COMBUSTION ENGINEERING

Credits to Profs. F. Beyrau (OvGU), F. Dinkelacker (Leibniz Universität Hannover), A.

Leipertz (Erlangen)
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Combustion Engineering

Benoit Fond, Junior Professor

benoit.fond@ovgu.de
G10/R119

Website for slides

http://www.ltt.ovgu.de/Lehre.html

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Content of Lecture

1. Phenomenology of Combustion
2. Thermodynamic Fundamentals
3. Chemical Reaction Kinetics
4. Ignition and Ignition Limits
5. Laminar Flame Theory
6. Turbulent Combustion
7. Pollutants of Combustion
8. Combustion of Liquid and Solid Fuels
9. Numerical Simulation
10. Measurement Techniques of Combustion Processes
11. Applied Aspects of Turbulent Combustion
12. Technical Burner Systems
13. (Internal Combustion Engines)

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"Fascination of Fire"

Fire has always been a fascinating phenomenon!

It also provides more then 90% of the worldwide energy support today
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Content

1. Phenomenology of Combustion
• Combustion Technology - Why ?
• Complexity of Combustion
• Characterising Concepts
• Four Functional Process Steps of Combustion
- Excursion: How to extinguish a fire ?
• Laminar Flames - Turbulent Flames
• Premixed Flames – Non-Premixed (Diffusion) Flames
• First Comparison
• Examples of Flames and Combustion Systems
• Purpose of Combustion
• Summary

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 Why Combustion Technology

Combustion is one of the oldest technologies of mankind

• Fire for heating, to protect from animals
• Clearing of forest
• Food preparation
• Metal processing
• Weapon technology : Incendiary devices

Combustion has two sides:

• Technology to use
• Destruction by Fire

Greek Mythology: Prometheus brought fire to mankind. But his "boss" (the highest
god Zeus) feared the increase of human power. Therefore he punished Prometheus,
chained him to a rock, where an eagle picks his liver.
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 Why Combustion Technology

• Development of Industry:
Significant Progress from Energy- and Combustion Technology:

• Steam engine
• Power plant
• Process engineering
• Internal engines
• Gas turbines
• Jet propulsion
• Transportation systems
(Steam engine, Railway, Road traffic, Aviation, Space ?)

• Note: More than 90% of worldwide use of energy is connected

with combustion !!!

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 Why Combustion Technology

Modern Combustion Technology for :

• Increase of Efficiency (natural resources are limited)
• Reduction of pollutants (poisonous,carcinogen, change of climate etc.)
• Noise abatement
• Reduction of size of burning chamber (e.g. airplane + automobile engines)

Keywords are for example:

"Drei-Liter-Auto" - Three liter per 100 km
"ULEV" - Ultra Low Emission Vehicle
"ZEV" - Zero Emission Vehicle
"Single-Digit NOx" - (< 10 ppm NOx)

Diesel truck without particle filter

8 Source : US Environmental Protection Agency
Why Combustion Technology

Pratt & Whitney

PW4000
Turbofan Engine

e.g. Boeing 747-400

Airbus A310-300

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 Why Combustion Technology
Tasks for combustion technology

Heat-
exchanger
Brennkammer Inappropriate
flame size
Flame

Brenner
Air
Fuel

• Size of flame and combustion chamber?

• How much fuel and air, respectively?
• Is the fuel consumption reasonable? (efficiency, rate of conversion)
• Safety
• Pollutant- emissions
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 Why Combustion Technology
Tasks for combustion technology
Traditional
• Experience Heat-
exchanger
• Trial-and-error method
• Design from global computations
Flame

Modern approach
• Computation based on local physical and Air
chemical Processes: Fuel

• heat- and mass-transport owing

to convective flows
• diffusion
increasingly
• vaporization
interdisciplinary
• reaction task
• radiation, etc. ...
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Complexity of Combustion

Combustion:
"Transformation of chemical bound energy into heat"

Typical
• Fuel and oxidizer react together
• Oxidizer O2 (Air).
• Explosives and solid rocket propellant contains O2 in chemical bound
form (Monergole).
• Energy release (exothermic reaction)
• Reaction often is very "fast"
• Many reaction steps.
e.g. CH4 + 2O2 -> CO2 + 2H2O is an oversimplification
• Heat and mass transport is significantly involved.

Combustion is complex, still not fully understood !!

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 Complexity of Combustion
Where is the reaction zone ?
Where flame is bright?

Exposure time
1/8 sec 1 sec 8 sec

Note: Luminescence of flame is secondary process, not necessary

definition for reaction zone
(also "flameless oxidation" is possible)

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 Four Functional Steps
First characterization

Four functional process steps for combustion (gaseous fuel):

External
(1) Mixing of fuel and oxidizer Ignition

Self
Ignition
(2) Heat up, that reaction can start (Ignition)

Feed back

(3) Combustion reaction with heat release

Combustion is a
(4) Heat utilization self stabilizing
process

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Four Functional Steps

How to extinguish a flame ?

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 Four Functional Steps

How to extinguish a flame ?

Stop fuel supply

(e.g., forest fires, Stop air supply
clear forest aisle) (Inert extinguisher
e.g. Halon, CO2)

Remove heat
to stop ignition (water;
metal grid)
Four Processes:
(1) Mixing of fuel and oxidizer
(2) Heating to ignite
Feed back
(3) Combustion reaction with heat release
(4) Heat utilization
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Characterizing Concepts

Typical times:
Mixing  0,1 - 10 sec
Reaction  10-3 sec

Often mixing dominates combustion

Often mixing supported by convective flow:

either laminar or turbulent flow

Laminar flame: Flowfield independent of time

Turbulent flame: Flowfield depends on time

e.g. T (t )  T  T (t )
T (t )  0 for laminar combustion
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Characterizing Concepts

Essential characterization:
laminar
and
turbulent flame

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Characterizing Concepts

2 fundamental types of flames

Non-premixed flame:
Fuel + Ox. come together in reaction zone

Premixed flame:
Fuel + Ox. mixed before reaction

Note 1: Detailed analysis shows that even in premixed flames diffusion is an

essential phenomenon. Thus name "diffusion flame" is too simplified; better is "non
premixed flame").
Note 2: Intermediate types possible "partially premixed flames"

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 Characterizing Concepts
Laminar Flame Theory

Post- Luminous
oxidation zone Stoichiome-
(low blue) (yellow) tric Surface

Flame front
(blue)

Air Air

F.+ Air Fuel

Premixed flame Non-premixed flame

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 Characterizing Concepts
Laminar Flame Theory

Tube Burner / Bunsen Burner

flame front/
reaction zone Ox F Ox Ox F Ox

(1.)

F + Ox pure
F+ Ox (F-rich) fuel
stoichiometrically partially premixed non-premixed
premixed flame flame flame
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 Flame Types

Partially Premixed
Flame

Premixed Flame Nonpremixed Flame

Butane/Air
Photos by Dr. F. Dinkelacker, Erlangen, 2005 Fuel flow rate is hold constant
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 laminar turbulent
Non-
Premixed
(Diffusion-)
flame

Premixed
flame

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 Characterizing Concepts
Important characterization of flames:

laminar turbulent
Non-
Candle Fire,
Premixed
Industrial burner,
(Diffusion-)
Air plane turbine
flame
gas stove
(part. premixed)
Premixed
Modern gas
flame
Porous burner turbine

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 Examples for Combustion Systems
Candle Flame

Luminous
zone
(yellow)

Fuel
Wick

Air Air

The candle flame as classical

example of laminar
non-premixed (diffusion) flamme

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 Examples for Combustion Systems
Gas stove burner / bunsen burner

Gas stove burner, partly premixed flame with air

intake inside venturi injector

Bunsen burner, can be modified between

premixed (blue) and non-premixed (yellow) flame
(from Günther)

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 Examples for Combustion Systems
Cement production

Rotary furnace for production of cement (length about 30 m)

Turbulent long diffusion flame, radiative heat transfer
(from Görner)

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 Examples for Combustion Systems
Jet engine

Burning Afterburner with

Compressor Turbine
chamber flame stabilization

Pratt & Whitney

F100-PW-229 Engine
Military jet engine with afterburner

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 Examples for Combustion Systems
Gas turbine

Siemens V84.3A
Modern gas turbine with annular burning chamber for premixed combustion
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Examples for Combustion Systems

Oil heating furnace

Biomass Heater
(Guntamatic Powerchip)
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 Characterizing Concepts

First comparitive discussion:

Laminar -->Turbulent Flames: Mixing increases

Combustion faster, concentrated

Nonpremixed Flame: Quite stable combustion, "secure"

Premixed Flame: Controlled reaction possible:

NOx reduction
Soot reduction
But danger of flash back

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Characterizing Concepts

Further characteristics concerning the temporal behaviour of

combustion

• Stationary Combustion
Combustion field remains (on average) stable

• Instationary Combustion
Location of (average) combustion field changes with time

e.g. for turbulent Combustion stationary : T  constant in time

T (t )  T  T (t ) instationary : T  f(t)

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 Characterizing Concepts
Stationary and Instationary Flames

Stationary Instationary

laminar turbulent laminar turbulent

Candle Woodfire Droplet Diesel engine

Non-
Lighter Jet Engine ignition (with direct
prem.-
injection)
flame

Gas stove
Modern gas
(Part. Ignition Spark Ignition
Prem.- turbine
Premixed) engine
flame

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 Examples for Combustion Systems
Internal combustion engines

Otto engine (SI) with port fuel injection Diesel engine with direct injection
Instationary turbulent premixed combustion Instationary turbulent non-premixed
combustion

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Purpose of Combustion

Primarily chemical energy is transformed to heat. This can be used for different
purposes

Purpose Examples
Heat for heating system Heating burner (Oil, Gas, Solids)
Heat for high temperature processing Cement furnace
Melting furnace
Electricity Boiler (Coal, Oil, Gas) - Rankine
Stationary gas turbine - Brayton
Mech. power, e.g. for traffic Internal combustion engine
Jet engine
Chemical decomposition Waste incineration
Light, "Comfort" Candle

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 Purpose of Combustion
Example: waste incineration

Quelle: Martin GmbH

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 Purpose of Combustion
Flares – for the controlled
combustion of excess fuel 2nd Generation
(safety reasons)
Sooting (1st Generation)

Quelle: Internet

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 Summary
• Summary:
• Combustion technology - one of the most important technologies
• Most important tasks for combustion technology today are
pollutant reduction and an increasing efficiency

• Characterizing Concepts
• 4 functional process steps of combustion
• Characteristics:
• Laminar - Turbulent Flames
• Diffusion Flame - Premixed Flame
• Stationary - Instationary Combustion

• Purpose of Combustion
• Heat, Power, Light, Chemical processing and decomposition, ...

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 Combustion Literature
English:
• Turns, S. R. "An Introduction to Combustion: Concepts and Application", McGraw-Hills
2011 (quite new, relatively good, ca. 60E)
• Warnatz, J., Maas, U., Dibble, R. "Combustion", Springer, 2006
(Basic Processes, Kinetics, Modelling, ca. 80E)
• Kuo, K. "Principles of Combustion", J. Wiley 1986
(Detailed Theory)
• Lewis, v. Elbe "Combustion, Flames and Explosions of Gases", 3. Auflage 1986,
Academic Press (a "classical" book)
 Peters, N. : "15 Lectures on laminar and turbulent combustion", Aachen, 1992
http://www.itm.rwth-aachen.de (theoretical orientation)

German:
• Warnatz, J., Maas, U., Dibble, R. "Verbrennung", 3. Auflage, Springer 2001, 40 €
• Günther, R. "Verbrennung und Feuerungen", Springer 1974
(Technische Aspekte, Viele Brennerformen, Theorie tw. veraltet, ca. 40 €)
• Görner, K. "Technische Verbrennungssysteme", Springer 1991
(Grundlagen, Simulation, Kohleverbrennung, ca. 65 €)
• Merker, Schwarz, Stiesch, Otto "Verbrennungsmotoren - Simulation der Verbrennung
und Schadstoffbildung", 2. Auflage, Teubner 2004, 40 €

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