Combustion of Gasoline for Meso Scale Power Applications

Authors

  • Dr. James Moran Department of Mechanical Engineering in Chiang Mai University, Thailand
  • Dr. Radom Pongvuthithum epartment of Mechanical Engineering, Chiang Mai University, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/dgaej2156-3306.3211

Keywords:

Meso Scale Power Systems, Fuel Vaporization, Flow Blurring Injector, Combustion Chamber

Abstract

Access to the electric power grid in developing countries should
not need large-scale infrastructure if clean, inexpensive and efficient
individual power devices were available. There is demand for portable power applications that output power in the hundreds of watt
range. These systems are referred to as meso-scale systems. Typical
applications include non-grid connected homes, remote billboards,
automotive auxiliary equipment, military personnel, campsites and
human prosthetic devices. High power per unit mass is a very important requirement for these systems which make liquid hydrocarbons
an ideal choice for the energy source. The issue with hydrocarbon
fuels is that combustion at low flow rates (~ ml/min) is difficult. Injectors or vaporizers, such as those used in automotive engines, typically
work at high pressures and relatively high flow rates. Electrostatic
injectors can vaporize at low flow rates but they are cumbersome
since they require high electric fields and are not suited for portable
applications. The use of a flow blurring injector shows promise. A
flow blurring injector which vaporizes liquid hydrocarbons at low
flow rates has been developed. A system was built at Chiang Mai
University, Thailand (CMU) to characterize the parameters effecting the combustibility of a hydrocarbon fuel and to investigate the
suitability of this injector for use in meso-scale power systems. The
results indicate that it could be used to generate power but care has
to be taken to ensure flame stability.

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Author Biographies

Dr. James Moran, Department of Mechanical Engineering in Chiang Mai University, Thailand

Dr. James Moran (corresponding author) received a Masters
degree and Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1996 and 2001 respectively. He
is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical
Engineering in Chiang Mai University, Thailand. He holds numerous
patents on low friction devices. His research interests include low friction surfaces, meso scale combustion, aerosol generation and sources of
bioenergy. Email: james@dome.eng.cmu.ac.th

Dr. Radom Pongvuthithum, epartment of Mechanical Engineering, Chiang Mai University, Thailand

Dr. Radom Pongvuthithum received the Ph.D. degree from the
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Case
Western Reserve University, Ohio, in 2003. From 2003-2004, he was a
Research Fellow in the School of Engineering and Sciences at the University of Southampton, U.K. He joined the Department of Mechanical
Engineering, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, in 2004 and currently
holds an Associate Professor position. His research interests include
nonlinear systems, adaptive control, time-varying feedback design and
their applications to medical robots, and energy systems.

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Published

2017-01-23

How to Cite

Moran, D. J. ., & Pongvuthithum, D. R. . (2017). Combustion of Gasoline for Meso Scale Power Applications. Distributed Generation &Amp; Alternative Energy Journal, 32(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.13052/dgaej2156-3306.3211

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