Electric Field Impact on the Biomass Gasification and Combustion Dynamics

Authors: M. Zake, I. Barmina, A. Kolmickovs, R. Valdmanis

Abstract:

Experimental investigations of the DC electric field effect on thermal decomposition of biomass, formation of the axial flow of volatiles (CO, H2, CxHy), mixing of volatiles with swirling airflow at low swirl intensity (S ≈ 0.2-0.35), their ignition and on formation of combustion dynamics are carried out with the aim to understand the mechanism of electric field influence on biomass gasification, combustion of volatiles and heat energy production. The DC electric field effect on combustion dynamics was studied by varying the positive bias voltage of the central electrode from 0.6 kV to 3 kV, whereas the ion current was limited to 2 mA. The results of experimental investigations confirm the field-enhanced biomass gasification with enhanced release of volatiles and the development of endothermic processes at the primary stage of thermochemical conversion of biomass determining the field-enhanced heat energy consumption with the correlating decrease of the flame temperature and heat energy production at this stage of flame formation. Further, the field-enhanced radial expansion of the flame reaction zone correlates with a more complete combustion of volatiles increasing the combustion efficiency by 3% and decreasing the mass fraction of CO, H2 and CxHy in the products, whereas by 10% increases the average volume fraction of CO2 and the heat energy production downstream the combustor increases by 5-10% 

Keywords: Biomass, combustion, electrodynamic control, gasification.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1107405

References:

[1] L. David Roper. Future World Energy, 2015. http://www.roperld.com/science/energyfuture.htm
[2] J. Capellan-Perez, M. Mediavilla, C. de Castro, O. Carpintero, L.J. Miguel. Fossil fuel depletion and socio-economic scenarios: an integrated approach, Energy, 2014, vol. 77, pp. 641-666.
[3] Roger A. Sedjo. Comparative life cycle assessments: carbon neutrality and wood biomass energy, Resurces for the Future DP13-11, Washington, 2013, pp. 1-21, http://www.rff.org/RFF/Documents/RFFDP-13-11.pdf
[4] M. Zaķe, I. Barmina, V. Krishko, M. Gedrovics, A. Descņickis. Experimental Study of the Combustion Dynamics of Renewable & Fossil Fuel Co-Fire in Swirling Flame. Latvian Journal of Physics and Technical Science, Nr. 6, 2009, pp. 3-15. http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/lpts.2009.46.issue-6/v10047-009- 0024-z/v10047-009-0024-z.xml
[5] Gray Davis, Biomass Co- firing with Natural Gas in California, report P500-02-050F, 2002, pp.36: http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/2002-11- 12_500-02-050F.PDF
[6] Barmina I., Lickrastina A., Purmalis M., Zake M., Valdmanis R., Valdmanis J., Effect of biomass high-frequency pre-treatment on combustion characteristics// Chemical Engineering Transactions, vol.29, 2012, pp. 895-900.
[7] B. Lanigan, V. Budarin, J. Clark, P. Shuttleworth, F. Deswarte, A. Wilson. Microwave processing as a green and energy efficient technology of energy and chemicals from biomass and energy crops. Aspects of Applied Biology, vol. 90 (2008), pp. 277-282.
[8] J. Lawton and F. Weinberg, Electrical Aspects of Combustion, Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK, 1969.
[9] Jaggers H.C., Von Engel A., 1971, The Effect of Electric Fields on the Burning Velocity of Various Flames. In: Combustion and Flame, vol. 16, 275-285.
[10] M. Zake, I. Barmina, A. Meijere, Electric Control of Combustion and Formation of Polluting Emissions by Co-Firing the Renewable with Fossil Fuel, Magentohydrodynamics, 2005, N3, pp. 255-271.
[11] I. Barmina, A. Desnickis, M. Zake,The Influence of the Electric Field on the Development of the Swirling Flame Velocity Field and Combustion Characteristics, Journal of Heat Transfer Research, vol. 39, N 5, 2008, begell housepublishers, pp.371-378.
[12] I. Barmina, M. Zaķe, R. Valdmanis, Electric Field-Induced Variations of Combustion Dynamics, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 2014, vol. 39, pp.1531-1536.
[13] M.Abricka, I. Barmina, R. Valdmanis, M. Zaķe, Experimental and numerical study of swirling flows and flame dynamics, Latvian Journal of Physics and Technical Sciences, 2014, vol. 4, 25-41.
[14] J. Colannino (2012), Electrodynamic Combustion ControlTM Technology, A Clear Sign White Paper, pp. 1-11, ClearSign Combustion Corporation, Seattle, www.clearsigncombustion.com
[15] M. Zake, D. Turlajs, M. Purmals. Electric field control of NOx formation in the flame channel flows, Global Nest: the International Journal, vol. 2, N1, 99-109.