International Journal of Thermal Sciences 44 (2005) 973–985

www.elsevier.com/locate/ijts
Numerical simulation of properties of a LPG flame
with high-temperature air
Weihong Yang , Wlodzimierz Blasiak
Division of Energy and Furnace Technology, Department of Material Science and En
gineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH),
Brinellvägen 23, S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Received 4 May 2004; received in revised form 7 March 2005; accepted 7 March 200
5
Available online 25 April 2005
Abstract
This work is connected with properties of a flame obtained by combustion of liqu
ified propane gas (LPG) with highly preheated air using
a regenerative burner. The attention is focused on both the size and shape of th
e flame and the results were obtained in a semi-industrial furnace
equipped with a regenerative burner system. Results of the CFD-based mathematica
l modeling have been compared with measurements of a
number of parameters including the furnace-wall temperature and the concentratio
ns of gaseous species in the furnace. The results indicate
that the flame spread can be well predicted using the numerical model. A flame e
ntrainment ratio has been proposed here for describing and
classifying the physical changes of the flame shape. This ratio can be used to o
ptimize the diameter and length of a combustion chamber for
specific applications. It is also found that equipping a furnace with a regenera
tive burner can provide a high saving energy, a larger flame
volume and a lower emission of NO. It has been obtained that a lower excess air
ratio leads to a low peak temperature and a larger flame
volume, thus a lower NO emission.
2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
Keywords: High-temperature air combustion; Flame; Regenerative burner; Numerical
simulation; NO emission
1. Introduction
Combining of maximum waste heat recovery by the highcycle
regenerator and controlled mixing of highly preheated
combustion air with burned gases has become increasingly
attractive over recent years [1–3]. This technology, called
as high temperature air combustion (HiTAC) [2], flameless
oxidation (FLOX) [3], or Mild combustion [4], offers significantly
increased energy efficiency, very low CO, CO2 and
NOx emissions and high quality of the product at increased
production rate.
The two main solutions for the industrial applications of
this combustion technology currently used feature either a
one or a two-flame system [5]. One-flame HiTAC system
is characterized by a single flame created by the same one
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +46 8 790 8402, fax: + 46 8 20 76 81.
E-mail addresses: weihong@mse.kth.se (W. Yang),
blasiak@mse.kth.se (W. Blasiak).
fuel nozzle surrounded by air inlets and flue gas outlets.
This single flame develops along the axis of the fuel-jet nozzle
during cooling and heating periods of the regenerator.
In two-flame HiTAC system, there are two separated highcycle
regenerative burners. The flame can be shifted from
one burner to another in accordance with the switching time
between the heating and cooling periods of the regenerator.
Both advantages and a high efficiency of the HiTAC technology
have been already identified in a number of semiindustrial
and industrial-scale experiments [1–3,5–14].
Mathematical modeling of the HiTAC technology has
also followed these studies. Orsino et al. [15] assessed the
abilities of exiting combustion models to predict characteristics
of the HiTAC technology in the semi-industrial
or industrial furnace. They reported that the existed numerical
models, for instance, Eddy-Break-Up model, Eddy-
Dissipation Concept model with chemical equilibrium, and
a pdf/mixture fraction model with equilibrium, can correctly
reproduce the characteristics of the high temperature air
1290-0729/$ – see front matter 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2005.03.001