Numerical study of the impact of tailored porous media design on syngas production from methane-rich combustion
Yann Roussel, Pierre-Lou Billerot, R. Lemaire, Patrice Seers
Abstract
This numerical study investigates the impact of four proposed porous burner designs, which are based on a diamond lattice structure similar to what could be obtained with additive manufacturing technology, on H2/CO syngas production. The performances of all the burners were compared, and the results showed that for a given porosity, the recirculation efficiency increased with increasing the pore density. Decreasing the porosity by a factor 2 increased the recirculation efficiency thanks to the presence of higher thermal inertia and local temperature, which allowed to achieve a 53% fuel conversion. Promising results were obtained with the new linearly varying pore diameter matrix, with an observed conversion efficiency of 63% and a reduction in the soot precursor production. This latter behavior itself resulted from an increase in the size of the reaction zone, where elevated temperatures led to high concentrations of H2 and to the partial oxidation of C2 species.