Syngas-diesel dual-fuel engine performance using H2/CO top gases from the steel industry furnaces

Abstract

This study aims to utilize H2-CO-rich waste gases as an alternative energy source for power generation in a dual-fuel engine setup, where diesel is used as an ignition source. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model is developed and validated against experimental data using synthesis gas compositions containing H2, CO, CO2, and N2. A chemical kinetics model is integrated to enhance combustion accuracy, combining the diesel_14 and Gri-mech 3.0 sets to compute reactions involving diesel and synthesis gas/flue gases. Following validation, the study analyzes the dual-fuel engine's performance using H2-CO-rich waste gases: Blast Furnace Gas (BFG), Blast Oxygen Furnace Gas (BOFG), and Oxygen Blast Furnace Gas (OBFG) under various inlet temperatures. BOFG with diesel combustion results in higher peak pressure and heat release due to its significant combustible content (75.4 %). When considering BFG with diesel, the SOC occurs at 1⁰ bTDC, whereas for the BOFG and OBFG, ignition commences at 0 TDC. Also, the BOFG's short combustion duration led to an IMEP of 0.88 MPa, enhancing engine capacity than the OBFG and BFG. The exit amount of CO and UHC is higher in the case of BFG compared to the other fuels. Also, BFG exhibits lower MPRR from 0.33 to 0.5 MPa/deg, attributed to its prolonged combustion duration. Higher combustion temperatures increase NOx emissions, notably for BOFG, due to elevated in-cylinder temperatures. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential of H2-CO-rich waste gases in dual-fuel engines for power generation, highlighting BOFG's performance advantages while addressing emissions concerns.