Liquid butane as an alternative fuel for diesel oil burners

The experimental tests performed to study the combustion process of liquid butane employing a diesel oil burner are presented. For these tests, a dual pumping and injection system was designed to operate with pressures varying from 0.8 to 2.0 MPa. Five distinctive cases were tested for each fuel, obtaining a complete characterization of the combustion processes in comparable conditions. Flame geometries, temperatures and the main chemical products of the combustion process were recorded experimentally for both liquid butane and diesel oil. It was observed that liquid butane flames present elongated conical shapes, with low radiation cyan color at the base position, followed by a higher radiation zone in the core and flame front positions. Also, the temperatures and NOx concentrations of liquid butane flames are lower than those of diesel oil flames. In general, it is feasible to modify the combustion technology of diesel oil burners to use liquid butane as an alternative fuel.

► Hybrid system for dual injection of liquid butane and diesel oil.
► Utilization of liquid butane as an alternative fuel for diesel oil burners.
► Flame geometries, temperature, and chemical products of the combustion process.
► Heat absorption efficiency.