NUMERICAL MODELING CAPABILITIES FOR THE SIMULATION OF TOXIC BY-PRODUCTS FORMATION IN COMBUSTION PROCESSES

A collaborative research program has been initiated to study the emiss ions of a wide variety of chemical species from stationary combustion systems. These product species have been included in Clean Air act leg islation and their emissions must be rigidly controlled, but there is a need for a much better understanding of the physical and chemical me chanisms that produce and consume them. We are using numerical modelin g techniques to study the chemical reactions and fluid mechanical fact ors that occur in industrial burners. We are examining systems includi ng perfectly-stirred and plug-flow reactors, and diffusion flames in t hese modeling studies to establish the major factors leading to emissi ons of these chemicals.