Limiting conditions for the combustion of a rich gas mixture on the surface of a permeable matrix

The limit of the surface combustion of rich methane-air mixtures on a planar and a volumetric permeable matrix is theoretically and experimentally determined. The influence of a radiation screen on the expansion of the region of stable surface combustion at a heightened specific thermal load on the matrix is examined. The possibility of a substantial expansion of the lower limit of surface combustion in passing from a planar to a volumetric matrix is demonstrated. It is shown that heat recovery allows stable surface combustion of natural gas-air mixtures at air-to-fuel ratios of up to α = 0.35.