HANDLING OF VOLATILE LIQUID FUELS

VOLATILE - of a substance) easily

evaporated at normal
temperatures
Carburetion – is the formation of an
inflammable mixture of air and finely
atomized light hydrocarbon
Atomization is accomplished by discharging
the liquid hydrocarbon through small-hole
nozzles or jets into stream of moving air.
The suction stroke of an engine creates a
vacuum in the cylinder and produces a
gradual pressure decrease from the
atmospheric pressure outside, manifold and
engine cylinder
Carburetors – are devices used in internal-
combustion engines to discharge into the air
stream the desired quantity of liquid fuel, to
atomize it and to produce a homogeneous
air-fuel mixture.
Flow of Fluids – the fundamental equation
for the flow of fluid, both liquid and gaseous
The quantity of fluid flowing is given by expression
Carburetor computation head h is expressed in
Inches of water

Substituting h from equation

Using this expression for both air and fuel gives

Much simpler, and its accuracy is sufficient if

the pressure difference is small and
the coefficient is properly selected

= Density of air in the venture throat

The more accurate equation for flow of air
through a venture with

if the pressure difference is greater

than 50 in. water used the above equation
The maximum discharge is reached when
and a further decrease of the back pressure does not
increase
Coefficients of Discharge The venture tube used in
carburetors have coefficient which lies between 0.82
and 0.85, depending upon the shape and finish of the tube.
But is practically constant
from about 150 fps and up
with a fair average of 0.84,
curve a

Good practice not to

exceed 150 fps at 1000rpm
in the venturi
The coefficients of discharge for liquid fuels depend
upon many factors:
1.) Size of orifice
2.) Ratio of length to diameter
3.) Shape of orifice – circular, annular, chamfered, etc.
4.) Entrance to orifice
5.) Viscosity of the fuel which varies with temperature
6.) Head causing the flow or rate of flow

The influence of viscosity is obvious – the higher the

viscosity, the greater the resistance, the smaller the
discharge, and the lower the coefficient.
For a given fuel, viscosity decreases with increase of
temperature and the coefficient becomes greater.
Simple Carburetor - consist of a fuel jet located in an air
passage , a chamber with a float for maintaining the
level in the jet, and a throttle valve for controlling the
amount of mixture delivered to the engine.
When the air flows through
the venture, it creates a slight
vacuum at the throat where
the jet is located; this causes
the fuel to rise and to be
discharged into the air
stream.
The vacuum must reach about
0.35 in of water before the
fuel will flow from the jet
To obtain the necessary depression or vacuum even at low
air velocities the air passage near the jet is contracted
forming a venture, which gives an increase of velocity with
a very small resistance.
Designating the air-fuel ratio by
 

 
 
 

 
A eight cylinder four stroke engine running at 2500
rpm has a carburetor with throat. Determine the depression
in the venture throat at a standard outside pressure if the throttle
produces a 75 percent volumetric efficiency.
Given:
D = 3.5 in N = 2500rev/min
L = 4.5 in
Anticipating a depression of about 10 percent of
atmospheric pressure or 1.44 psi from
table 7-1 the mass flow rate is found
approximately
The average air velocity in the throat

0.875
0.85
0.84
0.825
 
Solving for depression, @

Interpolating from table 7-1

 0 0
0.519
10 0.745

:Answer

Solving for density, @

Determine the diameter of fuel orifice to give a 14:1 air fuel ratio
in the previous example for a simple one-jet carburetor using
gasoline with a specific gravity 0.72
Assuming the coefficient of discharge of fuel orifice

𝜋 1𝑓𝑡 𝑙𝑏
18.3 × × 1.25𝑖𝑛 × × 0.84   0.0745 6.966 𝑖𝑛 𝐻 𝑂
4 12𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑡
𝐴
14 × 0.93 𝑙𝑏
0.72 62.4 6.966 𝑖𝑛 𝐻 𝑂 − 0.35𝑖𝑛 𝐻 𝑂
𝑓𝑡

   
Compensated Carburetors.---- To compensate for the tendency of
a simple jet to increase the richness of the charge with increase of
load, several devices are used:
1.) An auxiliary air valve that automatically admits additional air as
the mixture flow increases.
2.) A compensating jet that allows an increasing flow of air
through a fuel passage as the mixture flow increases.
3.) A tapered metering pin that reaches into the fuel nozzle and is
lifted or lowered, thus changing the quantity of fuel drawn
into the air charge.
4.) A combination of a variable air passage and a tapered
metering pin, controlled by the air valve to give the
desired mixture for any load.

This arrangement allows a
more convenient connection
between the carburetor and
the fuel-supply tank below.
Auxiliary-Valve Carburetor----
The valve spring s is operated
by the vacuum, which
increases with increase of
engine load and increases the
air admission in proportion to
the lift of the valve v
Shows the action of the float
chamber less schematically
than simple carburetor. The
fuel needle n is connected to
the float f by levers, l; when
the float rises the needle is
pushed down closing the fuel
admission.
 Zenith Carburetor with a compensating
jet c, which discharges fuel at a
constant rate into a well d, open to the
atmosphere. The main jet j is made to
give a mixture which is at all times too
lean, but becomes richer as the engine
speed and load increase.
The main jet j is made to give a mixture
which is at all times too lean, but
becomes richer as engine speed and
load increase.
The compensating jet c alone would give a
mixture that is also too lean and that
becomes still weaker, as the engine speed
and load increase as more air is drawn in
form well d and a constant amount of fuel
is discharged by gravity
Idling Carburetor the throttle closed,
the manifold depression at the idling
jet i will be considerably smaller
because of the admission of air
through the idling adjustment a and
because of a certain air flow past the
edge of the throttle plate t . The
desirable idling air fuel ratio is
obtained by adjusting the idling screw
a.
 Choking Starting in cold weather requires a very rich air-fuel mixture
which is induced by choking.
A choke is a butterfly valve, similar to the throttle valve, but
located before the venture. Choking increases the depression in the
venture and causes an oversupply of liquid fuel.

Choking should be limited to the minimum necessary to obtain a

starting a mixture, as the unvaporized heavier fractions of gasoline
wash off the lubricating oil from the cylinder walls and running down
an ignitable air-vapor mixture
Aircraft-engine Carburetors – These engines operate under varying
conditions of atmospheric pressure and temperature, depending
upon the altitude of the flight. Special provisions must be made in
order to prevent the formation of an unnecessarily rich mixture
causing waste of fuel, as the amount of air drawn into the engine
will decrease with the altitude.

Effect of Altitude - at sea level the average or standard atmospheric

pressure is 14.7psia. With an increase of altitude the atmospheric
pressure decreases, and as a result an engine receives less air per
stroke.
The relation between the atmospheric pressure p, psia, and altitude
h, ft, above sea level is expressed as
 mean temperature,
temperature at sea level,
temperature at the altitude

The temperature of air decreases with altitude approximately

3.566 per 1000 ft,

The decrease of the pressure decreases the specific weight or

density of the air, and the decrease of temperature increases it.
Example problem. Determine the air-fuel ratio at 15,000 ft altitude
in a carburetor adjusted at sea level for a 15.2:1 ratio; the air
temperature at sea level is 68 F, and the barometric pressure is 14.7
psi.
Given:

Calculating the temperature at T at the altitude h= 15,000ft.

Calculating the mean temperature

Calculating the pressure at altitude

Calculating the air density at pressure = 8.39 psia

Calculating the new air fuel ratio,

 
Compensated Carburetors – The effect of altitude must be
compensated by admitting either more air or less fuel.

To accomplish this one of the following methods can be used:

1.) An auxiliary air valve or air port.
2.) Changing the position of the jet in the venture.
3.) A variable fuel-metering orifice with a taper pin.
4.) A pressure reduction in the float chamber.
1.) An auxiliary air valve or air port.
By opening the butterfly valve b,
additional air is admitted and at
the same time the depression in
the venture is reduced, decreasing
the quantity of gasoline drawn in.
2.) Changing the position of the jet in the venture.

The suction action is highest in the

throat of a venture; therefore by raising
the venture, the jet relatively moves to
points with a smaller suction and the
flow of fuel is thus decreased.