Thermal performance analysis on a two composite material honeycomb heat regenerators used for HiTAC burners

Honeycomb heat regenerators do not only reduce the fuel consumption in a high temperature air combustion (HiTAC) burning system but also provide the necessary high temperature of combustion air. A two-dimensional simulation model was developed to numerically determine the dynamic temperature and velocity profiles of gases and solid heat-storing materials in a composite material honeycomb regenerator. Consequently, the energy storage and the pressure drop are calculated and the thermal performance of honeycomb heat regenerator is evaluated at different switching times and loading. The model takes into account the thermal conductivity parallel and perpendicular to flow direction of solid and flowing gases. It considers the variation of all thermal properties of solid material and gases with temperature. Moreover, the radiation from combustion flue gases to the storage materials was considered in the analysis. The results are presented in a non-dimensional form in order to be a design tool as well. These analyses were applied on a regenerator made of two layers of ceramic materials, one is pure alumina and other is cordierite. This regenerator is contained in a 100 kW twin-type regenerative-burning system used for HiTAC. The effectiveness and the energy recovery rate were 88% and 72% respectively at nominal operating range of the regenerator and the pressure drop across the twin regenerator system was 1.16 kPa. The periodic steady state condition is reached after about 11 min and it takes only 2 min of operation until the temperature of combustion air remains above the self-ignition temperature that is required for HiTAC. Furthermore, these mathematical analyses show good agreement with experiments made on the same regenerator. In the experiments, the dynamic behavior of the heat regenerator operation was considered in order to compensate measurement readings for this effect.