Characterization of Nile Red as a Tracer for Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Gasoline and Kerosene and Their Mixture with Biofuels

Suitable fluorescence tracers (“dyes”) are needed for the planar measurement of droplet sizes by using a combination of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and Mie scattering. Currently, no suitable tracers have been characterized for application in planar droplet sizing in gasoline and kerosene fuels, as well as biofuel blends. One promising tracer is nile red, which belongs to the fluorophore group. For its utilization for droplet size measurements, preliminary characterization of the fluorescence of the respective fuel tracer mixtures are mandatory. For this purpose, the fluorescence and absorption behavior of nile red dissolved in the surrogate fuels Toliso and Jet A-1 as well as in biofuel blends was investigated. The fluorescence signal for nile red that was dissolved in the two base fuels Toliso and Jet A-1 showed a linear behavior as a function of dye concentration. The temperature effect on spectral absorption and emission of nile red was investigated in a specially designed test cell. An ethanol admixture to Toliso led to a spectral shift towards higher wavelengths. The absorption and emission bands were shifted towards lower wavelengths with increasing temperature for all fuels. Both absorption and fluorescence decreased with increasing temperature for all fuels, except for E20, which showed an increased fluorescence signal with increasing temperature. Jet A-1 and its blends with hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) and farnesane did not exhibit explicit variations in spectral absorption or emission, but these blends showed a more distinct temperature dependence compared to the Toliso-ethanol-blends. The effect of photo-dissociation of the LIF signal of the fuel tracer mixtures was studied, and all fuel mixtures besides Toliso showed a more or less distinct decay in the fluorescence signal with time. In summary, all investigated fuel-tracer mixtures are suitable for LIF/Mie ratio droplet sizing in combination with nile red at moderate temperatures and low evaporation cooling rates.