skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Liquid fuel combustion within silicon-carbide coated carbon foam

Journal Article · · Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science
;  [1]
  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (United States)

Combustion of kerosene inside porous inert medium (PIM) has been investigated with the goal of reducing the emissions of nitric oxides (NO{sub x}), carbon monoxide (CO) and soot. Silicon-carbide (SiC) coated carbon foam is used as PIM to attain high structural strength. The two-zone porous burner design consists of preheat and combustion sections. Different PIM configurations were tested by stacking together square porous pieces of 2.5 cm thickness. Two types of fuel injectors are considered: (i) in the air-assist injector, approximately 5% of the combustion air is used for atomization and the remaining air enters as the primary co-flow around the injector, and (ii) in the swirling-air injector, all of the combustion air enters the injector to create a swirling flow around the fuel jet to enhance atomization and fuel-air premixing. The distance between the injector and PIM inlet is a key operational parameter, which was varied in experiments with both injectors over a range of equivalence ratios and heat release rates. The NO{sub x} and CO emissions were measured to optimize the PIM configuration with minimum emissions. Results show stable combustion over a wide operating range. Three combustor operational regimes are identified depending upon the injector location. (author)

OSTI ID:
20961986
Journal Information:
Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, Vol. 32, Issue 1; Other Information: Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved; ISSN 0894-1777
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English