<p>Oxygen-diluted Combustion (OdC) technology has evolved from the concept of Excess Enthalpy Combustion and is characterized by reactants of low oxygen concentration and high temperature. Recent advances in this technology have demonstrated significant energy savings, high and uniform thermal field, low pollution, and the possibility for downsizing the equipment for a range of furnace applications. Moreover, the technology has shown promise for wider applications in various processes and power industries.</p><p>The objectives of this thesis are to analyze the thermodynamic aspects of this novel combustion technology and to quantify the enhancement in efficiency and heat transfer inside a furnace in order to explore the potentials for reduced thermodynamic irreversibility of a combustion process and reduced energy consumption in an industrial furnace. Therefore, theoretical and experimental investigations were carried out.</p><p>The 2nd law of thermodynamics analyses of OdC systems have been carried out for cases in which the oxidizer is either oxygen (Flameless-oxy-fuel) or air (High Temperature Air Combustion, HiTAC). The analyses demonstrate the possibilities of reducing thermodynamic irreversibility of combustion by considering an oxygen-diluted combustion process that utilizes both gas- and/or heat-recirculation. Furthermore, the results showed that an oxygen-diluted combustion system that utilizes oxygen as an oxidizer, in place of air, results in higher 1st and 2nd law efficiencies.</p><p>Mathematical models for heat regenerators were developed to be designing tools for maximized heat recovery. These models were verified by heat performance experiments carried out on various heat regenerators.</p><p>Furthermore, experiments were performed in a semi-industrial test furnace. It was equipped with various regenerative burning systems to establish combustion and heat transfer conditions prevailing in an industrial furnace operating based on HiTAC. The tests were carried out at seven firing configurations, two conventional and five HiTAC configurations, for direct and indirect heating systems.</p><p>Measurements of energy balance were performed on the test furnace at various configurations in order to obtain the 1st law efficiency. Moreover, local measurements of temperature, gas composition, and heat fluxes in the semi-industrial test furnace were performed to find out the main characteristics of HiTAC flame and the effects of these characteristics on the heating potential, i.e., useful heating in the furnace. In the case of HiTAC, these measurements showed uniformities of chemistry, temperature, temperature fluctuation, and heat fluxes profiles. The values of fluctuations in temperature were small. The high speed jets of the fuel and air penetrated deep into the furnace. The fuel gradually disappeared while intermediate species gradually appeared in relatively high concentrations and at broader regions inside the furnace. These findings indicate: a large reaction zone, low specific combustion intensity in the flame, low specific fuel energy release, and high heat release from this large flame. In addition to the thermodynamic limitations to the maximum temperature of the Oxygen-diluted Combustion, the low specific energy release of the fuel and the high heat release from the flame to its surroundings cause this uniform and relatively moderate temperature profile in a HiTAC flame, consequently suppressing thermal-NO formation.</p><p>Heat flux and energy balance measurements showed that heating potential is significantly increased in the case of HiTAC compared to that in the conventional case, implying much more energy savings than the apparent heat recovery from the heat regenerators, and consequently much less pollutants emissions. Therefore, it is certain that this large HiTAC flame emits more thermal radiation to its surroundings than the conventional flame does, in spite of the moderate-uniform temperature profile of the flame. This intense heat flux was more uniform in all HiTAC configurations, including the indirect heating configuration, than that of the conventional-air combustion configuration.</p>

Increasingly stringent pollution and emission controls have caused a rise in the use of combustors operating under lean, premixed conditions. Operating lean (excess air) lowers the level of nitrous oxides (NOx) emitted to the environment. In addition, concerns over climate change due to increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the need for energy independence in the United States have spurred interest in developing combustors capable of operating with a wide range of fuel compositions. One method to decrease the carbon footprint of modern combustors is the use of high hydrogen content (HHC) fuels. The objective of this research is to develop tools to better understand the physics of turbulent flame propagation in highly stretch sensitive premixed flames in order to predict their behavior at conditions realistic to the environment of gas turbine combustors. This thesis presents the results of an experimental study into the flame propagation characteristics of highly stretch-sensitive, turbulent premixed flames generated in a low swirl burner (LSB). This study uses a scaling law, developed in an earlier thesis from leading point concepts for turbulent premixed flames, to collapse turbulent flame speed data over a wide range of conditions. The flow and flame structure are characterized using high speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) over a wide range of fuel compositions, mean flow velocities, and turbulence levels. The first part of this study looks at turbulent flame speeds for these mixtures and applies the previously developed leading points scaling model in order to test its validity in an alternate geometry. The model was found to collapse the turbulent flame speed data over a wide range of fuel compositions and turbulence levels, giving merit to the leading points model as a method that can produce meaningful results with different geometries and turbulent flame speed definitions. The second part of this thesis examines flame front topologies and stretch statistics of these highly stretch sensitive, turbulent premixed flames. Instantaneous flame front locations and local flow velocities are used to calculate flame curvatures and tangential strain rates. Statistics of these two quantities are calculated both over the entire flame surface and also conditioned at the leading points of the flames. Results presented do not support the arguments made in the development of the leading points model. Only minor effects of fuel composition are noted on curvature statistics, which are mostly dominated by the turbulence. There is a stronger sensitivity for tangential strain rate statistics, however, time-averaged values are still well below the values hypothesized from the leading points model. The results of this study emphasize the importance of local flame topology measurements towards the development of predictive models of the turbulent flame speed.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:08:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AluisioAN_DISSERT.pdf: 2010955 bytes, checksum: 9d4c76c749552efd65c7156a389b51c8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-11-19 / Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte / Biomass is considered the largest renewable energy source that can be used in an environmentally sustainable. From the pyrolysis of biomass is possible to obtain products with higher energy density and better use properties. The liquid resultant of this process is traditionally called bio-oil. The use of infrared burners in industrial applications has many advantages in terms of technical-operational, for example, uniformity in the heat supply in the form of radiation and convection, with a greater control of emissions due to the passage of exhaust gases through a macroporous ceramic bed. This paper presents a commercial infrared burner adapted with an ejector proposed able to burn a hybrid configuration of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and bio-oil diluted. The dilution of bio-oil with absolute ethanol aimed to decrease the viscosity of the fluid, and improving the stability and atomization. It was introduced a temperature controller with thermocouple modulating two stages (low heat / high heat), and solenoid valves for fuels supply. The infrared burner has been tested, being the diluted bio-oil atomized, and evaluated its performance by conducting energy balance. The method of thermodynamic analysis to estimate the load was used an aluminum plate located at the exit of combustion gases and the distribution of temperatures measured by thermocouples. The dilution reduced the viscosity of the bio-oil in 75.4% and increased by 11% the lower heating value (LHV) of the same, providing a stable combustion to the burner through the atomizing with compressed air and burns combined with LPG. Injecting the hybrid fuel there was increase in the heat transfer from the plate to the environment in 21.6% and gain useful benefit of 26.7%, due to the improved in the efficiency of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics of infrared burner / A biomassa ? considerada a maior fonte renov?vel de energia, podendo ser usada de forma ambientalmente sustent?vel. A partir da pir?lise da biomassa ? poss?vel a obten??o de produtos com maior densidade energ?tica e propriedades de uso melhores. O l?quido resultante do seu processo ? tradicionalmente chamado de bio-?leo. A utiliza??o de queimadores infravermelhos em aplica??es industriais apresenta muitas vantagens do ponto de vista t?cnico-operacional, como por exemplo, homogeneidade no fornecimento de calor, na forma de radia??o e convec??o, apresentando um maior controle das emiss?es devido ? passagem dos gases de exaust?o atrav?s de um leito cer?mico macroporoso. O presente trabalho apresenta um queimador infravermelho comercial adaptado com um ejetor proposto capaz de queimar numa configura??o h?brida de g?s liquefeito de petr?leo (GLP) e bio-?leo dilu?do. A dilui??o do bio-?leo com ?lcool et?lico absoluto teve como principal objetivo diminuir a viscosidade do fluido, e melhorar a estabilidade e a atomiza??o. Foi introduzido um controlador de temperatura com termopar modulando dois est?gios (fogo baixo/alto), e eletrov?lvulas para alimenta??o dos combust?veis. O queimador infravermelho foi submetido a testes e ensaios, sendo atomizado o bio-?leo dilu?do, e avaliado o seu desempenho mediante a realiza??o de balan?o de energia. Como m?todo de an?lise termodin?mica para estimativa de carga foi utilizado uma placa de alum?nio localizada na sa?da dos gases de combust?o, sendo a distribui??o de temperaturas medida por termopares. A dilui??o reduziu a viscosidade do bio-?leo em 75,4% e aumentou em 11% o poder calor?fico inferior do mesmo, propiciando ao queimador uma combust?o est?vel atrav?s da atomiza??o com o ar comprimido e queima conjunta com GLP. Injetando o combust?vel h?brido houve aumento na transfer?ncia de calor da placa para o meio ambiente em 21,6% e ganho energ?tico ?til de 26,7%, em fun??o da melhora na efici?ncia da 1? Lei da Termodin?mica do queimador infravermelho

[pt] Neste trabalho apresenta-se um estudo experimental de escoamentos turbulentos quimicamente inertes e reativos em um queimador tipo obstáculo. O objetivo principal é a caracterização do escoamento através da obtenção do campo de velocidade instantâneo utilizando técnicas óticas não intrusivas. As técnicas empregadas foram a Velocimetria Laser Doppler (LDV) e a Velocimetria por Imagem de Partículas (PIV), as quais possibilitaram a medição das componentes transversal e longitudinal da velocidade do escoamento em estudo. Os resultados experimentais obtidos foram comparados com aqueles oriundos da simulação numérica usando um programa computacional existente. São analisados os acordos e as discrepâncias obtidas, colocando-se em evidência a capacidade e as limitações de cada uma das técnicas utilizadas. / [en] This work presents an experimental study of chemically inert and reactive turbulent flows in a Bluff-Body burner. The main objective is the characterization of the flow through of the measurement of instantaneous velocity fields by using non intrusive optical techniques. The techniques employed were Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), which makes possible the measurement of the transversal and longitudinal components of the flow velocity. The experimental results were compared with those obtained from a numerical simulation using a comercial computational program. The agreements and discrepancies obtained between the two experimental techniques and from experiments and computation were demonstrated and analized.

The subject of diploma thesis is to gather knowledge in the production and use of hydrogen. This work is devoted to a comparison of the previously existing processes for producing hydrogen, where the vast majority is filled of fossil fuel. Another section is devoted to new materials for the study based on a number of selected patents and the experiment promising new method for decomposition of water. Based on available data will be carried out energy balance and consequently will be drafted energy system using hydrogen as fuel. In conclusion will be future possibilities evaluated in the field of hydrogen energy.

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá předehřevem spalovacího vzduchu a jeho vlivem na parametry spalovacího procesu. V teoretické části je zpracován přehled nejčastějších znečišťujících látek z průmyslového spalování. Je popsána aktuálně platná relevantní legislativa v Evropské unii a jsou porovnány její implementace do národní legislativy v České republice a v Německu. Dále je provedena klasifikace hořáků z hlediska různých kritérií a rešerše předchozí práce v oblasti předehřevu spalovacího vzduchu. Na zkušebně hořáků byla provedena experimentální studie dvou různých hořáků na zemní plyn při konstantním tepelném příkonu 750 kW se spalovacím vzduchem předehřátým až na 250 °C. Výsledky odhalily pozitivní vliv předehřevu na účinnost spalování. Množství emisí NOx a CO naopak rostlo s teplotou spalovacího vzduchu.

This diploma thesis deals with a design of the water cooled horizontal combustion chamber for testing of burners with the maximum heat duty up to 2.5 MW. The design of horizontal combustion chamber is carried out with regard to the testing of different burner types. The proposal is elaborated up drawing documentation. The theoretical part of the diploma thesis describes briefly basic necessary theory about the classification of combustion chambers and burners. It was described advantages and disadvantages of basic group of burners. Last chapter of the theoretical part deals with a description of burner testing. The practical part of the diploma thesis consists of necessary calculations required for the determination of basic geometry of the combustion chamber and verification of the assumptions first of all the assumption of the bubbling evaporation of the water on the internal shell. It was carried out the strength calculation of the combustion chamber according to the standards and by means of Finite Element Method.

This thesis is concerned with combustion of liquid biofuels, and possibility of using liquid biofuels for lower heat output power units. Overview of basic usable liquid biofuels in Czech Republic is executed in the beginning of the thesis. This part is focused especially on production method and energy effectivity of rape-oil methyl ester (RME) and bioethanol production. Overview of basic atomization method of liquid fuels is executed in next chapters. The focus is stressed on pneumatic atomization, especially effervescent atomization method, which was used in practical experiment. Practical part contains fossil fuel and selected biofuel (RME) combustion test executed on burner testing device. Basic combustion properties was found and test plan was made before executing the test. Various operating conditions are compared in terms of atomization quality, combustion quality and geometrical characteristics of flame. Usability of tested liquid biofuels for lower heat output power units is evaluated in the conclusion.

A burner is very important device in process furnaces that significantly affect the production of emissions during the combustion process. One of the key things in development of the modern low-NOX burners is the evaluation of flow field downstream of an axial blade swirler inside the burner. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is often used to predict the attributes of the flow. Predicted values should be validated with measurement. It is the reason why the velocity fields for several choosen swirlers were measured. The hot wire anemometry was choosen and the dual-sensor probe was used during the measurement. The data can be then used for CFD validation. This thesis describes procedure of measurement set-up. The experimental facility was designed according to the anemometry method. The new probe traversing system was designed, which provides desired accuracy. Five different swirlers were measured. Large data set, need for customized post-processing and control over calculation procedures lead to new software design. For each swirler the velocity profiles were gathered and the swirl numbers calculated. That final data were transferred in to graphical format. Uncertainty of measured data was calculated. Results show counter-rotating flow in some areas closed to the swirler. Some drawbacks of current measurement set-up are discussed. Based on the thesis reader can obtain the information and knowledge for consequent measurements of swirl burners velocity profiles.

The main aim of the work was the investigation of the effect of operational parameters of the combustion process (combustion air excess, primary fuel ratio) and burner constructional parameters (the pitch angle of secondary nozzles, tangential orientation of secondary nozzles towards the axis of the burner) on the formation of NOx and CO, flue gas temperature, the shape, dimensions and stability of the flame, in-flame temperatures in the horizontal symmetry plane of the combustion chamber and the amount of heat extracted from the hot combustion gases in the combustion chamber’s shell. Experimental activities were carried out in the laboratory of the Institute of Process and Environmental Engineering, which is focused on burners testing. The combustion tests were performed with the experimental low-NOx type burner, namely the two-gas-staged burner. Mathematical model developed based on the experimental data describes the dependency of NOx on the operating parameters of the combustion process and burner constructional parameters. The model shows that increasing air excess and increasing angle of tangential orientation of the secondary nozzles reduce the formation of NOx. The temperature peaks in the horizontal symmetry plane of the combustion chamber decreases with increasing combustion air excess. The thermal load to the combustion chamber’s wall along the length of the flame was evaluated for selected settings. It was validated that the thermal efficiency of is reduced when higher air excess is used.