Evaporation of oil-water emulsion drops when heated at high temperature

Abstract

An experimental study on conditions and main characteristics for high-temperature (more than 700 K) evaporation of oil-water drops is presented. The high-temperature water purification from impurities can be the main practical application of research results. Thus, the heating of drops is implemented by the two typical schemes: on a massive substrate (the heating conditions are similar to those achieved in a heating chamber) and in a flow of the heated air. In the latter case, the heating conditions correspond to those attained while moving water drops with impurities in a counter high-temperature gaseous flow in the process of water purification. Evaporation time as function of heating temperature is presented. The influence of oil product concentration in an emulsion drop on evaporation characteristics is discussed. The conditions for intensive flash boiling of an emulsion drop and its explosive breakup with formation of the fine droplets cloud are pointed out. Heat fluxes required for intensive flash boiling and explosive breakup of a drop with further formation of the fine aerosol are determined in the boundary layer of a drop. The fundamental differences between flash boiling and explosive breakup of an emulsion drop when heated on a substrate and in a flow of the heated air are described. The main prospects for the development of the high-temperature water purification technology are detailed taking into account the fast emulsion drop breakup investigated in the paper.