Effects of Temperature, Pressure and Physico-Chemical Characteristics on the Atomization and Disintegration of Jatropha Oil and its Formulations

The physicochemical characteristics of vegetable oils, the atomization and the particle size of the spray are fundamental aspects for the simulation of their combustion on burners.

In this study, the influence of temperature and pressure on the disintegration of the jet of jatropha oil and its mixture with gas oil was simulated on a Riello Gulliver burner with power ranging from 22.5 to 35.6 KW. The disintegration and dispersion conditions of the droplets from the burner were determined using the average Sauter diameter by equations and mathematical functions. The results showed that there is a minimum temperature and pressure (130°C and 14 bar, respectively) from which it is possible to obtain an adequate disintegration of jatropha oil and its mixtures with diesel with suitable selected type of burner. These simulation results are consistent with results obtained experimentally and show satisfactory disintegration conditions at low pressure.