Better syngas burning
Syngas (synthesis gas) is a mixture of gases, including mainly hydrogen plus carbon compounds, and an intermediate stage in the creation of synthetic natural gas. Although syngas yields less than half the energy of natural gas, it is combustible and thus useful as a renewable fuel. The EU encourages such use, although in premixed form, which is more efficient than mixing air and fuel immediately prior to combustion. The EU-funded SYNGAS (Numerical characterization and modelling of syngas combustion) project resolved several combustion problems with premixed syngas. The group also developed the necessary modelling techniques and validated the results. Work stages included modelling syngas laminar flames, incorporating effect of gas composition, flame temperature and various flow situations. The team also developed a turbulent reactive flow model, applied to syngas jet flames. The OpenFOAM code was modified to reflect the influence of high pressures on turbulent burning velocities and diffusion effects. Researchers created a turbulent reacting flow model, which realistically reflected the physical and chemical processes in flame development. Lastly, the consortium verified and validated the models with published data across a range of scenarios. The work of SYNGAS renders the fuel usage of syngas more efficient and less polluting. Such work also helps foster EU environmental and other targets, and to make the resource more versatile.
Keywords
Syngas, combustion, renewable fuel, turbulent reactive flow
