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An investigation was undertaken to compare the kinetics of combustion and gasification reactions of chars prepared from two South African coals in different reaction atmospheres: air, steam, and carbon dioxide. The two original coals were characterised as vitrinite-rich (Greenside) and inertinite-rich (Inyanda) coals with relatively low ash content (12.5-16.7 wt. %, adb). Chars were prepared from the parent coals under nitrogen atmosphere at 900 °C. Characterisation results show that the volatiles and moisture were almost completely driven off from the parent coals, indicating that the pyrolysis process was efficient. Physicalstructural properties such as porosity and surface area generally increased from the parent coals to the subsequent chars. The heterogeneous char-gas reactions were conducted isothermally in a TGA on ~1 mm size particles. To ensure that the reactions are under chemical reaction kinetic control regime, different temperatures zones were selected for the three different reaction atmospheres. Combustion reactivity experiments were carried out with air in the temperature range of 387 °C to 425 °C; gasification reactivity with pure steam were conducted at higher temperatures (775 °C - 850 °C) and within 825 °C to 900 °C with carbon dioxide. Experimental results show differences in the specific reaction rate with carbon conversion in different reaction atmospheres and char types. Reaction rates in all three reaction atmospheres were strongly dependent on temperature, and follow the Arrhenius type kinetics. All the investigated reactions (combustion with air and gasification with CO2 and steam) were found to be under chemical reaction control regime (Regime I) for both chars. The inertinite-rich coals exhibit longer burn-out time than chars produced from vitrinite-rich coals, as higher specific reaction rate were observed for the vitrinite-rich coals in the three different reaction atmospheres. The determined random pore model (RPM) structural parameters did not show any significant difference during steam gasification of Greenside and Inyanda chars, whereas higher structural parameter values were observed for Greenside chars during air combustion and CO2 gasification (ψ > 2). However a negative ψ value was determined during CO2 gasification and air combustion of Inyanda chars. The RPM predictions was validated with the experimental data and exhibited adequate fitting to the specific rate of reaction versus carbon conversion plots of the char samples at the different reaction conditions chosen for this study. The activation energy determined was minimal for air and maximum for CO2 for both coals; and ranged from 127-175 kJ·mol-1 for combustion, 214-228 kJ·mol-1 and 210-240 kJ·mol-1 for steam and CO2 gasification respectively. / MIng (Chemical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

An investigation was undertaken to compare the kinetics of combustion and gasification reactions of chars prepared from two South African coals in different reaction atmospheres: air, steam, and carbon dioxide. The two original coals were characterised as vitrinite-rich (Greenside) and inertinite-rich (Inyanda) coals with relatively low ash content (12.5-16.7 wt. %, adb). Chars were prepared from the parent coals under nitrogen atmosphere at 900 °C. Characterisation results show that the volatiles and moisture were almost completely driven off from the parent coals, indicating that the pyrolysis process was efficient. Physicalstructural properties such as porosity and surface area generally increased from the parent coals to the subsequent chars. The heterogeneous char-gas reactions were conducted isothermally in a TGA on ~1 mm size particles. To ensure that the reactions are under chemical reaction kinetic control regime, different temperatures zones were selected for the three different reaction atmospheres. Combustion reactivity experiments were carried out with air in the temperature range of 387 °C to 425 °C; gasification reactivity with pure steam were conducted at higher temperatures (775 °C - 850 °C) and within 825 °C to 900 °C with carbon dioxide. Experimental results show differences in the specific reaction rate with carbon conversion in different reaction atmospheres and char types. Reaction rates in all three reaction atmospheres were strongly dependent on temperature, and follow the Arrhenius type kinetics. All the investigated reactions (combustion with air and gasification with CO2 and steam) were found to be under chemical reaction control regime (Regime I) for both chars. The inertinite-rich coals exhibit longer burn-out time than chars produced from vitrinite-rich coals, as higher specific reaction rate were observed for the vitrinite-rich coals in the three different reaction atmospheres. The determined random pore model (RPM) structural parameters did not show any significant difference during steam gasification of Greenside and Inyanda chars, whereas higher structural parameter values were observed for Greenside chars during air combustion and CO2 gasification (ψ > 2). However a negative ψ value was determined during CO2 gasification and air combustion of Inyanda chars. The RPM predictions was validated with the experimental data and exhibited adequate fitting to the specific rate of reaction versus carbon conversion plots of the char samples at the different reaction conditions chosen for this study. The activation energy determined was minimal for air and maximum for CO2 for both coals; and ranged from 127-175 kJ·mol-1 for combustion, 214-228 kJ·mol-1 and 210-240 kJ·mol-1 for steam and CO2 gasification respectively. / MIng (Chemical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Tato diplomová práce je zaměřena na porovnání různých turbulentních a chemických modelů na příkladu volné metanové trysky ústící do vzduchu. Nejprve je uveden teoretický úvod k modelům, následován CFD (Ansys Fluent) simulacemi plamene pomocí vybraných modelů. Jako součást práce je provedeno a vyhodnoceno experimentální měření. V závěru jsou experimentální výsledky porovnány s nasimulovanými daty.

[pt] Dinâmica dos Fluidos Computacional (CFD) é frequentemente aplicada ao estudo da combustão, permitindo otimizar o processo e controlar a emissão de poluentes. Entretanto, reproduzir o comportamento observado nos sistemas de engenharia tem uma elevada carga computacional. Para superar este custo, técnicas de aprendizagem de máquinas, tais como modelos de ordem reduzida (ROM), têm sido aplicadas a várias aplicações de engenharia com o objetivo de criar modelos para sistemas complexos com custo computacional reduzido. Aqui, o ROM é criado usando dados de simulação de chama laminar não pré-misturada de CFD, decompondo-os, e depois aplicando um algoritmo de aprendizagem de máquinas, criando um ROM estático. Este trabalho analisa o efeito de cinco abordagens diferentes de pré-processamento de dados sobre o ROM, sendo estas: (1) as propriedades tratadas como um sistema desacoplado ou como um sistema acoplado, (2) sem normalização, (3) com temperatura e velocidade normalizadas, (4) todas as propriedades normalizadas, e (5) o logaritmo da espécie química. Para todos os ROM construídos são analisados a energia do processo de redução e a reconstrução dos campos das propriedades da chama. Em relação a análise da energia da redução, o ROM acoplado, exceto o ROM (4), e o ROM do logaritmo convergem rapidamente, semelhante ao ROM da temperatura desacoplado, enquanto o ROM da espécie química minoritária desacoplado exibe uma lenta convergência, tal como o ROM acoplado com todas as propriedades normalizadas. Assim, a aprendizagem é atingida com um número menor de modos para a ROM (2), (3) e (5). Quanto à reconstrução dos campos de propriedades, nota-se que existem regiões de fração mássica negativa, o que sugere que a metodologia do ROM não preserva a monotonicidade ou a delimitação das propriedades. A abordagem do logaritmo mostra que estes problemas são superados e reproduzem os dados originais. / [en] Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is often applied to the study of combustion, enabling to optimize the process and control the emission of pollutants. However, reproducing the behavior observed in engineering systems has a high computational burden. To overcome this cost, machine learning techniques, such as reduced order models (ROM), have been applied to several engineering applications aiming to create models for complex systems with reduced computational cost. Here, the ROM is created using CFD laminar non premixed flame simulation data, decomposing it, and then applying a machine learning algorithm, creating a static ROM. This work analyzes the effect of five different data pre-processing approaches on the ROM, these being: (1) the properties treated as an uncoupled system or as a coupled system, (2) without normalization, (3) with temperature and velocity normalized, (4) all properties normalized, and (5) the logarithm of the chemical species. For all ROM constructed are analyzed the energy of the reduction process and the reconstruction of the flame properties fields. Regarding the reduction energy analysis, the coupled ROM, except the ROM (4), and the logarithm ROM converges faster, similarly to the uncoupled temperature ROM, whereas the uncoupled minor chemical species ROM exhibits a slower convergence, as does the coupled ROM with all properties normalized. So, the learning is achieved with a smaller number of modes for the ROM (2), (3) and (5). As for the reconstruction of the property fields, it is noted that there are regions of negative mass fraction, which suggest that the ROM methodology does not preserve the monocity or the boundedness of the properties. The logarithm approach shows that these problems are overcome and reproduce the original data.