. In this research, a bubble pulse caused by an underwater explosion is used to emulsify samples. This mechanism of emulsification is observed by a high-speed video camera and clarified. In this experiment, the sample is composed of a bio-diesel fuel, water, and air. The sample and detonating fuse are set under the water, and a high-speed video camera is set in front of the observation window. The underwater explosion is later caused by igniting the detonating fuse. Since the video camera is not able to record the shock wave, the explosion gas and actions inside the sample are mainly observed. Results show how the underwater explosion affects the process of emulsification. From the captured video, it is clear that compression and expansion movements of explosion gas affect the process of generating emulsion. Also, the movement of bubbles is observed during the expansion and compression in the sample.