Numerical investigation of a porous matrix combustor-heater

This article is concerned with the transient behavior and thermal performan ce of a porous matrix combustor-heater in which combustion and heat transfe r among the different phases (i.e., the solid matrix, the gas flowing in th e packed bed, and the coolant flowing through the tubes) are considered. Th e governing equations for describing combustion and heat transfer processes are nonlinear and coupled. Under the assumption that axial flow of the gas is predominant, these equations are numerically solved for a typical cell in order to obtain the transient three-dimensional distributions of tempera tures and of the fuel mass fraction. The numerical algorithm developed prov ides the tools for analyzing the effects of operating and geometrical param eters on the performance of a porous matrix combustor-heater and for optimi zing design and operation of the unit Numerical results for some examples a re given.