Numerical Investigation of Fuel Dilution Effects on the Performance of the Conventional and the Highly Preheated and Diluted Air Combustion Furnaces

This numerical study investigates the effects of using a diluted fuel （50% natural gas and 50% N2） in an industrial furnace under several cases of conventional combustion （air with 21% O2 at 300 and 1273 K） and the highly preheated and diluted air （1273 K with 10% O2 and 90% N2） combustion （HPDAC） conditions using an in-house computer program. It was found that by applying a combined diluted fuel and oxidant instead of their uncombined and/or undiluted states, the best condition is obtained for the establishment of HPDAC＇s main unique features. These features are low mean and maximum gas temperature and high radiation/total heat transfer to gas and tubes; as well as more uniformity of theirs distributions which results in decrease in NOx pollutant formation and increase in furnace efficiency or energy saving. Moreover, a variety of chemical flame shape, the process fluid and tubes walls temperatures profiles, the required regenerator efficiency and finally the concentration and velocity patterns have been also qualitatively/quantitatively studied.

Experimental Study on Emission Control of Premixed Catalytic Combustion of Natural Gas Using Preheated Air

In this paper the premixed catalytic combustion emissions such as CO, unburned hydrocarbon (UHC), NOx and the temperature distribution in the catalytic monolith with ultra low concentration of Pd were studied. Three types of monoliths were used for experiments and the temperature of preheated air was respectively 50℃ , 100℃ and 200℃ . The results showed that preheated air made radial temperature in the catalytic monolith uniform which helped to avoid local hot spots so as to decrease NOx emission. The experiment also proved that the shorter monolith showed much better catalytic combustion performance than longer one and the temperature at the exit of the shorter monolith was relatively lower. On the contrary, the temperature was higher in the longer monolith and the lethal NOx emission was slightly increased.

Study on microstructures and properties of preheated flash butt welded SW400 steel joints

Under the spirit of sustainable development, ‘lightweight’ has been gradually included into the vehicle design criterion by many manufacturers and used in automobile production. Following this trend, domestic wheel suppliers also begin to study the technology of lightweight wheel. One way to achieve this goal is improving strength grade of the steel and optimizing the structure design in the field of steel wheels. But there are a few problems in flash butt welding process in the application of high strength steel, leading to high rejection rates. SW400 steel is a special high strength wheel steel developed by Benxi Steel. Taking SW400 steel as the research material, this article studys the feasibility of improving the properties of rim flash butt welded joints by adding preheating process.

Swelling behavior of hot preheated pellets in reduction roasting process

One kind of facile coal-based direct reduction process is using hot preheated pellets for reduction in grate kiln. In this work, effects of reduction parameters on swelling index of hot preheated pellets were investigated by photographic technique under isothermal conditions. Experimental results show that swelling index of pellets is firstly increased then gradually decreased with increasing reduction time, while that is found to be an obvious decrease from 175 % to 30% with the variation of temperature from 900℃ to 1100℃. Results of XRD combined with SEM reveal that swelling behavior of pellets is decided by structure of newly formed metal iron grains. The formation and growth of fibers iron grains promote the increase in volume. Low temperature and low CO content are favored to the formation and orientated growth of metal iron grains in the one step process.

Reaction zone characterization of counter-flow diffusion flame with diluted and preheated reactants

Reaction zone characteristics were studied using hydroxy radical planar laser-induced fluorescence （OH-PLIF） technique for a counter-flow preheated （CH4＋N2）/（Air＋N2） diluted diffusion flames. The effects of preheat temperature and dilute ratio on the reaction zone characteristics were investigated by demonstrating the OH intensity distribution and reaction zone thickness from OH-PLIF images. Under the experimental conditions of constant cold flow velocity, the results show that the OH intensity and reaction zone thickness decrease with the increase of dilute ratio at constant preheat temperature and increase with preheat temperature at fixed dilute ratio. The OH maximum intensity shifts towards the ＂lean＂ side of counter flow at constant preheat temperature, and it shifts towards the fuel side with the increase of dilute ratio of fuel stream and towards the oxidizer side with the increase of dilute ratio of oxidizer stream respectively. The feasibility of OH as a reaction zone marker in this diluted combustion is verified further. The variation of diffusion and chemical reaction rate of reactants due to preheat and dilution contributes to the reaction zone characteristics simultaneously. The effect of strain on the flame reaction zone should be included in the future work.

Performance Analysis of an Organic Rankine Cycle with a Preheated Ejector

The so-called organic Rankine cycle(ORC)is an effective technology allowing heat recovery from lower temperature sources.In the present study,to improve its thermal efficiency,a preheated ejector using exhaust steam coming from the expander is integrated in the cycle(EPORC).Considering net power output,pump power,and thermal efficiency,the proposed system is compared with the basic ORC.The influence of the ejector ratio(ER)of the preheated ejector on the system performances is also investigated.Results show that the net power output of the EPORC is higher than that of the basic ORC due to the decreasing pump power.Under given working conditions,the average thermal efficiency of EPORC is 29%higher than that of ORC.The ER has a great impact on the performance of EPORC by adjusting the working fluid fed to the pump,leading to significant variations of the pump work Moreover,the ER has a remarkable effect on the working fluid temperature lift(TL)at the evaporator inlet,thus reducing the evaporator heat load.According to the results,the thermal efficiency of EPORC increases by 30%,when the ER increases from 0.05 to 0.4.

Experimental Study on Preheated Combustion of Pulverized Semi-coke

In a test rig,pulverized semi-coke was preheated to 850℃in a circulating fluidized bed(CFB)and then cornbusted at 1100℃in a down-fired combustor(DFC).Experiments were conducted to reveal the effects of three secondary air nozzle cases(co-axial jet,top circular jet and wall circular jet)on the NO emission.The results show that the optimized secondary air nozzle can reduce NO emission.O_2 concentration profile is the major factor affecting NO generation and emission,which is led by the secondary air nozzle.The lower O_2 concentration led to the generation of lower initial NO.The NO emission at the exit of the DFC was reduced from 189 to 92mg/m^3(@6%O_2)with the decrease of initial generation.The peak of NO at 100 mm below the nozzle should be attributed to the oxidization of NH_3 in the syngas,rather than the oxidization of fuel-N in the char.The low and well-distributed O_2 concentration contributes to the reduction of initial NO,which helps to reduce the NO emission.The combustion effieiencies of the eases of the co-axial jet,the top circular jet,and the wall circular jet are97.88%,98.94%and 98.74%,respectively.

Experimental Study on Combustion Characteristics and NOX Emissions of Pulverized Anthracite Preheated by Circulating Fluidized Bed

A 30 kW bench-scale rig of pulverized anthracite combustion preheated by a circulating fluidized bed （CFB） was developed. The CFB riser has a diameter of 90 mm and a height of 1,500 mm. The down-fired combustion chamber （DFCC） has a diameter of 260 mm and a height of 3,000 mm. Combustion experiments were carded out using pulverized anthracite with 6.74% volatile content. This low volatile coal is difficult to ignite and burn out. Therefore, it requires longer burnout time and higher combustion temperature, which results in larger NOx emis- sions. In the current study, important factors that influence the combustion characteristics and NOx emissions were investigated such as excess air ratio, air ratio in the reducing zone, and fuel residence time in the reducing zone. Pulverized anthracite can be quickly preheated up to 800~C in CFB when the primary air is 24% of theo- retical air for combustion, and the temperature profile is uniform in DFCC. The combustion efficiency is 94.2%, which is competitive with other anthracite combustion technologies. When the excess air ratio ranges from 1.26 to 1.67, the coal-N conversion ratio is less than 32% and the NOx emission concentration is less than 371 mg/m^3 （@6% O2）. When the air ratio in the reducing zone is 0.12, the NOx concentration is 221 mg/m^3 （@6% O2）, and the coal-N conversion ratio is 21%, which is much lower than that of other boilers.

Combustion Characteristics of Coal Mine Methane in a Preheated-Burner Packed with Raschig Rings

The utilization of coal mine methane(CMM)through porous medium combustion(PMC)contributes to energy saving and environmental protection.In this paper,a double-layer porous medium burner with the combination of heat exchangers was designed to recycle the exhausted heat for preheating the inlet gas.The effects of Raschig ring sizes on the temperature distributions and pollutant emissions were studied under different operating conditions.The results indicate that the preheating of inlet gas greatly influenced the temperature distribution and the optimum preheating effect was shown in the burner of spiral heat exchanger together with lower pollutant emissions.With the increasing of inlet velocity and equivalence ratio,the peak temperature was increased significantly.As the Raschig ring size increased,the flame temperature increased first and then decreased gradually.Meanwhile,the highest temperature and lowest average emissions of NOx and CO appeared in the burner of 10 mm Raschig rings.This study will provide the CMM utilization engineering with the theoretical foundation on PMC.

Effect of hot isostatic pressure on the microstructure and tensile properties of γ'-strengthened superalloy fabricated through induction-assisted directed energy deposition

The microstructure characteristics and strengthening mechanism of Inconel738LC(IN-738LC) alloy prepared by using induction-assisted directed energy deposition(IDED) were elucidated through the investigation of samples subjected to IDED under 1050℃ preheating with and without hot isostatic pressing(HIP,1190℃,105 MPa,and 3 h).Results show that the as-deposited sample mainly consisted of epitaxial columnar crystals and inhomogeneously distributed γ’ phases in interdendritic and dendritic core regions.After HIP,grain morphology changed negligibly,whereas the size of the γ’ phase became increasingly even.After further heat treatment(HT,1070℃,2 h + 845℃,24 h),the γ’ phase in the as-deposited and HIPed samples presented a bimodal size distribution,whereas that in the as-deposited sample showed a size that remained uneven.The comparison of tensile properties revealed that the tensile strength and uniform elongation of the HIP + HTed sample increased by 5% and 46%,respectively,due to the synergistic deformation of bimodal γ’phases,especially large cubic γ’ phases.Finally,the relationship between phase transformations and plastic deformations in the IDEDed sample was discussed on the basis of generalized stability theory in terms of the trade-off between thermodynamics and kinetics.

Study on Activation System of Thermostatic Preheating Engine

Innovatively addressing the challenge of difficult winter starts for vehicles in northern regions,this study has developed a Thermally Controlled Preheating Engine Activation System.This system ingeniously integrates a thermal insulation kettle,an efficient water pump,precision valves,and temperature sensors,all closely linked with the engine’s coolant circulation system.In cold environments,the system automatically initiates a preheating mechanism by circulating and heating the coolant,significantly enhancing engine startup efficiency and reducing wear caused by cold starts.The anticipated outcome of this research is to substantially improve the operational reliability of vehicles in cold climates,extend their lifespan,promote energy conservation and emissions reduction,and drive the automotive industry towards greener,more efficient,and intelligent technologies,thus laying a solid foundation for industry upgrades and transformation.

The Numerical Simulation of the Flow Field in a Cold Model of Five-stage Cyclone Preheater and Precalciner System

The flow field in a cold model of 2500 t/d five-stage cyclone preheater and precalciner system was numerically simulated. Renault stress model (RSM) turbulent model was adopted to simulate the flow field, and a hybrid mesh scheme was selected to generate calculation mesh. With the first order upwind difference, finite-volume method was used to convert turbulent equations into difference equations pressure-velocity coupling which were solved by the classic simple algorithm, and during the course of numerical solution, mesh self-adapting technology was applied. The main flow field structures of the whole system and each part of the cold model were studied by analyzing the simulation results.

Effect of preheat on TIG welding of AZ61 magnesium alloy

The effects of preheat treatments on the microstructures and mechanical properties of tungsten inert gas （TIG）-welded AZ61 magnesium alloy joints were studied by microstructural observations, microhardness tests and tensile tests. The results showed that the vol- ume fraction of the lamellar β-Mg17（Al,Zn）12 intermetallic compound of in fusion zone （FZ） increased from 15% to 66% with an increase in preheat temperature. Moreover, the microhardness of the FZ and the ultimate tensile strength of the welded joints reached their maximum values when the preheat temperature was 300℃ because more lamellar β-Mg17（Al,Zn）12 intermetallic compounds were distributed at the α-Mg grain boundaries and no cracks and pores formed in the FZ of the welded joint.

Preparation and performance of a cold gas dynamic sprayed high-aluminum bronze coating

By mixing preheated high-aluminum bronze powders with different amounts of Al_2O_3 powder, a low-pressure cold-sprayed coating was prepared and sprayed onto a Cr12MoV steel substrate. The hardness of the coating and the bonding strength between the coating and the substrate were tested with a HV-1000 microhardness tester and a mechanical universal testing machine. The surface microstructure, cross-section and tensile fracture surface of the coating were observed with a scanning electron microscope(SEM). Correspondingly, the influences of the preheat treatment temperature of the bronze powder and the Al_2O_3 content on the coating performance were investigated. The results indicate that the hardness of bronze powders decreased and the coating deposition rate increased after the preheating treatment of the bronze powder. The Al_2O_3 content in the mixed powders contributed to the deformation of bronze powders during the spraying process. This trend resulted in varied performance of the coating.

Research on prediction model of formation temperature of ammonium bisulfate in air preheater of coal-fired power plant

Ammonium bisulfate(ABS)is a viscous compound produced by the escape NH_(3) in the NO reduction process and SO_(3) in the flue gas at a certain temperature,which can cause the ash corrosion of the air preheater in coal-fired power plants.Therefore,it is essential to study the formation temperature of ABS to prevent the deposition of ABS in air preheaters.In this paper,the SO_(3) reaction kinetic model is used to analyze the SO_(3) generation process from coal combustion to the selective catalytic reduction(SCR)exit stage,and the kinetic model of NO reduction is used to analyze the NH_(3) escape process.A prediction model for calculating the ABS formation temperature based on the S content in coal and NO reduction parameters of the SCR is proposed,solving the difficulty of measuring SO_(3) concentration and NH_(3) concentration in the previous calculation equation of ABS formation temperature.And the reliability of the model is verified by the actual data of the power plant.Then the influence of S content in coal,NH_(3)/NO_(x) molar ratio,different NO_(x) concentrations at SCR inlet,and NO removal efficiency on the formation temperature of ABS are analyzed.

Effect of melt-to-solid volume ratio and preheating temperature on Mg/Al bimetals interface by centrifugal casting

Compound casting is an efficient method for bonding dissimilar metals,in which a dramatic reaction can occur between the melt and solid.The centrifugal casting process,a type of compound casting,was applied to cast Al/Mg dissimilar bimetals.Magnesium melt was poured at 700 °C,with melt-to-solid volume ratios(Vm/Vs) of 1.5 and 3,into a preheated hollow aluminum cylinder.The preheating temperatures of the solid part were 320,400,and 450 °C,and the constant rotational speed was 1,600 rpm.The cast parts were kept inside the casting machine until reaching the cooling temperature of 150 °C.The result showed that an increase in preheating temperature from 320 to 450 °C led to an enhanced reaction layer thickness.In addition,an increase in the Vm/Vs from 1.5 to 3 resulted in raising the interface thickness from 1.2 to 1.8 mm.Moreover,the interface was not continuously formed when a Vm/Vs of 3 was selected.In this case,the force of contraction overcame the resultant acting force on the interface.An interface formed at the volume ratio of 1.5 was examined using scanning electron microscopy(SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS),and the results demonstrated the formation of Al_(3)Mg_(2),Al_(12)Mg_(17) and(δ+Al_(12)Mg_(17)) eutectic structures in the interface.

Drying and preheating processes of iron ore pellets in a traveling grate

A mathematical model of drying and preheating processes in a traveling grate was presented based on the laws of mass, momen- tum, heat transfer, and drying semiempirical relations. A field test was systematically carried out in a traveling grate. The effects of pellet diameter, moisture, grate velocity, and inlet gas temperature on the pellet bed temperature were studied. The average relative error between actual measurements and simulations is less than 7.97%, indicating the validity of the model.

Effects of pin angle and preheating on temperature distribution during friction stir welding operation

Friction stir welding （FSW） is applied extensively in industry for joining of nonferrous metals especially aluminum. A three-dimensional model based on finite element analysis was used to study the thermal characteristic of copper C I 1000 during the FSW process. The model incorporates the mechanical reaction of the tool and thermo-mechanieal characteristics of the weld material, while the friction between the material and the probe and the shoulder serves as the heat source. It was observed that the predicted results about the temperature were in good compatibility with the experimental results. Additionally, it was concluded that the numerical method can be simply applied to measuring the temperature of workpiece just beneath the tool. The effects of preheating temperature and pin angle on temperature distribution were also studied numerically. The increase of pin angle enhances the temperature around the weld line, but preheating does not affect temperature distribution along the weld line considerably.

Metallurgical behavior and variation of vibro-acoustic signal during preheating assisted friction stir welding between AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T651 alloys

The present work investigated the effects of pin profiles(cylindrical and square),pin eccentricity(0.5 mm and 1 mm)in cylindrical tool and preheating(secondary heating)on metallurgical behavior,variation of vibro-acoustic signal pattern and joint strength during friction stir welding(FSW)between AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T651 alloys.The eccentric tool pins were observed to provide good flowability and intermixing between dissimilar metals,increased the size of stir zone,and the grains in stir zone were sufficiently finer with eccentric tool pin than concentric pin.The magnitude of vibro-acoustic signal increased when shoulder plunging started and drop in signal was noted when the tool shoulder reached its desired depth.The signal magnitude was noted to be higher in welding stage compared to tool plunging stage as the tool took in fresh material during tool movement along the weld path.Preheating the workpiece prior to pin plunging and during welding notably influenced the flow behavior and mixing pattern,and the grains in stir zone were slightly coarser than those in specimen without preheating.Significant reduction in the magnitude of the signal was also observed after preheating.Tensile and flexural strength of joints were also improved slightly when additional heating was employed.

Estimation of deformed laser heat sources and thermal analysis on laser assisted turning of square member

Laser assisted machining （LAM） has difficulties in estimating temperature after applying a LAM process due to its very small heat input area, large energy and movement. In particular, in the case of laser assisted turning （LAT） process, it is more difficult to estimate the temperature after preheating because it has a shape of ellipse when a laser heat source is rotated. A prediction method and thermal analysis method for heat source shapes were proposed as a square shaped member was preheated. The temperature distribution was calculated according to the rotation of the member. Compared with the results of the former study, the maximum temperature of the calculation results, 1 407.1 ℃, is 8.5 ℃ higher than that of the square member, which is 1 398.6 ℃. In a LAT process for a square member, the maximum temperature is 1 850.8 ℃. It is recognized that a laser power control process is required because square members show a maximum temperature that exceeds a melting temperature at around a vertex of the member according to the rotation.