Title: Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling of ultra-lean porous burners

Authors: Catharine Tierney, Susie Wood, Andrew T. Harris, David F. Fletcher

Addresses: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. ' School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. ' School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. ' School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

Abstract: Porous burners offer potential for ultra-lean methane emission mitigation by combustion. In these systems, heat recirculation between the porous medium and the fuel stream leads to enhanced combustion behaviour. In this research, conductive, convective and radiative heat transfer models were added in the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code ANSYS CFX, to describe the interaction between the porous solid and the fluid. Relatively detailed skeletal kinetic mechanisms were implemented and a stiff chemistry solver was used to account for the differing chemical and fluid dynamics timescales. Results from test cases are presented to illustrate the model performance and to highlight some computational issues.

Keywords: lean combustion; porous burners; low concentration methane; mine ventilation air; modelling; CFD; computational fluid dynamics; methane emissions; heat recirculation; convective heat transfer; radiative heat transfer; conductive heat transfer.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2010.035369

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2010 Vol.10 No.5/6, pp.352 - 365

Published online: 26 Sep 2010 *

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