Investigation of thermal radiation enhancement from alternative fuel flames in industrial furnaces (Rad2Fun)

Investigation of thermal radiation enhancement from alternative fuel flames in industrial furnaces (Rad2Fun)

In order to achieve the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, fossil fuel should be substituted with low/zero carbon fuels (biogas (CH4/CO2), syngas (H2/CO), hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3)). However, fossil fuel substitution with alternative ones could be challenging for energy intensive industries like glass manufacturing due two reasons. The first one: combustion of low or zero carbon fuels results in completely new combustion conditions which in turn could result in reduction of heat transfer by thermal radiation due to the low propensity to form soot in the flame, reduced concentrations of emitters and changes in the flame emissivity; and the second: the glass industry involve high-temperature processes of raw materials conversion to glass melt, in which thermal radiation plays a significant role in the glass production and quality. In this context, the main idea and novelty associated with the project is the adaption of enhancement methods like oxygen/hydrogen/ozone enrichment, non-thermal plasma-assisted on alternatives fuel combustion to ensure significant thermal radiation from flames for fossil fuel substitution in existing industrial furnaces and gained knowledge on tendencies/mechanisms of luminous and non-luminous radiation from alternative fuel flames. According to scientific literature, methods like oxy-fuel, oxygen or hydrogen enrichment or non-thermal plasma application is mainly allocated to ensure combustion stability, enhance flame speed and reduce pollutant emissions. However, the influence of these methods on radiative characteristics of low/zero carbon fuels is insufficiently investigated and only a number of works focus on this topic. In this case, the project aim is to investigate a set of methods (plasma-assisted combustion, oxygen/ozone enrichment, low/zero carbon fuel blends) that influence and ensure significant thermal radiation from flames of alternative fuels featuring weaker radiative properties compared the hydrocarbon flames.

Funding was provided by the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), contract no. S-MIP-23-116.

Period: 2023 04 07 – 2026 03 31