Technical Paper
The Behavior of Fuel Droplets on a Heated Substrate
2021-10-15
2021-01-5099
The processes of surface wetting and film evaporation play a major role in any application using liquid fuels. Since the behavior of entire multi-liquid films is influenced by many simultaneously occurring physical processes, exact modeling is not yet possible. In order to reduce the complexity and to determine the basic effects in the spreading and evaporation of multi-component films, this study was carried out by placing single 5 μl droplets on a heated metal surface. Various alkanes, ethanol, and mixtures, as well as real gasoline, were studied at surface temperatures between 69°C and 140°C. To describe the processes qualitatively and determine the time-dependent wetted surface area, the droplets were visualized using cameras. With the results, it was possible to determine the course of the wetted surface over time and to compare different liquids under varying surface temperatures.