Experimental Study on Combustion in a Porous Media

Abstract

Continually increasing use of fossil fuel now represents the greatest danger for planet Earth, as result of ever increasing C02 emission in the atmosphere. Development and use of modern technologies for combustion of fossil fuels and of very efficient systems for heat exchange in a useful form permit increased energy efficiency while maintaining or increasing the level of comfort, with decreased emission of CO, NOx. One such technology is the system of burner-heat exchanger based upon combustion in porous media. The paper describes the burner and the construction of a test rig and the measuring equipment that was employed in the study. This work presents the advantages of this system, relating to the high thermal loads of porous media in the reaction zone (4MW/m2), high power density of the system with porous media of burner-heat exchanger (7MW/m3), extremely good thermal conductivity of porous media and very high thermal capacity, very stable combustion with large range of power modulation (as high as 1:20), high efficiency of transforming fuel into energy (105% relating to the lower heating value of fuel). Through increased energy efficiency there were lower CO2 emission and very low CO, NOx emissions (“near-zero emission”). Because of these advantages, the system is very applicable to central heating systems of residential buildings, heating of water for sanitation purpose, etc.