Methanol, ethanol and propanol droplets evaporation characteristics with a dilute concentrations of hematite and magnetite nanoparticles

Evaporation characteristics of a single suspended fuel droplet with nanoparticles were experimentally investigated. Three ambient temperatures of 100, 200 and 300 °C were considered. The droplet initial volume of 1.5 µL was used and the whole evaporation process was recorded using a high-speed camera at 500 frame per second. Methanol, ethanol and propanol were selected as the base fuels. Hematite and magnetite nanoparticles were added to the alcohols at concentrations of 100, 200, 300 mg/L to examine their effects on the droplet evaporation. The alcohol/nano additive droplet experienced different evaporation characteristics compared to this of pure alcohol. The variation of normalized square diameter was linear during the evaporation process for the considered blends. Methanol droplet experienced the same evaporation stages with hematite and magnetite along with 10% and 8.3% increase in the evaporation rate respectively at 300 °C and a nanoparticles concentration of 300 mg/L. Ethanol droplet containing hematite and magnetite nanoparticles evaporation rate was retarded by 15.9% and 12.6%, respectively at 300 mg/L and 300 °C. Propanol droplet evaporation was increased by 14.9% with hematite additives. On the other hand, a decrease in the constant by 26% was observed at 300 °C and a concentration of 300 mg/L.