OCR Text |
Show 1. Project Summary The objective of the research outlined in this paper was to expand the data base concerning the chemistry and physics of low-, medium-, and high-Btu gas combustion. Proposed experimental procedures involve the determination of the physical and chemical microstructures of laminar, premixed, and quenched flat flames as a function of synthesis gas composition. Only gas compositions from commercially available coal conversion processes are artificially prepared and subjected to study. Conventional optical and physical techniques are used to probe pre-flame, flame, and post-flame reaction zones, and to determine temperature and composition (stable and free-radical species) profiles. Perturbations from single fuel (i.e., CH,/, CO/, H2/Air) flame physico-chemistry upon addition of secondary or ternary fuel component will be used to characterize the combustion of alternate gases. The manner in which data are reduced and interpreted represents the novel aspect of the program. Information from a carefully selected set of experiments will be analyzed using new concepts recently developed by the senior author (JJR) that potentially will increase the basic understanding of syngas combustion in three major categories: flame stability, flame inhibition, and combustion kinetics of pollutant formation/ destruction. These basic research missions are in alignment with the needs of industrial fuel gas producers and should assist them in fulfillingtheir overall purpose: to provide reliable, safe, and environmentally acceptable gas service to the benefit of the public. The basic research data and information derived from this study will also be harvested in order to fulfill applied research needs: a) to predict future fuel interchangeability problems caused by the replacement of natural gas with various multi-fuel synthesis gases and to solve these anticipated problems by combustor design modification; b) to identify potential safety problems during the manufacture, handling, and use of alternate syngases and to develop techniques for suppressing and preventing unwanted t^U-2- |