WEnComMag: Water Enhanced Combustion Efficiency through Magnetic treatment and water infusion

The ongoing debate over the use of fossil fuels, particularly diesel, in engines due to concerns about global climate change has prompted the exploration of alternative propulsion methods and fuels. Despite various proposed alternatives, diesel engines continue to play a vital role in the global market [1]. This discussion has spurred innovations aimed at enhancing the performance and sustainability of diesel engines, including the utilization of biodiesel mixtures, synthetic fuels, and water-in-diesel emulsions (W/D emulsions) [2-5]. Scientific evidence indicates that the presence of water in water-diesel emulsions can improve engine performance and reduce emissions, such as particulate matter and NOx [6,7]. This performance enhancement is attributed to the phenomenon of micro-explosion, or secondary atomization, caused by the differing boiling points of water and diesel [8]. The rapid temperature increase during fuel injection leads to the explosive vaporization of dispersed water droplets, breaking up the diesel emulsion into smaller droplets and resulting in a shorter combustion time. Various processes, including membrane emulsification, ultrasound emulsification, and high shear stirring, are employed to create these emulsions, often necessitating the use of surfactants for stability [9]. This research proposes a two-fold approach: firstly, the use of Electrohydrodynamic Atomization (EHDA, or electrospray) to create stable water-diesel emulsions. Secondly, the employment of magnetic fields in treating both diesel and water-diesel emulsions. EHDA is already used in several applications, such as drug encapsulation, bioencapsulation, thin film coatings and is also known for its ability to form stable emulsions. [10-13]. For the second approach, it has been shown that nanobubbles can be formed [17] and stabilized due to the electric charging action of magnetic fields [18]. We hypothesize that the charged bubbles can further stabilize the diesel-water emulsion and also enhance the explosive evaporation due to the additional Coulomb forces in play.

Eindrapportage

The debate over fossil fuel use, especially diesel, has encouraged research into cleaner propulsion methods. While alternatives exist, diesel engines remain essential, driving innovations such as biodiesel blends, synthetic fuels, and water-in-diesel (W/D) emulsions. W/D emulsions improve performance and lower emissions through micro-explosions that enhance fuel atomization. These emulsions are typically stabilized with surfactants and produced via processes like membrane or ultrasound emulsification. This research explores two novel strategies: (1) using Electrohydrodynamic Atomization (EHDA) to generate stable diesel-water emulsions, and (2) applying magnetic fields to promote nanobubble formation, which may stabilize emulsions and enhance explosive evaporation via Coulomb forces. The results demonstrate that the application of EHDA-produced W/D emulsions did not significantly affect engine torque, nor the emissions of NO and NO₂ under the tested conditions. However, notable reductions were observed in CO emissions, reaching up to 35%. When using the magnetically treated samples, even greater improvements were achieved, with reductions of up to 35% in NO, 40% in NO₂, and 30% in CO emissions under specific operating points. These findings highlight the potential of EHDA-produced W/D emulsion and magnetic treatment in reducing harmful emissions.