Analysis of combustion of liquefied petroleum gas in a porous radiant burner. (April 2016) - Panigrahy, Snehasish
Highlights: LPG combustion in porous matrix is analyzed. Chemical kinetics consists of 111 species and 784 reactions. Volumetric radiation is accounted in solid phase energy equation. For comparison, CH4 combustion in porous matrix is also considered. Species profiles, emissions, radiant and total heat fluxes are compared. Abstract: This article deals with the combustion of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (40% C3 H8 + 60% C4 H10 by volume) in a planar silicon carbide porous radiant burner (PRB). With volumetric radiative source term needed in the solid-phase energy equation computed using the finite volume method, the gas- and the solid-phase energy equations, continuity equation, species conservation equation and ideal gas equation are simultaneously solved. The energy equations are solved using the finite volume method. The species conservation equation, and the species diffusion and the heat generation terms appearing in the gas-phase energy equation are computed using the solver Cantera. The chemical kinetics consists of 111 species and 784 reactions. Comparisons are made for the stability range of LPG with CH4 as well as with the combustion of LPG in the free-flame mode. For LPG combustion in the PRB, variations of species production rate, heat release rate, CO emissions, radiative heat flux and the total heat flux are analyzed. With LPG combustion in the PRB, the total heat flux is more than that of combustion of CH4 in the PRB, and also LPG combustion in the free-flame mode. The radiative heat flux with LPG in the PRB, is also more than that with CH4 . CO emission with LPG combustion in the PRB is much lower than its combustion in the free-flame mode.