H2-rich syngas strategy to reduce NOx and CO emissions and improve stability limits under premixed swirl combustion mode

The combustion performance of H2-rich model syngas was investigated by using a premixed swirl flame combustor. Syngas consisting mainly of H2 and CO was blended with components such as CH4 and CO2 in a mixing chamber prior to combustion at atmospheric condition. The global flame appearance and emissions performance were examined for high (H2/CO = 3) and moderate (H2/CO = 1.2) H2-rich syngases. Results showed that higher H2 fractions in the syngases produce lower NOx emissions per kWh basis across all equivalence ratios tested. CO emissions are equivalence ratio dependent and are less affected by the H2 fraction in the syngas. Increasing CO2 diluent ratios result in the decrease of NOx, particularly for moderate H2-rich syngases. In contrast, syngas without CO shows an increase of NOx with increasing CO2 for fuel-lean mixtures. Addition of CO2 increases the lean blowout limit of all syngases. Higher fraction of H2 produces lower lean blowout limits due to the characteristics of high diffusivity of hydrogen molecules and high flame speed that assist in the stabilisation of the flame under flame-lean conditions. The range of blowout limits for moderate and high H2-rich and pure hydrogen syngases under diluent ratios up to 25% were within the range of ϕ = 0.12–0.15

Progress in biomass gasification technique – with focus on Malaysian palm biomass for syngas production

Synthesis gas, also known as syngas, produced from biomass materials has been identified as a potential source of renewable energy. Syngas is mainly consists of CO and H2, which can be used directly as fuel source for power generation and transport fuel, as well as feedstock for chemical production. Syngas is produced through biomass gasification process that converts solids to gas phase via thermochemical conversion reactions. This paper critically reviews the type of gasifiers that have been used for biomass gasification, including fixed bed, fluidized bed, entrained flow and transport reactor types. The advantages and limitations of these gasifiers are compared, followed by discussion on the key parameters that are critical for the optimum production of syngas. Depending on the biomass feedstock, the properties and characteristics of syngas produced can be varied. It is thus essential to thoroughly characterise the properties of biomass to understand the limitations in order to identify the suitable methods for gasification. This paper later focuses on a specific biomass – oil palm-based for syngas production in the context of Malaysia, where palm biomass is readily available in abundance. The properties and suitability for gasification of the major palm biomass, including empty fruit bunch, oil palm fronds and palm kernel shells are reviewed. Optimization of the gasification process can significantly improve the prospect of commercial syngas production

A review of palm oil biomass as a feedstock for syngas fuel technology

Fossil fuel as the world dominated energy source is depleting and posing environmental issue. Therefore, Synthesis gas (or syngas) which serve environmental clean fuel characteristic is expected to play a major role as one of the potential renewable energy in the future. Syngas, produced from solid feedstock (such as biomass, coal, refinery residual, organic waste and municipal waste) via gasification process can be used directly as fuel for power generation. Besides, syngas also acts as key intermediary to produce transport fuel depending on their quality. The chosen feedstock for syngas production determines the composition and heating value of the syngas produced and hence will be reviewed in general. This paper then review critically palms biomass as the potential source of feedstock for syngas production, as it is widely accessible in the context Malaysia. Palm biomass presents a solution that is sustainable and eco-friendly that is yet to be fully capitalized in the palm oil industry. Some of the palm biomass including oil palm frond (OPF), empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm kernel shell (PKS) are identified to contain high heating value which indicate their potential use as solid biomass feedstock for syngas production

Advancements of combustion technologies in the ammonia-fuelled engines

The worldwide decarbonisation movement has turned ammonia into one of the attractive alternative fuel for power generation. This paper reviews the progress of ammonia combustion technologies in spark ignition engine, compression ignition engine, and gas turbine. Relevant publications from prominent academic journals were acquired from credible scholarly databases and analysed. Ammonia dissociation and separate hydrogen supply were typically employed to deliver hydrogen to enhance ammonia reaction in the spark ignition engine. To achieve satisfactory engine performances with thermal efficiency of around 30%, a hydrogen mass fraction of roughly 10% is required for the ammonia/hydrogen engine. Engine parameters optimisation may be needed to increase hydrogen mass fraction further. Aqueous ammonia elevates heat release rate of full load compression ignition engine by almost 10%. However, prolonged ignition delay could potentially lead to higher engine noise levels. Multiple fuel injection optimisation is seemingly a more promising solution for improving ammonia compression ignition engine performances. In recent years, partial premixed combustion has gained considerable interest in hydrogen/ammonia gas turbine combustion research. This is mainly due to its ability to operate at equivalence ratio as low as 0.4, and in the slight fuel-rich regime. For operation at equivalence ratio 1.05, the nitric oxide concentration was decreased by a factor of approximately 5.9 when compared with that of stoichiometric condition. In all, ammonia offers a practical opportunity for sustainable power generation via internal combustion engines and gas turbine. Ground-breaking combustion technologies are crucial to boost the adoption of ammonia in these engines

Production of pyrolyzed oil from crude glycerol using a microwave heating technique

Crude glycerol, a by-product of biodiesel production created via transesterification was pyrolyzed using a microwave heating technique in an oxygen-deficient environment. Coconut shell-based activated carbon was used as a catalyst to assist in the heat transfer and the cracking of glycerol into gaseous and liquid products. Investigation into the product yield was conducted by varying the pyrolysis temperature between 300°C and 800°C. The result revealed that liquid and gaseous pyrolysis products yield fell in the range of 15-42% and 55-82% by mass, respectively. An analysis of the liquid product using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) shows that glycerin (C3H8O3), methanamine (CH5N), and cyclotrisiloxane (C6H18O3Si3) were among the highest derived compounds in the pyrolyzed liquid yield. The derived pyrolysis products can potentially be used as alternative fuels in combustion systems

Visualisation and performance evaluation of biodiesel/methane co-combustion in a swirl-stabilised gas turbine combustor

While dual fuel firing of power generation combustion systems can improve the fuel flexibility of such systems, several studies on compression ignition engines have also shown a positive impact on NOX and PM emissions. Previous multiphase fuel combustion studies for combustion turbines are limited, thus the present study addresses that gap by fuelling a model swirl stabilised gas turbine combustor with a blend of waste cooking oil-derived biodiesel and methane. Methane was increasingly injected into swirling combustion air flow while simultaneously reducing the biodiesel spray flowrate across a pressure atomiser, thus maintaining an overall equivalence ratio of 0.7 while delivering a thermal power output of 15 kW in all cases, except for flame stability range trials. Direct flame imaging, CH* and C2* chemiluminescence imaging, post combustion emissions as well as stability performance of the flames were evaluated. NOX emissions were found to decrease by 29% and unburnt hydrocarbons increased by 10% as the fraction of methane in fuel mix increased to 30%. Further, flame images suggest increased wrinkling and perturbing of the flame front as gas fraction of the biodiesel/methane flame increases. However, the temporal variation of integral intensity of CH* and C2* species chemiluminescence point to at least an 8% improvement in flame stability when 30% of flame heat output is supplied by methane compared to neat biodiesel burn. Also, it was found that flame stability limits reduce as methane partly replaces biodiesel in the flame

Oxygenated sunflower biodiesel: spectroscopic and emissions quantification under reacting swirl spray conditions

The spray combustion characteristics of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) biodiesel/methyl esters (SFME) and 50% SFME/diesel blend and diesel were investigated via a liquid swirl flame burner. The swirl flame was established at atmospheric condition by using a combined twin-fluid atomiser-swirler configuration at varied atomising air-to-liquid ratios (ALR) of 2.0–2.5. Diesel flame showed a sooty flame brush downstream of the main reaction zone, as opposed to the biodiesel flame which showed a non-sooty, bluish flame core. Biodiesel flame exhibited a more intense flame spectra with higher OH* radicals as compared to diesel. Higher preheating main swirl air temperature led to higher NO emission, while CO correspondingly decreased. Sunflower-derived biodiesel generally exhibited slightly higher NO and CO levels than diesel when compared at the same power output, mostly due to higher flame temperature and fuel chemistry effect. By increasing ALR, a significant reduction of NO and CO for both fuel types were concurrently achieved, presenting a strategy to control emissions and atomise biodiesel with higher viscosity under swirl combustion mode