Small-scale forward smouldering experiments for remediation of coal tar in inert media

This paper presents a series of experiments conducted to assess the potential of smouldering combustion as a novel technology for remediation of contaminated land by water-immiscible organic compounds. The results from a detailed study of the conditions under which a smouldering reaction propagates in sand embedded with coal tar are presented. The objective of the study is to provide further understanding of the governing mechanisms of smouldering combustion of liquids in porous media. A small-scale apparatus consisting of a 100-mm in diameter quartz cylinder arranged in an upward configuration was used for the experiments. Thermocouple measurements and visible digital imaging served to track and characterize the ignition and propagation of the smouldering reaction. These two diagnostics are combined here to provide valuable information on the development of the reaction front. Post-treatment analyses of the sand were used to assess the amount of coal tar remaining in the soil. Experiments explored a range of inlet airflows and fuel concentrations. The smouldering ignition of coal tar was achieved for all the conditions presented here and self-sustained propagation was established after the igniter was turned off. It was found that the combustion is oxygen limited and peak temperatures in the range 800–1080 °C were observed. The peak temperature increased with the airflow at the lower range of flows but decreased with airflow at the higher range of flows. Higher airflows were found to produce faster propagation. Higher fuel concentrations were found to produce higher peak temperatures and slower propagation. The measured mass removal of coal tar was above 99% for sand obtained from the core and 98% for sand in the periphery of the apparatus.     

Effect of fuel injection location on a plasma jet assisted combustion with a backward-facing step

Non-reacting and reacting experiments on the ignition by a plasma jet (PJ) torch were performed to understand the correlation between fuel injection location and combustion characteristics in unheated Mach 2 airflow. Fuel was injected through three sonic injectors in the recirculation region behind a backward-facing step: a parallel injector at 2 mm from the bottom wall and two normal injectors at 2 and 9 mm from the step wall. In order to mitigate the combustion pressure interaction with nozzle, an isolator was installed between the nozzle and combustor. The combustion performance of normal injection was little affected by the difference of fuel injection locations. Moreover, normally injected fuel was escaped not to be held in the recirculation region despite of low fuel injection rates. This led to lower combustion performance relative to the parallel injection which provided fuel not to leave the recirculation region. In this case, the role of the recirculation region was to fully hold fuel, and the PJ torch provided hot gases as a heat source and acted as a flame-holder to ignite fuel–air mixtures. In a low temperature inflow condition, combustible regions were constrained around the bottom wall where embedded with the PJ torch. When thermal choking occurred in the combustor, it induced shock train both in the combustor and isolator. Under this unstable condition, the combustion performance of the normal injection was lower than that of the parallel injection. This is because the normal injection led most fuel into low temperature incoming air-stream.     

Catalytic ignition and autothermal combustion of JP-8 and its surrogates over a Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst

With the aim of utilizing JP-8 fuel for small scale portable power generation systems, catalytic combustion of JP-8 is studied. The surface ignition, extinction and autothermal combustion of JP-8, of a six-component surrogate fuel mixture, and the individual components of the surrogate fuel over a Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst are experimentally investigated in a packed bed flow reactor. The surrogate mixture exhibits similar ignition–extinction behavior and autothermal temperatures compared to JP-8 suggesting the possibility of using this surrogate mixture for detailed kinetics of catalytic combustion of JP-8. It is shown that JP-8 ignites at low temperatures in the presence of catalyst. Upon ignition, catalytic combustion of JP-8 and the surrogate mixture is self-sustained and robust combustion is observed under fuel lean as well as fuel rich conditions. It is shown that the ignition temperature of the hydrocarbon fuels increases with increasing equivalence ratio. Extinction is observed under fuel lean conditions, whereas sustained combustion was also observed for fuel rich conditions. The effect of dilution in the air flow on the catalytic ignition and autothermal temperatures of the fuel mixture is also investigated by adding helium to the air stream while keeping the flow rate and the equivalence ratio constant. The autothermal temperature decreases linearly as the amount of dilution in the flow is increased, whereas the ignition temperature shows no dependence on the dilution level under the range of our conditions, showing that ignition is dependent only on the type and relative concentration of the active species.     

Numerical study of influence of molecular diffusion in the Mild combustion regime

In this paper, the importance of molecular diffusion versus turbulent transport in the moderate or intense low-oxygen dilution (Mild) combustion mode has been numerically studied. The experimental conditions of Dally et al. [Proc. Combust. Inst. 29 (2002) 1147–1154] were used for modelling. The EDC model was used to describe the turbulence–chemistry interaction. The DRM-22 reduced mechanism and the GRI 2.11 full mechanism were used to represent the chemical reactions of an H₂/methane jet flame. The importance of molecular diffusion for various O₂ levels, jet Reynolds numbers and H₂ fuel contents was investigated. Results show that the molecular diffusion in Mild combustion cannot be ignored in comparison with the turbulent transport. Also, the method of inclusion of molecular diffusion in combustion modelling has a considerable effect on the accuracy of numerical modelling of Mild combustion. By decreasing the jet Reynolds number, decreasing the oxygen concentration in the airflow or increasing H₂ in the fuel mixture, the influence of molecular diffusion on Mild combustion increases.     

A mathematical model of hotspot condensed phase ignition in the presence of a competitive endothermic reaction

We consider the propagation of a combustion front resulting from the gasless combustion of a condensed state fuel. The propagation of the front, essentially a premixed laminar flame, is supported by an exothermic reaction subject to possible heat loss through a competitive endothermic reaction. The dynamics of the endothermic process inducing the heat loss strongly depend on the temperature and the local fuel concentration. Through an analysis based on high activation energy, the steady-state values of the final burnt temperature as well as the burning velocity are obtained, and the control parameters are identified. Using a linear perturbation method, we assess the stability of the propagating front and obtain a condition for oscillatory behaviour. The critical parameter values for the transition from steady to oscillatory burning speeds are identified. The results represent a generalization of those obtained by Matkowsky and Sivashinsky to include the effects of heat loss induced by a competitive endothermic reaction.     

不同环境氧浓度下聚甲氧基二甲醚（PODE）喷雾燃烧的羟基光谱分布及其反演重构研究

聚甲氧基二甲醚（PODE）是一种有潜力的柴油替代燃料，目前针对PODE的研究更多集中在发动机台架试验，相应的基础喷雾燃烧研究较少，制约了其在动力装置中高效清洁燃烧性能的提升。羟基（OH）性质活泼，大量存在的区域通常认为是高温反应区域。利用羟基光谱可以获得火焰结构、燃烧反应位置以及热释放速率等重要参数。环境氧浓度对火焰结构有很大影响，也是控制燃烧反应速率和污染物排放的重要参数。因此，在一台光学定容燃烧弹上，首先利用羟基的自发光光谱测量，研究了宽环境氧浓度变化（15%～80%）对PODE喷雾火焰浮起长度的影响，进一步利用阿贝尔逆变换方法将羟基自发光光谱强度由积分值反演为点位值，研究了富氧条件下（40%～80%）氧浓度变化对PODE喷雾羟基分布的影响。研究结果表明：环境氧浓度由15%增至40%，PODE火焰浮起长度迅速缩短；氧浓度进一步增加至80%，火焰浮起长度下降趋势逐渐变缓，直至基本不变；相同氧气浓度下PODE火焰浮起长度明显小于柴油。反演后的羟基光谱分布特征表面，富氧条件下PODE羟基光谱的高光强区域主要集中于喷雾边缘扩散火焰薄层中，同时，局部温度的显著提升使得羟基光谱强度在预混反应区下游附近达到最大；羟基光谱高光强区域随氧气浓度增加逐渐向火焰中上游区域迁移，并且其分布表现为轴向上更短，径向上更窄；在火焰达到准稳态时，相较40%氧气浓度条件，60%和80%氧气浓度下的羟基光谱强度在火焰中下游明显减弱，表明高的环境氧浓度下喷雾上游的燃油高浓度区域更快的参与到剧烈的燃烧反应中。     

流化床燃烧超低浓度煤层气的轴向气体分布

超低浓度煤层气由于甲烷含量低、浓度变化大而较难加以利用。采用实验和数值模拟的方法,研究了超低浓度煤层气在流化床中燃烧特性,得到燃烧产物的轴向分布规律,分析了进气浓度、床层温度、流化风速等因素对甲烷浓度轴向分布的影响。研究结果表明:随着床层高度的增加,无量纲甲烷浓度逐渐减小,在床层表面达到最小值,然后突然增加,随后达到稳定。实验范围内,CO浓度均小于20mL/m~3减小进气浓度、增加床层温度、降低流化风速部会使相同床层高度处的无量纲甲烷浓度减小。燃烧反应主要发生在密相区,随着进气浓度的减小、床层温度的增加、流化风速的降低,反应区域逐渐向床层下部移动。     

外界辐射对浸没在多孔介质中的液体燃料燃烧特性的影响

本文研究了不同辐射通量下浸没在沙床中的液体燃料的燃烧特性.探讨了辐射通量对液体燃料浸没在多孔沙床中的燃烧特性的影响,获得了不同辐射通量下的火焰特性、床层温度分布、离表面最近测点处蒸气区的下边界到达时间、燃烧持续时间及燃料消耗规律.实验结果揭示了浸没在多孔床中的液体燃料在不同辐射通量下燃烧时的特殊规律.     

切向气流作用下激光对典型金属靶的辐照效应

总结了亚音速切向气流在激光辐照典型金属靶过程中所起的作用,提出气流效应主要包括增大靶与外界环境的对流换热强度;移除靶表面的熔化层,加快烧蚀速率;促进靶的氧化反应,有利于靶的烧蚀;空气动力学效应导致靶在熔化之前就可发生破裂等几个方面。对上述气流效应进行了详尽的分析,同时指出应对氧化反应及热力联合效应进行更广泛的实验研究,获得更明确的规律性认识,以便建立统一的物理数学模型,从而为实际的工程应用提供参考。     

燃料敏感性对内燃机部分预混燃烧(PPC)光谱特性的影响研究

在一台光学发动机上,利用火焰高速成像技术和自发光光谱分析法,研究了燃料敏感性(S)为0和6时对发动机缸内火焰发展和燃烧发光光谱的影响。试验过程中,通过改变喷油时刻(SOI=-25,-15和-5°CA ATDC)使燃烧模式从部分预混燃烧过渡到传统柴油燃烧模式。通过使用正庚烷、异辛烷、乙醇混合燃料来改变燃料敏感性。结果表明,在PPC模式下(-25°CA ATDC),火焰发展过程是从近壁面区域开始着火,而后向燃烧室中心发展,即存在类似火焰传播过程,同时在燃烧室下部未燃区域也形成新的着火自燃点。敏感性对燃烧相位影响较大,对缸内燃烧火焰发展历程影响较小;高敏感性燃料OH和CH带状光谱出现的时刻推迟,表明高敏感性燃料高温反应过程推迟,且光谱强度更低,表明碳烟辐射强度减弱。在PPC到CDC之间的过渡区域(-15°CA ATDC),燃烧火焰发光更亮,燃烧反应速率比-25°CA ATDC时刻的反应速率更快。高、低敏感性燃料对缸压放热率的影响规律与-25°CA ATDC相近,此时的燃烧反应更剧烈,放热率更高,碳烟出现时刻更早。该喷油时刻下的光谱强度高于PPC模式下的光谱强度,说明此时的CO氧化反应与碳烟辐...     

煤基化学链燃烧过程中硫的演变

在双阶段流化床反应器内,基于溶胶凝胶法制备的Fe2O3/Al2O3氧载体研究了褐煤化学链燃烧过程中燃料硫的迁移路径及分布特性,并讨论了温度、过氧系数对燃料硫释放分布的影响.结果表明:所有工况下,氧载体均未出现被硫化的现象;在热解气化学链燃烧阶段,气相含硫物质以SO2和H2S为主,煤焦气化气化学链燃烧阶段绝大部分为SO2气体,部分来源于煤焦中CaSO4的分解。另外,部分燃料硫被碱金属固定于煤灰中。同时,提高温度和过氧系数都能导致SO2/H2S值和SO2释放量增大。     

超低浓度煤层气在流化床中燃烧的实验和数值研究

超低浓度煤层气由于甲烷含量低、浓度变化大而较难加以利用。采用实验和数值模拟的方法,研究了超低浓度煤层气在流化床中的燃烧,分析了床层温度、甲烷体积浓度,流化风速对甲烷燃烧效率的影响,并用数学模型预测了甲烷沿床层高度方向的分布。研究表明,数学模型和实验数据吻合较好。床层温度是煤层气燃烧反应的关键因素,甲烷的转化率随着床层温...     

Behaviour of a confined fire located in an unventilated zone

The behaviour of a fire in an enclosure is studied for a configuration where the fuel source is located in the upper hot unventilated zone trapped by a soffit. The experimental study, undertaken in a laboratory-scale compartment with a fuel source above the level of a soffit, included the determination of the parameters (ventilation factor, rate of fuel supply) controlling the combustion or leading to extinction. Measurements (PIV, thermocouples, gas sampling and analysis) were performed to propose a hypothesis on the structure of the flame (flame stabilisation mechanisms, premixed or diffusion types). Video photography is used to determine the area covered by the flames. This information is used as a criterion to identify the combustion regimes. The results show that the gaseous fuel is diluted in the combustion products (CP) in the upper layer and that a recirculatory motion is formed, driven by buoyancy forces, which enhances the mixing of fuel and CP. These then travel horizontally towards the vent along the interface between the lower fresh air and upper zones, and are premixed with the convected air in the enclosure, before entering the reaction zone and being burnt. The flame stabilises at the interface between the upper hot and lower ventilated layers in the compartment. The observed “ghosting flame” is stabilised by a triple flame if the flame speed of the premixed flame is higher than the natural convection velocity induced in the compartment. The flame stability is quantified by a criterion based on the area of the horizontal flame. It has been observed that the combustion is controlled by the available mass fuel flux at the reaction zone if the ventilation is sufficient. This information is essential for the modelling of the phenomena involved in fires with such an underventilated fuel source.     

切向气流作用下激光对典型金属靶的辐照效应

总结了亚音速切向气流在激光辐照典型金属靶过程中所起的作用,提出气流效应主要包括增大靶与外界环境的对流换热强度;移除靶表面的熔化层,加快烧蚀速率;促进靶的氧化反应,有利于靶的烧蚀;空气动力学效应导致靶在熔化之前就可发生破裂等几个方面。对上述气流效应进行了详尽的分析,同时指出应对氧化反应及热力联合效应进行更广泛的实验研究,获得更明确的规律性认识,以便建立统一的物理数学模型,从而为实际的工程应用提供参考。     

Modelling biodiesel–diesel spray combustion using multicomponent vaporization coupled with detailed fuel chemistry and soot models

A multicomponent vaporization model is integrated with detailed fuel chemistry and soot models for simulating biodiesel–diesel spray combustion. Biodiesel, a fuel mixture comprised of fatty-acid methyl esters, is an attractive alternative to diesel fuel for use in compression-ignition engines. Accurately modelling of the spray, vaporization, and combustion of the fuel mixture is critical to predicting engine performance using biodiesel. In this study, a discrete-component vaporization model was developed to simulate the vaporization of biodiesel drops. The model can predict differences in the vaporization rates of different fuel components. The model was validated by use of experimental data of the measured biodiesel drop size history and spray penetration data obtained from a constant-volume chamber. Gas phase chemical reactions were simulated using a detailed reaction mechanism that also includes PAH reactions leading to the production of soot precursors. A phenomenological multi-step soot model was utilized to predict soot emissions from biodiesel–diesel combustion. The soot model considered various steps of soot formation and destruction, such as soot inception, surface growth, coagulation, and PAH condensation, as well as oxidation by oxygen and hydroxyl-containing molecules. The overall numerical model was validated with experimental data on flame structure and soot distributions obtained from a constant-volume chamber. The model was also applied to predict combustion, soot and NOx emissions from a diesel engine using different biodiesel–diesel blends. The engine simulation results were further analysed to determine the soot emissions characteristics by use of biodiesel–diesel fuels.     

Dynamic behavior of diffusion flame interacting with a large-scale vortex by laser imaging techniques

Instantaneous and simultaneous measurements of two-dimensional temperature and OH-LIF profiles by combining Rayleigh scattering with laser induced fluorescence (LIF) were demonstrated in a nitrogen-diluted hydrogen (H₂ 30% + N₂ 70%) laminar normal diffusion flame interacting with a large-scale vortex by oscillating central fuel flow or in an inverse diffusion flame by oscillating central airflow. The dynamic behavior of the diffusion flame extinction and reignition during the flame–vortex interaction processes was investigated. The results obtained are described as follows. (1) The width of the reaction zone decreases remarkably, and a decrease in flame temperature and OH-LIF is seen with increasing central airflow in an inverse diffusion flame. OH-LIF increases, and temperature does not change with increasing central fuel flow in a normal diffusion flame. The computations predict the experimental results well, and it is revealed that flame temperature characteristics result from the preferential diffusion of heat and species, which induces excess enthalpy or on enthalpy deficit, and an increase or decrease in H₂ mole fraction in the flame. (2) When a large velocity fluctuation is given to the central flow, the temperature and the OH-LIF at the reaction zone become thin at the convex and circumferential part of the vortex where a high temperature layer exists, and the temperature at the reaction zone is lowered in the inverse flame and the normal flame. (3) The width and temperature of the reaction zone interacting with the vortex recover quickly to that of the laminar steady flame after the vortex passing in the normal flame, but the recovery to that of the steady flame after the vortex passing is delayed in the inverse flame. (4) When a remarkably large velocity fluctuation is given to the central airflow in the inverse flame, thinning of temperature and reaction zone starts at the convex and circumferential part of the vortex, resulting in a and flame extinction completely occurs at the tail part of the vortex and makes the pair of edge flames. The outside edge flame reignites and connects with the upstream reaction zone. The inside edge flame finally extinguishes as the supply of fuel is interrupted by the outside edge flame.     

Flame structure and stabilization of lean-premixed sprays in a counterflow with low-volatility fuel

An experimental study was performed on the combustion of lean-premixed spays in a counterflow. n-Decane was used as a liquid fuel with low volatility. The flame structure and stabilization were discussed based on the flame-spread mechanism of a droplet array with a low-volatility fuel. The spray flame consisted of a blue region and a yellow luminous region. The flame spread among droplets and group-flame formation through the droplet interaction were observed on the premixed spray side, while envelope flames were also observed on the opposing airflow side. The blue-flame region consisted of premixed flames propagating in the mixture layer around each droplet, the envelope diffusion flames around each droplet, the lower parts of the group diffusion flame surrounding each droplet cluster, and the envelope flame around droplets passing through the group flame. The flame was stabilized within a specific range of the mean droplet diameter via a balance between the droplet velocity and the flame-spread rate of the premixed spray.     

Pressurized oxy-fuel combustion of a char particle in the fluidized bed combustor

Pressurized oxy-fuel combustion of coal in fluidized bed (FB) holds the potential to realize low-cost CO₂ capture. However, the fundamental study in this manner is still rare due to the difficult access to the pressurized oxy-FB combustion tests. In this work, the experimental study of single char combustion was firstly conducted in a visualized pressurized FB combustor under various operating conditions. Then an experimentally verified particle-scale char combustion model was developed to reveal the dependence of char combustion on parameters. Results showed that the char conversion was accelerated with the increase of pressure, mainly due to the high oxygen diffusion and char gasification. The gasification played a non-negligible role in pressurized oxy-fuel combustion, especially under high oxygen concentration and bed temperature. Increasing oxygen concentration and bed temperature not only promotes the char oxidation rate and particle temperature, but also increases the gasification rate and the share of char conversion via gasification, resulting in shortening the burnout time of char. In addition, a higher fluidization number lowered both the burnout time and peak temperature of char particle, due to the simultaneous improvement of mass and heat transfer. The influences of char size and fluidization number on char gasification conversion ratio are very weak. In addition, the quantitative analysis of the influence of different operating parameters on the combustion process was obtained by model sensitivity analysis.     

Influence of the heat loss intensity on the characteristics of the filtration combustion of solid organic fuels

The effect of lateral heat loss on the characteristics of the filtration combustion of solid organic fuels is studied experimentally and theoretically. The results show that, for an reaction trailing, an increase in the heat loss intensity leads to a marked reduction in the combustion temperature and an increase in the temperature at which fuel pyrolysis is complete, with the yield of liquid pyrolysis products remaining practically unchanged. For a reaction leading, an increase in the heat transfer coefficient causes a reduction in the combustion temperature and the yield of liquid pyrolysis products.     

Experimental study and large eddy simulation of effect of terrain slope on marginal burning in shrub fuel beds

This paper presents a combined study of laboratory scale fire spread experiments and a three-dimensional large eddy simulation (LES) to analyze the effect of terrain slope on marginal burning behavior in live chaparral shrub fuel beds. Line fire was initiated in single species fuel beds of four common chaparral plants under various fuel bed configurations and ambient conditions. An LES approach was developed to model fire spreading through a fuel bed with a subgrid scale turbulent combustion model based on a flame surface density concept. By examining two fuel bed slope configurations, it was found that upslope fire spread depends not only on the increased radiant heat transfer but also on the aerodynamic effect created by the interaction of the flame with the inclined surface. Under certain conditions, the convective heat transfer induced by this interaction becomes the dominant mechanism in determining fire spread success. Seventy-three (or 42%) of 173 experimental fires successfully propagated for slopes ranging from −70% to 70%. It was found there exists a critical slope above which fire spread in these live fuel beds was successful, and below which fire spread was unsuccessful. This critical slope for marginal burning varied widely with fuel moisture content and fuel loading. A stepwise logistic regression model was developed from experimental data to predict the probability of successful fire spread. It is expected that this model may be helpful in providing guidelines for prescribed fire application.