Influence of Heavy Fuel Properties on Spray Atomization for Marine Diesel Engine Applications

In the present work, a model with the thermophysical properties of Heavy Fuel Oil, typically used in marine diesel engines, has been developed and implemented into the KIVA CFD code. The effect of fuel properties on spray atomization is investigated by performing simulations in a constant-volume high-pressure chamber, using the E-TAB and the USB breakup models. Two different nozzle sizes, representative of medium- and low-speed marine diesel engines, have been considered. The simulations have been performed for two values of chamber pressure, corresponding to operation at partial and full engine load. The results indicate that, in comparison to a diesel spray, the Heavy Fuel spray is characterized by comparable values of penetration length, and larger droplet sizes. These findings are correlated to experimental results from the literature.