Course code: wb4405

Course name: Fuel Conversion

This concerns a Course

ECTS credit points: 3

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technology

Section of Thermal Power Engineering

Lecturer(s): Jong, dr. ir. W. de

Tel.:  015 - 27 89476

Catalog data:

Combustion, gasification, coal, oil, gases, alternative solid fuels, reserves, combustion calculations, flame stability, ignition aspects, flame front, flameless combustion, large scale boilers, emission control, advanced gas-solid separation techniques, measurement techniques, modeling aspects of basic thermochemical reactors.

Course year:

MSc 1^st year

Course language:

English

In case of Dutch: Please contact the lecturer about an English alternative, whenever needed.

Semester:

1A

Hours per week:

4

Other hours:

0

Assessment:

Written exam

Assessment period:

1A / August

(see academic calendar)

Prerequisites (course codes):

wb1220, wb1321

Follow up (course codes):

wb4422

Detailed description of topics:

Fossil fuels are still the most important energy sources for heat and power generation and this situation will remain so for the next decades. The fundamentals of (large) flames, applied in energy conversion systems, are dealt with in this lecture series. Mixing in free and enclosed turbulent jet flames due to eddy diffusivity and molecular diffusion together with form the basis for industrial flames. The combustion rate of different fuels and ignition mechanisms are dealt with. Here, the flame stabilisation mechanism plays an important role, being bluff body or flame rotation stabilisation or a combination. Also, the fuel preparation mode is important. Coals have to be milled and liquid fuels must be atomised. Preheating of fuel and air are significant aspects of thermochemical fuel conversion processes. Some fuel characteristics, such as the volatile content in coals determine the reaction behaviour. The environmentally harmful emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx) depends on process temperatures, pressure, fuel composition and the mixing characteristics of air and fuel. This topic is dealt with in the important subject "emission control". Several different boiler types are applied in industry and power production. The main types are briefly discussed including operational aspects in this lecture series. Alternative fuels and processes for a sustainable future power and heat generation are dealt with in the topic "biomass for energy production". The emission constraints for these special fuels are treated here. Basic and advanced measurement techniques applied in e.g. furnaces, boilers and stacks are addressed as a separate topic as well. Finally, modelling of basic reactors, which are applied in heat and power producing systems, is discussed.

Course material:

• An Introduction to Combustion - concepts and applications, second edition Stephen R. Turns, McGraw-Hill International editions, ISBN 0-07-235044-X (book bound with disk)
• Handouts (available on blackboard)

References from literature:

• Coal : typology, physics, chemistry, constitution / by D. W. van Krevelen. - 3., completely rev. ed.. - Amsterdam : Elsevier, 1993. - XXI, 979 S. : Ill., graph. Darst.; (engl.) ISBN 0-444-89586-8

Remarks assessment, entry requirements, etc.:

Sign up for the course via blackboard

Learning goals:

The student must be able to:

1. to classify fuels according to their elemental composition, origin, production method, phase and applications

2. to set up reaction equations for a wide range of energy production related fuel conversion processes and perform balance calculations on mass, molar and volumetric basis

3. perform basic ideal gas phase chemical reaction equilibrium calculations to calculate product compositions and extents of reactions

4. describe reaction kinetic expressions concerning atomic, molecular and radical species and apply them in order to solve problems related to the primary conversion of fuels and the formation of emission components

5. demonstrate basic knowledge of mass and heat transfer phenomena applied to the chemical conversion of both liquid and solid fuels

6. derive equations for idealised model reactors (well-stirred reactor and plug flow reactor concepts) and apply these reactor concepts to solve engineering problems related to the thermal conversion of fuels

7. explain the concept of the laminar flame and to calculate its characteristic parameters, like laminar flame speed, flame length and thickness

8. describe the technology of fluidised bed reactors and perform calculations of the basic design parameters for such reactors, like the minimum fluidisation velocity, terminal velocity, superficial gas velocity and transport disengagement height

9. define and justify the selection of appropriate analysis and characterization techniques for a given thermal conversion system of a wide range of fuels

Computer use:

some exercises

Laboratory project(s):

-

Design content:

Consruction aspects of burners/reactors for different fuels with application in furnaces and boilers.

Percentage of design:  25%