Methane reforming and its potential effect on the efficiency and pollutant emissions of lean methane–air combustion

• Published in: Chemical engineering science 2001-02, Vol.56 (4), p.1541-1549
• Main Authors: Ren, J.-Y., Qin, W., Egolfopoulos, F.N., Mak, H., Tsotsis, T.T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engines and turbines; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Flame stability; Methane reforming; Pollutant emissions
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/S0009-2509(00)00381-X

Results of ongoing studies of methane reforming for power generation applications are discussed. Design calculations are presented for a hybrid process (termed CRGT) involving chemical recuperation for power generation, and combining both reactive separation and combustion. Results are also presented from a parallel investigation, whose goal is to quantify the effect of the operational characteristics of the CRGT process on methane combustion. This study focuses on the dynamics and structure of lean mixtures of air with CH 4/H 2/CO/CO 2, a fuel mixture of relevance to CRGT. Experiments are carried out in the single jet-wall, stagnation flow configuration using laser Doppler velocimetry for the determination of the axial velocity profiles. The concentrations of stable species are measured by mass spectrometry, nitrogen oxides are measured by chemiluminescence, and the temperature distribution along the centerline is measured using fine-wire thermocouples. Numerical simulations are conducted solving the steady-state mass, momentum, energy and species conservation equations for the stagnation streamline in a finite domain with the addition of radiation transfer. The experimental results compare favorably with the predicted ones.