Effect of heat loss on the syngas production by fuel-rich combustion in a divergent two-layer burner

The effect of heat loss on the syngas production from partial combustion of fuel-rich in a divergent two-layer burner is numerically studied using two-dimensional model with detailed kinetics GRI-Mech 1.2. Both the radiation and wall heat losses to the surrounding are considered in the computations. It is shown that two types heat losses have different effects on the syngas production. The radiation heat loss has significant effect on the syngas temperature and the syngas temperature is dropped as radiation heat loss is increased, but it has neglected effect on the reforming efficiency and methane conversion efficiency. The wall heat loss has a comprehensive effect on the syngas production. The wall heat loss not only reduces the conversion efficiency, but also significantly decreases the syngas temperature. The effect of wall heat loss becomes weak as the equivalence is increased. The reforming efficiency drops from 0.440 to 0.424 for equivalence ratio of 2 and mixture velocity of 0.17 m/s for the predictions between adiabatic wall and non-adiabatic conditions.     

Investigating measurements of fine particle (PM2.5) emissions from the cooking of meals and mitigating exposure using a cooker hood

There is growing awareness that indoor exposure to particulate matter with diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) is associated with an increased risk of adverse health effects. Cooking is a key indoor source of PM_2.5 and an activity conducted daily in most homes. Population scale models can predict occupant exposures to PM_2.5, but these predictions are sensitive to the emission rates used. Reported emission rates are highly variable and are typically for the cooking of single ingredients and not full meals. Accordingly, there is a need to assess PM_2.5 emissions from the cooking of complete meals. Mean PM_2.5 emission rates and source strengths were measured for four complete meals. Temporal PM_2.5 concentrations and particle size distributions were recorded using an optical particle counter (OPC), and gravimetric sampling was used to determine calibration factors. Mean emission rates and source strengths varied between 0.54—3.7 mg/min and 15—68 mg, respectively, with 95% confidence. Using a cooker hood (apparent capture efficiency > 90%) and frying in non‐stick pans were found to significantly reduce emissions. OPC calibration factors varied between 1.5 and 5.0 showing that a single value cannot be used for all meals and that gravimetric sampling is necessary when measuring PM_2.5 concentrations in kitchens.     

Computational modelling of water flow inside laboratory Knelson concentrator bowl

Enhanced gravity concentrators such as Knelson concentrator (KC) are extensively used in the mineral processing industry. The complexities of KC bowl geometry and variation of feed characteristics have forced process engineers to design empirically new units using laboratory and pilot-scale Knelson concentrators. However, numerical modelling methods such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) provide a better insight of flow behaviour of fluid and particulate solid phases inside these processing units. This article reports findings of CFD simulations for single-phase water flow inside the laboratory KC. An available standard 7.5-cm laboratory KC bowl was numerically simulated using realisable k-ε turbulence model to resolve the turbulence dispersion of existing transitional flow regime. The effects of relative centrifugal force (RCF) intensity and bed fluidisation water flow rate on the water velocity and pressure distributions were studied. Simulations confirmed the swirling flow pattern governing inside the bowl. The results revealed that the impact of RCF intensity on the water field values is greater than that of bed fluidisation water flow rate. Both velocity and pressure variations inside the bowl rings followed a linear trend.     

Combustion Wave Propagation of a Modular Porous Burner with Annular Heat Recirculation

A numerical investigation of the different arrangements of porous media in a combustor with annular heat recirculation is conducted.The effect of annular heat recirculation and porous block arrangement on the characteristics of combustion wave propagation is numerically studied.Results show that power input,heat capacity of porous matrix,arrangement of porous blocks,and annular heat recirculation are major factors that influence the propagation of combustion wave.The overall temperature of ceramic porous burner is higher than that of ceramic-metal type burner due to the lower heat storage capacity of the former,especially for the temperature downstream.The flame temperature is higher upstream and lower downstream with metal foams in the annulus than that without metal foams.The flame temperature of uniformity type burner is more uniform than that of gradually-varied and modular type burners.The flame front moves more slowly with metal foams in the annulus than that without metal foams due to the better preheating effect of metal foams.The flame position moves downstream,and the flame temperature gradually decreases and is eventually extinguished due to the low preheating temperature.     

小型蓄热式烧嘴的改进与应用

介绍了两种小型蓄热式烧嘴的改进过程、结构特点、工作原理以及在中小型加热炉、热处理炉上应用取得的显著效益。     

循环流化床锅炉启动点火技术

本文主要介绍了大容量循环流化床锅炉的三种启动点火技术,阐述了各点火技术的基本原理、优缺点,新建锅炉选择点火技术的一般性原则。     

基于脉冲燃烧控制的退火炉热负荷分配模型

 脉冲燃烧控制技术以其良好的动态响应性、较高的炉温控制精度、较低的燃气消耗及污染物排放水平等优点,广泛应用于各类加热炉。对于立式退火炉而言,常见的加热模型有3种,即比例模型、窄带钢模型、正常模型。生产中操作人员可以根据带钢在加热段跑偏、瓢曲风险选择相应的模型,但上述这3种模型均无法避免因烧嘴频繁开启和关闭导致的辐射管骤冷骤热,进一步引起辐射管变形、开裂,点火电极、控制阀消耗异常以及煤气压力波动大等问题。为了降低烧嘴开启、关闭频次,达到降低烧嘴故障率、减缓辐射管开裂趋势等目的,提出了一种针对脉冲控制的退火炉专用“爬楼梯”式热负荷输出分配模型。通过拟合加热段板温控制器输出值与加热段各列热负荷输出值之间的关系,采用插值法得到加热段热负荷输出分配模型的修正函数,满足了模型计算值与板温控制器输出值相等的要求。通过调整加热段每一列热负荷输出上、下限,使加热段每列热负荷输出呈现“爬楼梯”式分布,实现了立式退火炉低功率加热段入口区域烧嘴不燃烧和出口区域烧嘴一直燃烧的功能。经过测试,在一个完整的燃烧周期内,爬楼梯式分配模型可大幅度降低烧嘴开启和关闭频次。当加热段板温控制器输出为89.6%时,传统模型控制下烧嘴开关频次达到324次,而“爬楼梯”式分配模型仅为32次。     

Investigation of the thermal behavior effect of the surrounding material environment on the swirling flame structure

This paper is focusing on the numerical simulation of a swirling flame, resulting from the interaction of multiple fires, evolving in a free and unlimited environment. A typical system, formed by a central fire source surrounded by four heat sources, is used. Since the thermal characteristic of the surrounding sources is the main engine for the rotation of flame, a detailed study is performed by varying the heating flux of these sources. This study shows that an increase of the heating flux of surrounding sources has as a result an intensification of the penetrating air puffs through the openings between the surrounding four heat sources. These puffs tangentially drive the central flame, thus producing a marked improvement on the angular momentum. Moreover, this study shows that the flame height is strongly affected by the flame rotation. Moreover, two different aspects of the flame height evolution are observed from the flow visualization and the thermal and dynamic fields for the different cases studied.     

Effects of hydrogen enhancement on mesoscale burner array flame stability under acoustic perturbations

Partial substitution of hydrocarbon fuel with hydrogen can effectively improve small-scale combustion system stability and performance, potentially opening the way for novel compact power generation and/or propulsion systems in the future. In this study, the effects of hydrogen enhancement between 0% and 40% hydrogen volumetric fractions in methane fuel were experimentally observed in a mesoscale burner array subjected to external acoustic perturbations. The mesoscale burner array utilizes an array of swirl-stabilized burner elements and their interactions with neighboring elements to improve the overall flame stability and simultaneously reduces the combustor length scale. OH1 chemiluminescence and OH planar laser-induced fluorescence (OH-PLIF) were used to image various hydrogen-enriched flames at an equivalence ratio of 0.7, subjected to transverse acoustic perturbations at 320 Hz. Two acoustic modes were imposed by controlling the phase difference between two speakers perturbing the flow. OH1 chemiluminescence images exhibited flame length scale reduction, leading to a denser flame array. Also, flame arrays with higher hydrogen enrichment were found to be more robust against transverse acoustic perturbations, demonstrated by reduced fluctuations in the global heat release rate. OH-PLIF images showed that flames with higher hydrogen enrichment initiated V- to M-shaped flame shape transition even under fuel lean conditions, thereby improving the combustion stability. OH-PLIF images were also used for flame stability analysis through spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD). The SPOD analysis showed hydrogen enrichment diminished flame fluctuation structures under fuel lean operation.