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Large eddy simulation of two-phase reacting turbulent flow in a pilot-scale pulverized coal combustion furnace with flamelet model

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Abstract

A three-dimensional numerical simulation was performed to investigate the physics and combustion characteristics of a two-phase reacting turbulent flow in a pilot-scale pulverized coal combustion furnace. This included an elementary reaction mechanism using an extended flamelet/progress variable (EFPV) method. The simulation was validated via comparison with an experiment in terms of the gaseous temperature and distribution of the gas mole fraction. The EFPV method predicted the flame structure and combustion characteristics of the pulverized coal. In the main reaction zone where the released gas combustion was dominant, two separate combustion regions were observed, and they were attributed to hydrocarbons and CO combustion. Gas flow characteristics such as mixing of low temperature gas and hot burnt gas were well described in the inner recirculation zone. The CO2 conversion reaction to CO occurred slowly and decreased the gaseous temperature beyond the main reaction zone in the low and zero oxygen environments. The simulation predicted the unburned CO combustion correctly beyond the flame when staged air was injected; however, the combustion rate was overestimated due to the fundamental assumption of the EFPV method, attributable to the limitations of the steady state flamelet approach.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Japan) as a “Priority issue on Post-K computer” (Accelerated Development of Innovative Clean Energy Systems), Project ID: hp160220, hp170273, hp180203, and hp190166.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    Seongyool Ahn, Panlong Yu, Hiroaki Watanabe & Toshiaki Kitagawa

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8540, Japan

    Ryoichi Kurose

  3. Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), 2-6-1 Nagasaka, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 240-0196, Japan

    Kenji Tanno

Authors
  1. Seongyool Ahn
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  2. Panlong Yu
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  3. Hiroaki Watanabe
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  4. Ryoichi Kurose
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  5. Kenji Tanno
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  6. Toshiaki Kitagawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seongyool Ahn.

Additional information

Seongyool Ahn received a Ph.D. in 2013 from Pusan National University, Korea. He is a Research Professor at Pusan National University. His research interests include numerical simulation of multiphase turbulent combustion and recent energy system.

Panlong Yu received a Ph.D. in 2019 from Kyushu University, Japan. He is an Assistant Researcher at Department of Advanced Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyushu University from 2020. His research interests include modeling and simulation of turbulent combustion.

Hiroaki Watanabe received a Ph.D. in 2008 from Kyoto University, Japan. He is a Professor at Department of Advanced Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyushu University from 2019. His research interests include modeling and simulation of multiphase turbulent combustion.

Ryoichi Kurose received a Ph.D. in 1998 from Kyushu University, Japan. He is a Professor of Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Science, Kyoto University. His research interests include turbulent combustion and multiphase flows.

Kenji Tanno received a Ph.D. in 2007 from Kyoto University, Japan. He is a Research Scientist at Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry. His research interests include numerical simulation and laser diagnostics of multiphase turbulent combustion.

Toshiaki Kitagawa received a Doctor of Engineering in 1989 from Kyushu University, Japan. He is a Professor, Reactive Gas Dynamics Lab, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Kyushu University. His research interests include laminar and turbulent flame properties and combustion in engines.

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Ahn, S., Yu, P., Watanabe, H. et al. Large eddy simulation of two-phase reacting turbulent flow in a pilot-scale pulverized coal combustion furnace with flamelet model. J Mech Sci Technol 35, 2209–2218 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-021-0437-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-021-0437-z

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