Experimental Analysis of the Influence of Inert Nano-additives upon Combustion of Diesel Sprays

Recent experimental studies report that addition of nanoparticles (tipically metal oxides nanopowders, such as Al2O3) can somehow modify the ignition mechanism of liquid fuels, probably influencing and accelerating the thermal exchange process between the fuel droplets and the surrounding air.In this paper it has been experimentally analised a stationary Diesel spray, produced by a gas assisted atomizer, preliminarily comparing the behaviour of the flame generated using the unseeded fuel with that one of the same fuel additivated with Al2O3 nanoparticles. Results obtained through light emission analysis are encouraging, in the sense that the presence of a small nano-additive quantity (0.1% in volume) seems to produce effects similar to a shift towards higher flame ventilation, with a possible positive consequence upon combustion stability and efficiency.