Design and development of a vaporizing burner using waste engine oil as fuel

The aim of this was do design and develop a vaporizing burner using waste engine oil as fuel, a waste that is growing as a result of the increasing number of automotive. Waste engine oil has a relatively high calorific value and thus it may be used as a renewable fuel for heat generation. Therefore, the present experimental study on waste engine oil combustion in a vertical tube burner was conducted. The two-stage combustion was divided by the air supply to the burner into two levels and the air flow rate of both levels can be adjusted. The fuel in the first stage was heated and vaporized by the incomplete combustion. The exhaust gases and residual fuel vapor from the first stage were then flow to the second combustion stage and the complete combustion was achieved. Lengthwise combustion temperatures of the burner in both of the single and the two-stage combustion were measured and compared. Amount of exhaust gas at the exit of the burner was also monitored. The results of the experiment suggested that the single air supply at a distance of 10 cm from fuel level at air supply rate at 35 m3/hr (equivalent ratio 0.7) which yielded the maximum thermal efficiency of 31%. Meanwhile, in the double air supply system, when air supply rate is increased, the thermal efficiency is raised too; however, the amount of CO in the exhaust tends to drop and will rise again at overrated air supply. A recommended total air supply is between 25-35 m3/hr, with a primary air supply rate in the first stage not exceeding 5 m3/hr to yield a combustion at 0.6-0.8 with a thermal efficiency between 21-63%.