Methane reforming and its potential effect on the efficiency and pollutantemissions of lean methane-air combustion

Results of ongoing studies of methane reforming for power generation applic ations are discussed. Design calculations are presented for a hybrid proces s (termed CRGT) involving chemical recuperation for power generation, and c ombining both reactive separation and combustion. Results are also presente d from a parallel investigation, whose goal is to quantify the effect of th e operational characteristics of the CRGT process on methane combustion. Th is study focuses on the dynamics and structure of lean mixtures of air with CH4/H-2/CO/CO2, a fuel mixture of relevance to CRGT. Experiments are carri ed out in the single jet-wall, stagnation flow configuration using laser Do ppler velocimetry for the determination of the axial velocity profiles. The concentrations of stable species are measured by mass spectrometry, nitrog en oxides are measured by chemiluminescence, and the temperature distributi on along the centerline is measured using fine-wire thermocouples. Numerica l simulations are conducted solving the steady-state mass, momentum, energy and species conservation equations for the stagnation streamline in a fini te domain with the addition of radiation transfer. The experimental results compare favorably with the predicted ones. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.