Numerical simulations of an evaporating bio-oil droplet

Abstract

Bio-oil is a promising alternative fuel which contains a wide range of chemical components, including high molecular mass, organic compounds and a significant amount of water. This chemical structure can lead to a slow evaporation rate with the low boiling point compounds like water evaporating away from the surface while significant proportions still remain in the droplet core due to the relatively slow rate of liquid diffusion. As the droplet temperature increases, this water trapped in the core can reach a sufficiently high temperature to cause it to vapourise resulting in the droplet exploding. This study presents a numerical model of a stationary spherically symmetric evaporating bio-oi..