Radiative properties of char, fly-ash, and soot particles in coal flames. Quarterly report No. VI, December 15, 1993--March 15, 1994

Abstract

In combustion systems, particulate matter such as soot, ash, char, as well as combustion gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide participate to radiative heat transfer. In general, the radiative properties of particles are much more important than that for combustion gases because particles absorb, emit and scatter radiation continuously in the entire wavelength spectrum. By contrast, combustion gases participate radiatively only in narrow bands centered around discrete wavelengths. The radiative properties required for typical radiative transfer calculations are absorption and scattering coefficients and scattering phase function. These properties are dependent on the partial pressures and chemical composition of combustion gases, material and physical structure, size, and volume fraction distributions of particles, and of course on the wavelength of the incident radiation. The main objective of this project is to estimate the volume fractions of combustion products by observing their scattering and absorption behaviour when subjected to external electromagnetic radiation.