Experimental investigation of parameters affecting the performance of an atmospheric pressure test combustor burning low-medium heating value gas

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5754288

Khalil, M B; Plett, E G

Low-medium heating value gas mixtures (typical of gas produced from coal gasification) were blended from commercial gas bottles and admitted to an atmospheric pressure test combustor. This combustor was designed to allow for the study of the effect on the performance of the proportion of air admitted at the premixed, primary, secondary and dilution zones of the combustor, air mass flow rate, fuel mass flow rate (fuel/air ratio), fuel heating value and the amount of swirl imparted to the primary combustion air. The investigation revealed that it is necessary to maintain certain limits on these parameters to avoid serious performance degradation. The air mass velocity based on the combustor cross section should be greater than or equal to 1 kg/sm/sup 2/ and < 7 kg/sm/sup 2/ (to avoid excessive pressure loses). The largest amount of the total air (/sup --/53%) should be admitted in the secondary zone vs. /sup --/27% in the dilution zone. The fuel heating value should be greater than or equal to 6.62 MJ/m/sup 3/ (with 4% of the total air premixed with the fuel). The primary combustion air should be given some swirl equivalent to that obtained with a swirler of 30-45/sup 0/ vane angle. However, increasing the vane angle reduces the range of mixture ratios that can be ignited in the combustor. The experimental results together with some theoretical analysis were grouped in a global relationship which describes the combustor efficiency, a term to describe the performance of the combustor, in terms of the operating and design parameters of the combustor. This formula predicts the performance beyond the range of experimental investigation. The formula predicted the combustor efficiency within 4%.

• OSTI ID: 5754288
• Report Number(s): CONF-861211-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
014000* -- Coal
Lignite
&amp; Peat-- Combustion
42 ENGINEERING
421000 -- Engineering-- Combustion Systems
AIR
AIR FLOW
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
CALCULATION METHODS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
COAL GAS
COAL GASIFICATION
COMBUSTION CONTROL
COMBUSTION KINETICS
COMBUSTORS
CONTROL
DESIGN
DILUTION
FLOW RATE
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS
FUEL SYSTEMS
FUEL-AIR RATIO
GAS FLOW
GASES
GASIFICATION
KINETICS
MASS TRANSFER
MIXING
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
PLANNING
REACTION KINETICS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VORTEX FLOW