This
study investigated the effect of nanosilver/water-in-kerosene
emulsion on thermal and radiative characteristics and pollutant emissions
of a liquid burner. The results were compared with the corresponding
values resulted from neat kerosene. Light microscopic imaging was
used to study microexplosion of the fuel droplets. Also, combining
chemiluminescence technique and measurement of pollutant concentrations,
a qualitative study was carried out to find out the effect of CO,
CO2, water vapor, and intermediate soot particles on the
flame emissivity coefficient. The results showed that the Brownian
motion of silver nanoparticles and localized convection between nanoparticles
and the adjacent fluids increased the evaporation rate of nanoemulsion
droplets and the rate of their mixing with oxidizing air. Besides
the nanoparticles effect, the secondary injection of nanoemulsion
due to microexplosion of water droplets enhanced the mixing rate of
nanoemulsion fuel and oxidizing air. Although absorption of heat by
water content of nanoemulsion fuel decreased the flame temperature,
the nanoemulsion fuel, compared with neat kerosene, enhanced the average
radiation of flame by 23%. Further, the results indicated that although
CO and CO2 did not change significantly in amount, NOx
emission reduced as much as 23.7% when the nanosilver/water-in-kerosene
emulsion, instead of neat kerosene, was used.