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Mathematical Modelling of Thermal NOX Emissions in Combustion Chambers

  • Conference paper
Heat Transfer in Radiating and Combusting Systems

Part of the book series: EUROTHERM Seminars ((EUROTHERM,volume 17))

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Abstract

A mathematical model of combustion in typical burners is presented. The model differs from other similar ones presented by other investigators, in that it features a two-step approach, which allows the calculation of the main exothermic reactions of fuel in air, and of those responsible for the formation of pollutants, specifically nitrogen oxides (NOx) to be performed in tandem. The model uses CFD techniques to compute the flowfield in the burner and transport equations are solved for all relevant reacting species. To ensure industrial relevance all factors affecting combustion performance and heat transfer have been included, i.e. three- dimensionality, an exact representation of geometry, the air swirler, turbulence and radiation.

In the first step, the calculation deals with the combustion of methane in air for which a global, single step reaction is assumed. The limiting effect of turbulence on reaction rate is taken into account using an eddy-break-up model. Radiation between the burner walls, the flame and intervening gas is accounted for using a flux model.

In the second step, the product stream resulting from the first step calculation is analysed to determine the concentrations of O, OH and H radicals, subsequently used in a Zeldovich type scheme to form oxides of nitrogen. The convective and diffusive transport terms of the first step are used to solve conservation equations for N and NO.

The paper illustrates the technique in an application to an axial recirculating burner.

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Abbreviations

CR :

Empirical expression in combustion model

F:

Species concentration

k:

Turbulent kinetic energy per unit mass, J/kg

M:

Mole fraction

m:

Mass fraction

R:

Ideal gas constant

R:

Reaction rate per unit volume, kgs/m3

s:

Stoichiometric oxidant to fuel ratio

Sϕ :

Source term in finite difference equations

T:

Temperature, K

Tact :

Activation temperature, K

\(\vec v\) :

Velocity vector

Гϕ :

Turbulent exchange coefficient for variable ϕ

ε:

Turbulence energy dissipation rate per unit mass, W/kg

μ:

Dynamic viscosity, Ns/m2

ρ:

Density, kg/m3

ϕ:

General dependant variable

fu:

Fuel

MO:

Nitrogen oxides

N2 :

Nitrogen

OX:

Oxygen

ox:

Oxidant

pr:

Product

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Numerical Modelling and Process Analysis, Thames Polytechnic, London, UK

    K. A. Pericleous

  2. Flomerics Inc., USA

    I. W. Clark

  3. National Technical University, Athens, Greece

    N. C. Markatos

Authors
  1. K. A. Pericleous
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  2. I. W. Clark
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  3. N. C. Markatos
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Superior Técnico Secção de Termodinâmica Aplicada, Technical University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1096, Lisboa Codex, Portugal

    Maria da Graça Carvalho

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Exhibition Road, SW7 2BX, London, UK

    F. C. Lockwood

  3. Laboratoire E.M.2.C. UPR 288, École Centrale de Paris, 92295, Chatenay Malabry Cedex, France

    J. Taine

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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg

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Pericleous, K.A., Clark, I.W., Markatos, N.C. (1991). Mathematical Modelling of Thermal NOX Emissions in Combustion Chambers. In: da Graça Carvalho, M., Lockwood, F.C., Taine, J. (eds) Heat Transfer in Radiating and Combusting Systems. EUROTHERM Seminars, vol 17. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-84637-3_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-84637-3_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-84639-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-84637-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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