Mechanism of particulate reduction in heavy fuel oil combustion

A residual fuel oil, neat and with four different additives, was tested using three experimental devices: a very fast pyrolyser of fuel droplets which produced cenospheres; a thermogravimetric analyser which gave information on the reactivity of the cenospheres; and a 1.16 MW boiler. The additives did not modify cenosphere production in the pyrolyser, but changed their reactivity. This reactivity change was in accordance with particulate reduction in the boiler and with the retention of the metal additive in the cenospheres. The retention of the metal depended on the nature of the organic part of the additive.