Evgenij Pavlovich Kopyev

Relevance. The problem of disposal of watered hydrocarbon liquids produced during well testing remains one of the key tasks in the oil production industry. Traditional combustion methods used for this purpose often do not provide the necessary environmental safety and process stability, especially at high water content levels. The study of combustion characteristics of such mixtures is relevant for the development of effective and environmentally friendly utilization technologies that meet modern requirements for minimizing harmful emissions and energy efficiency. Aim. Experimental study of combustion characteristics of watered diesel fuel with a water content of 30, 45 and 60% when it is pneumatically sprayed in a gas generation chamber of a laboratory sample of a low-power burner device. The main attention is paid to the assessment of combustion stability, combustion completeness, environmental parameters (CO and NOx emissions), as well as the effect of the oxidizer composition on the process. Methods. The work involved experimental methods, including combustion product gas analysis (Testo 350), measurement of soot particulate matter content (Testo 338), thermographic analysis (FLUKE Ti32 infrared camera), and evaluation of the device thermal power. To stabilize combustion at high water content, air was replaced with a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. Results and conclusions. It was found that an increase in the water content in the fuel to 55% leads to a decrease in the temperature in the gas generation chamber from 400 to 300°C and a significant increase in CO emissions (to 3291 mg/m³), while the NOx level decreases (to 14 mg/m³). At a water content of 60%, flame failure is observed; however, using a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen instead of air stabilized the process. Thermographic data confirmed the correlation between the burner body temperature and combustion stability. The results demonstrate the promise of the proposed method for the utilization of watered hydrocarbon liquids, as well as the need to optimize equipment operating modes to reduce CO emissions. Prospects. Further research can be aimed at studying the kinetics of emulsion combustion, developing methods for reducing CO emissions at high water content, and creating mathematical models to predict process characteristics. The results of the work open up opportunities for creating more efficient and environmentally friendly systems for thermal utilization of oil-containing waste. For citation: Kopyev E.P., Sadkin I.S., Shadrin E.Yu. Characteristics of combustion of watered hydrocarbon fuel with different water content. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering, 2026, vol. 337, no. 7, pp. 7–15. https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/7/5226

The article presents the results of an experimental study of the co-atomization of immiscible liquids (diesel fuel/water) with a superheated steam jet and their subsequent combustion in a low-emission burner with a gas generation chamber. It is shown that a steam-powered nozzle ensures efficient dispersion of both phases without preliminary emulsification: the predominant droplet size is 10–40 μm. With the addition of water in an amount of 0.2–0.4 kg/h to 1 kg/h of fuel, a decrease in the maximum flame temperature by 300–400 °C and a reduction in NOx emissions by 30–50 % are achieved. With a further increase in the proportion of water, an increase in the concentrations of CO and CnHm, as well as increased flame pulsations, are observed. The obtained results confirm the efficiency of the separate atomization method without emulsifiers and determine the range of optimal combustion modes.

The thermal and environmental characteristics of liquid hydrocarbon fuel combustion in a steam-atomizing burner with a gasification chamber under limited air supply to the chamber and various power settings were studied. For the first time it was shown that limiting the primary air supply to the gasification chamber during steam atomizing leads to a narrowing of the device operating zone and a shift in carbon monoxide emission characteristics compared to a burner with unrestricted air supply. A significant advantage is the dramatic reduction (up to 70 %) in nitrogen oxide emissions due to lower peak temperatures in the combustion zone. A comparison of the characteristics with those of a device with forced air supply revealed that with the same amount of air in the gasification chamber, the different supply methods exhibit differences in the distribution of combustion products, such as CO, H₂, and CH₄ in the flare due to the higher temperatures achieved at forced air supply. As a result, it was established that the modification of an atmospheric steam-atomizing burner by limiting the air supply to the gasification chamber allows for a reduction in NO_x production in a wide power range while maintaining high combustion efficiency.

This study investigates the thermal decomposition, ignition, combustion, and gasification processes of composite fuels derived from anthracite coal and pine sawdust. The research highlights the non-additive behavior of composite fuels, demonstrating enhanced reactivity and combustion efficiency compared to simple mixtures. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed distinct stages of thermal decomposition, with composite fuels exhibiting combined processes of volatile release and coke residue decomposition, unlike mixtures. Ignition experiments in a vertical tubular furnace showed reduced flash delay times for composites, attributed to the formation of active surface centers during mechanical activation. Flare combustion studies confirmed more stable and complete combustion of composites, achieving higher temperatures and improved flame stability. Plasma gasification experiments indicated that composite fuels provide more uniform gas evolution, with higher yields of hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO), while reducing nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions. The findings underscore the potential of composite fuels for optimizing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact in coal-fired power plants, supporting the transition to sustainable energy solutions.

The paper studies the effect of aluminum nanopowder (1% by weight) on the combustion characteristics of liquid hydrocarbon fuel using diesel fuel as an example. The fuel was sprayed with superheated steam with a controlled supply of oxidizer to the gas generation chamber. The nanopowder consisted mainly of aluminum oxide (~90%) with an admixture of metallic aluminum (up to 10%). The results showed that during combustion of the modified fuel, the maximum temperature of the external flame decreased by about 100°C compared to the pure sample. At the same time, the temperature at the outlet of the gas generation chamber was higher by ~100°C, and the content of CO and H2 in the external flame increased. This indicates efficient ignition of the fuel inside the chamber and a decrease in the degree of steam gasification of thermal decomposition products due to the presence of the nanomodifier. Gas analysis of the combustion products revealed an insignificant effect of nanoparticles on the concentration of harmful emissions. In the case of the modified fuel, a slight decrease in the level of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and an increase in the content of carbon monoxide (CO) were observed. Despite some positive effects, such as combustion intensification, no significant reduction in harmful emissions was recorded under steam spray and combustion in a burner device.

In order to develop ideas about the regularities of physicochemical processes during combustion of liquid hydrocarbons under conditions of supply of oxidizer-diluent gases, within the framework of the present work an experimental study of ecological and thermal engineering indices of combustion of liquid hydrocarbons during spraying with a jet of superheated steam into the gasification chamber with variation of supply of flue gases (diluents) and oxygen in the air supplied to the chamber was carried out. It was found that during fuel spraying with superheated steam the addition of diluents to the air initially supplied to the gasification chamber allows to additionally reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (less than 40 mg/kWh for diesel fuel), and an increase in the oxygen concentration leads to its growth. When the ratio of the oxygen content in the gasification chamber to the diluent is less than 0.18, pulsations of the external flame are observed. As a result of the experimental study, it was shown that combining the approaches of fuel atomization with a jet of superheated water vapor with an increased oxygen content or dilution with flue gases using a preliminary gas generation chamber allows for a significant reduction in emissions of harmful substances during the combustion of liquid hydrocarbons.

A numerical simulation of reacting mixture flow in a full-scale combustion chamber of a prototype burner with a fuel-sprayed jet of superheated steam and a controlled excess air ratio was performed based on a verified model. The influence of steam jets on the combustion parameters of the created prototype device was analyzed based on the results, and a comparison with data from various atmospheric burners, including evaporative and spray types, direct-flow and vortex types, and those with natural and forced (regulated) air supply, was made. Various schemes for supplying steam to burner devices were discussed. It was shown that the relative steam consumption is a parameter for controlling the emission of toxic combustion products, such as NOx and CO, for all designs. A high burner performance is achieved when superheated steam is supplied at more than 250 °C with a relative steam flow rate of >0.6. The design features of the burner systems and operational parameters that ensure high thermal and environmental efficiency when burning various types of fuel and waste are identified.

In this work, using diesel fuel as an example, we studied the combustion characteristics of liquid hydrocarbons when atomized by a high-speed air jet. This approach to spraying liquid fuel in combustion processes has a number of advantages over traditional spraying: the ability to supply fuel with a low degree of purification and to reduce the likelihood of fuel equipment coking. Using an atmospheric burner device with natural air supply into the mixing chamber, the depen¬dences of the composition of intermediate and final combustion products were studied, and the flame temperature was measured at various fuel flow rates and parameters of the atomizing air jet (flow rate, temperature). A comparison was made of the obtained characteristics for equivalent modes at different temperatures of the supplied atomizer. It was found that when heated air is used as a sprayer, higher flame temperatures are ensured, which ensures a more complete fuel burnout and a decrease in CO concentration in the flue gases, but at the same time, a slight increase in NOx is observed.

The study is aimed at clarifying and revealing the basic principles of the effect of superheated steam and its parameters on the content of solid carbon particles (soot) in intermediate and final combustion products when burning liquid hydrocarbon fuel. Using a laboratory atmospheric atomizing burner, it was determined that there is a significant amount of solid carbon particles at the base of the burner flame. When heated air is used instead of steam, an increase in soot content by ∼75 % is observed. The analysis of the flame glow intensity in a narrow ultraviolet band also showed that in air the glow values are ∼75 % higher than when using superheated steam. At the same time, it has been established that the soot content in the final combustion products is affected only by the parameter of the dynamic effect of a jet, which determines air ejection from the environment both into the gas generation chamber and into the external flame region.