Performance analysis of bioethanol (Water Hyacinth) on diesel engine

The increasing consumption and excessive extraction of conventional fuels is the matter of serious concern. Nowadays, world is looking for alternative sources of fuel which can partially replace conventional fuel dependence. The current investigation intends to provide evaluation of bio-ethanol preparation from Water Hyacinth (WH) and its influence on diesel engine performance under various operating conditions. This study explores the extraction of glucose from WH (Eichhornia crassipes) pretreated with sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) for production of bio-ethanol. For the production of bio-ethanol different concentrations of H₂SO₄ acid hydrolysate (1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) were prepared which was then followed by fermentation with cellulose fermenting yeasts. From results, it was observed that 4% H₂SO₄ acid hydrolysis produces higher concentrations of ethanol than other concentrations. Bio-ethanol extracted from WH was blended with diesel in different proportions (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) v/v and performance and emissions were experimentally investigated on single cylinder diesel engine under various load conditions. Experimental results show that 5 BED [5% bio-ethanol (WH + 95%diesel v/v) and 10BED (10% bio-ethanol (WH + 90%diesel v/v)] produces higher brake power, brake thermal efficiency and brake mean effective pressure with improved exhaust emission profiles than any other blend.     

长沙市空气自动站周边区域大气污染物排放源清单

以长沙市空气自动站周边3 km为研究对象,基于统计年鉴和实地调查,获得了该地区2015年储存运输源、废弃物处理源、工艺过程源、化石燃料固定燃烧源、农业源、生物质燃烧源、扬尘源、移动源8个源类的活动水平数据。以大气污染物排放源清单编制技术指南为依据,建立了2015年长沙市空气自动站周边3 km区域NH_3、NO_x、PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)、SO_2、VOCs等6项污染物的源排放清单。结果表明,2015年长沙空气自动站周边3 km内,8类大气污染源排放的NH_3、NO_x、PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)、SO_2、VOCs总量分别为53.65t、4 899.35t、1 846.09t、6 257.75t、989.49t、4 383.31t。NH_3、NO_x、PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)、SO_2、VOCs排放量最大的源分别是农业源、移动源、扬尘源、扬尘源、化石燃料固定燃烧源和移动源,贡献率分别为98.45%、84.24%、60.82%、85.90%、97.33%、49.88%。优化道路交通、减少燃煤、减少建筑工地扬尘排放可促进长沙市空气自动站周边空气质量改善。     

Chemical-looping with oxygen uncoupling for combustion of solid fuels

Chemical-looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) is a novel method to burn solid fuels in gas-phase oxygen without the need for an energy intensive air separation unit. The carbon dioxide from the combustion is inherently separated from the rest of the flue gases. CLOU is based on chemical-looping combustion (CLC) and involves three steps in two reactors, one air reactor where a metal oxide captures oxygen from the combustion air (step 1), and a fuel reactor where the metal oxide releases oxygen in the gas-phase (step 2) and where this gas-phase oxygen reacts with a fuel (step 3). In other proposed schemes for using chemical-looping combustion of solid fuels there is a need for an intermediate gasification step of the char with steam or carbon dioxide to form reactive gaseous compounds which then react with the oxygen carrier particles. The gasification of char with H₂O and CO₂ is inherently slow, resulting in slow overall rates of reaction. This slow gasification is avoided in the proposed process, since there is no intermediate gasification step needed and the char reacts directly with gas-phase oxygen. The process demands an oxygen carrier which has the ability to react with the oxygen in the combustion air in the air reactor but which decomposes to a reduced metal oxide and gas-phase oxygen in the fuel reactor. Three metal oxide systems with suitable thermodynamic properties have been identified, and a thermal analysis has shown that Mn₂O₃/Mn₃O₄ and CuO/Cu₂O have suitable thermodynamic properties, although Co₃O₄/CoO may also be a possibility. However, the latter system has the disadvantage of an overall endothermic reaction in the fuel reactor. Results from batch laboratory fluidized bed tests with CuO and a gaseous and solid fuel are presented. The reaction rate of petroleum coke is approximately a factor 50 higher using CLOU in comparison to the reaction rate of the same fuel with an iron-based oxygen carrier in normal CLC.     

Updraft gasification of juniper wood biomass using CO2–O2 and Air (N2–O2)

Biomass gasification is being considered as one of the most promising technologies for converting low-quality solid biomass fuel into gaseous fuel. Redberry juniper (Juniperus pinchotii), one of the woody species that dominate uncultivated lands in the southern great plains, USA, may have a great potential for bioenergy utilization. In this study, the results of gasification of juniper are presented. Juniper wood chips were gasified in an adiabatic fixed bed updraft gasifier using air and the mixture gas of carbon dioxide and oxygen (CO₂:O₂) as gasification medium. The effect of gasification parameters such as moisture contents, gasification mediums, and gasification temperature on produced gas properties and the tar yield were investigated. It was observed that oxy fuel gasification (the reaction of woody fuels with carbon dioxide) of juniper resulted in the increase of production of carbon monoxide, especially at higher peak gasification temperatures. As a result, the CO₂ gasification resulted in producing higher heating value gas (6264 kJ/nm³ with dilution of CO₂ and 19,750 kJ/nm³ inert free) compared to air gasification. For air gasification, it was observed that the updraft gasification produced large amount of the tar in the product gas (more than 100 g/nm³) for the fuels with moisture content between 6% and 11%. Generally, the tar yield increased with the increase of equivalence ratio (er) and moisture content. However, when the fuel moisture content reached 23.5%, the tar yield reduced significantly due low gasification temperature which reduced the less tar cracking.     

Effects of fuel reactivity and injection timing on diesel engine combustion and emissions

Recent strategies for simultaneously reducing NOx and soot emissions have focused on achieving nearly premixed, low-temperature combustion (LTC) in diesel engines. A promising approach in this regard is to vary fuel reactivity in order to control the ignition delay and optimize the level of premixing and reduce emissions. The present study examines such a strategy by performing 3-D simulations in a single-cylinder of a diesel engine. Simulations employ the state-of-the-art two-phase models and a validated semi-detailed reaction mechanism. The fuel reactivity is varied by using a blend of n-heptane and iso-octane, which represent surrogates for gasoline and diesel fuels, respectively. Results indicate that the fuel reactivity strongly influences ignition delay and combustion phasing, whereas the start of injection (SOI) affects combustion phasing. As fuel reactivity is reduced, the ignition delay is increased and the combustion phasing is retarded. The longer ignition delay provides additional time for mixing, and reduces equivalence ratio stratification. Consequently, the premixed combustion is enhanced relative to diffusion combustion, and thus the soot emission is reduced. NO_x emission is also reduced due to reduced diffusion combustion and lower peak temperatures caused by delayed combustion phasing. An operability range is observed in terms of fuel reactivity and SOI, beyond which the mixture may not be sufficiently well mixed, or compression ignited. The study demonstrates the possibility of finding an optimum range of fuel reactivity, SOI, and EGR for significantly reducing engine out emissions for a given load and speed.     

Processing of Straw/Corn Stover: Comparison of Life Cycle Emissions

The LCA emissions from four renewable energy routes that convert straw/corn stover into usable energy are examined. The conversion options studied are ethanol by fermentation, syndiesel by oxygen gasification followed by Fischer Tropsch synthesis, and electricity by either direct combustion or biomass integrated gasification and combined cycle (BIGCC). The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of these four options are evaluated, drawing on a range of studies, and compared to the conventional technology they would replace in a western North American setting. The net avoided GHG emissions for the four energy conversion processes calculated relative to a “business as usual” case are 830 g CO₂e/kWh for direct combustion, 839 g CO₂e/kWh for BIGCC, 2,060 g CO₂e/L for ethanol production, and 2,440 g CO₂e/L for FT synthesis of syndiesel. The largest impact on avoided emissions arises from substitution of biomass for fossil fuel. Relative to this, the impact of emissions from processing of fossil fuel, e.g., refining of oil to produce gasoline or diesel, and processing of biomass to produce electricity or transportation fuels, is minor.     

A novel process integration,optimization and design approach for large-scale implementation of oxy-fired coal power plants with CO2 capture

The widespread use of fossil fuels within the current energy infrastructure is considered as the largest source of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, which is largely blamed for global warming and climate change. At the current state of development, the risks and costs of non-fossil energy alternatives, such as nuclear, biomass, solar, and wind energy, are so high that they cannot replace the entire share of fossil fuels in the near future timeframe. Additionally, any rapid change towards non-fossil energy sources, even if possible, would result in large disruptions to the existing energy supply infrastructure. As an alternative, the existing and new fossil fuel-based plants can be modified or designed to be either “capture” or “capture-ready” plants in order to reduce their emission intensity through the capture and permanent storage of carbon dioxide in geological formations. This would give the coal-fired power generation units the option to sustain their operations for longer time, while meeting the stringent environmental regulations on air pollutants and carbon emissions in years to come.Currently, there are three main approaches to capturing CO₂ from the combustion of fossil fuels, namely, pre-combustion capture, post-combustion capture, and oxy-fuel combustion. Among these technology options, oxy-fuel combustion provides an elegant approach to CO₂ capture. In this approach, by replacing air with oxygen in the combustion process, a CO₂-rich flue gas stream is produced that can be readily compressed for pipeline transport and storage. In this paper, we propose a new approach that allows air to be partially used in the oxy-fired coal power plants. In this novel approach, the air can be used to carry the coal from the mills to the boiler (similar to the conventional air-fired coal power plants), while O₂ is added to the secondary recycle flow as well as directly to the combustion zone (if needed). From a practical point of view, this approach eliminates problems with the primary recycle and also lessens concerns about the air leakage into the system. At the same time, it allows the boiler and its back-end piping to operate under slight suction; this avoids the potential danger to the plant operators and equipment due to possible exposure to hot combustion gases, CO₂ and particulates. As well, by integrating oxy-fuel system components and optimizing the overall process over a wide range of operating conditions, an optimum or near-optimum design can be achieved that is both cost-effective and practical for large-scale implementation of oxy-fired coal power plants.     

Lean methane premixed combustion over a catalytically stabilized zirconia foam burner

This study experimentally investigates lean methane/air premixed combustion in a catalytic zirconia foam burner. The burner is packed with an inert perforated alumina plate at the inlet preheating zone and with catalytic zirconia foams at the combustion zone. Catalytic foams are prepared by using a modified perovskite catalyst (LaMn_0.4Co_0.6O₃), in which the transition metal ion Co is partially substituted by Mn and supported by inert zirconia foam. Results indicate that the flame stability limits of both catalytic and inert burners expand with increasing equivalence ratios. The stable combustion region of the catalytic burner is larger than that of the inert burner. The heterogeneous catalytic combustion effect can decrease and increase the lower and upper flame stability limits, respectively. The central temperatures of the flame fronts are higher in the catalytic burner than in the inert burner. The pressure drops of the catalytic burner are almost equal to those of the inert burner in cold flows but are significantly higher than those in the inert burner in reaction flows. Less amounts of carbon monoxide, nitric oxides, and unburned hydrocarbon emissions are detected in the catalytic burner relative to the inert burner. The thermal radiation efficiencies of the catalytic burner vary between 0.24 and 0.39 and are favorably superior to those of the inert burner, ranging from 0.11 to 0.20.     

Numerical simulation of chemical looping combustion process with CaSO4 oxygen carrier

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is a promising technology for the combustion of gas or solid fuel with efficient use of energy and inherent separation of CO₂. The technique involves the use of an oxygen carrier which transfers oxygen from combustion air to the fuel, and hence a direct contact between air and fuel is avoided. A chemical-looping combustion system consists of a fuel reactor and an air reactor. A metal oxide is used as oxygen carrier that circulates between the two reactors. The air reactor is a high velocity fluidized bed where the oxygen carrier particles are transported together with the air stream to the top of the air reactor, where they are then transferred to the fuel reactor using a cyclone. The fuel reactor is a bubbling fluidized bed reactor where oxygen carrier particles react with hydrocarbon fuel and get reduced. The reduced oxygen carrier particles are transported back to the air reactor where they react with oxygen in the air and are oxidized back to metal oxide. The exhaust from the fuel reactor mainly consists of CO₂ and water vapor. After condensation of the water in the exit gas from the fuel reactor, the remaining CO₂ gas is compressed and cooled to yield liquid CO₂, which can be disposed of in various ways.With the improvement of numerical methods and more advanced hardware technology, the time needed to run CFD (Computational fluid dynamics) codes is decreasing. Hence multiphase CFD-based models for dealing with complex gas-solid hydrodynamics and chemical reactions are becoming more accessible. Until now there were a few literatures about mathematical modeling of chemical-looping combustion using CFD approach. In this work, the reaction kinetics model of the fuel reactor (CaSO₄ + H₂) was developed by means of the commercial code FLUENT. The bubble formation and the relation between bubble formation and molar fraction of products in gas phase were well captured by CFD simulation. Computational results from the simulation also showed low fuel conversion rate. The conversion of H₂ was about 34% partially due to fast, large bubbles rising through the reactor, low bed temperature and large particles diameter.     

Estimation of annual CH4 and N2O emissions from fluidised bed combustion: An advanced measurement-based method and its application to Finland

The aim of this study was to develop and apply an advanced, measurement based method for the estimation of annual CH₄ and N₂O emissions and thus gain improved understanding on the actual greenhouse gas (GHG) balances of combustion of fossil fuels, peat, biofuels and REF. CH₄ and N₂O emissions depend strongly on combustion conditions, and therefore the emission factors used in the calculation of annual emissions contain significant uncertainties. Fluidised bed combustion (FBC) has many good properties for combustion of different types of fuels and fuels of varying quality, e.g., biofuels and wastes. Therefore, it is currently increasing its market share. In this study, long term measurements (up to 50 days) were carried out at seven FBC boilers representing different size classes, loadings and fuel mixes. Both decreasing load and increasing share of coal in fuel mix increased N₂O emissions. Measurement results from different loading levels were combined with the common loading curves of similar plants in Finland to estimate annual emissions. Based on the results, recommendations for emission factors for the Finnish GHG emission inventory are given. The role of FBC as a potential technology for the utilisation of biofuels and wastes with future GHG reduction requirements is discussed.     

Comparison of jatropha and karanja biofuels on their combustion characteristics

Biofuel blends produced from Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) and Karanja (Pongamia pinnata) oil were evaluated for their combustion properties. Two kinds of blends (regular diesel with Jatropha and Karanja oil) were prepared at 20% volume to the diesel and tested as alternative fuels in single cylinder (vertical), water-cooled, direct injection diesel engine at the rated speed of 1500 rpm. The performance of the engine in terms of thermal efficiency at full load for diesel was 30%. For Jatropha and Karanja biodiesel blends, the thermal efficiencies were 29.0% and 28.6%, respectively. The maximum cylinder pressure and ignition delay for biodiesel fuel blends are very close to that of regular diesel. Prolonged combustion was observed for Karanja oil blend in comparison to Jatropha oil blend. The combustion pattern also reveals the slow burning characteristics of vegetable oils and this study indicates that the blended biofuels have combustion characteristics that are similar to regular diesel fuels.     

Solid fuels in chemical-looping combustion

The feasibility of using a number of different solid fuels in chemical-looping combustion (CLC) has been investigated. A laboratory fluidized bed reactor system for solid fuel, simulating a chemical-looping combustion system by exposing the sample to alternating reducing and oxidizing conditions, was used. In each reducing phase 0.2 g of fuel in the size range 180–250 μm was added to the reactor containing 40 g oxygen carrier of size 125–180 μm. Two different oxygen carriers were tested, a synthetic particle of 60% active material of Fe₂O₃ and 40% MgAl₂O₄ and a particle consisting of the natural mineral ilmenite. Effect of steam content in the fluidizing gas of the reactor was investigated as well as effect of temperature. A number of experiments were also made to investigate the rate of conversion of the different fuels in a CLC system. A high dependency on steam content in the fluidizing gas as well as temperature was shown. The fraction of volatiles in the fuel was also found to be important. Furthermore the presence of an oxygen carrier was shown to enhance the conversion rate of the intermediate gasification reaction. At 950 °C and with 50% steam the time needed to achieve 95% conversion of fuel particles with a diameter of 0.125–0.18 mm ranged between 4 and 15 min depending on the fuel, while 80% conversion was reached within 2–10 min. In almost all cases the synthetic Fe₂O₃ particle with 40% MgAl₂O₄ and the mineral ilmenite showed similar results with the different fuels.     

Effect of gas composition in Chemical-Looping Combustion with copper-based oxygen carriers: Fate of sulphur

Chemical-Looping Combustion (CLC) is an emerging technology for CO₂ capture because separation of this gas from the other flue gas components is inherent to the process and thus no energy is expended for the separation. Natural or refinery gas can be used as gaseous fuels and they may contain different amounts of sulphur compounds, such as H₂S and COS. This paper presents the combustion results obtained with a Cu-based oxygen carrier using mixtures of CH₄ and H₂S as fuel. The influence of H₂S concentration on the gas product distribution and combustion efficiency, sulphur splitting between the fuel reactor (FR) and the air reactor (AR), oxygen carrier deactivation and material agglomeration was investigated in a continuous CLC plant (500 W_th). The oxygen carrier to fuel ratio, ?, was the main operating parameter affecting the CLC system. Complete fuel combustion were reached at 1073 K working at ? values ≥1.5. The presence of H₂S did not produce a decrease in the combustion efficiency even when working with a fuel containing 1300 vppm H₂S. At these conditions, the great majority of the sulphur fed into the system was released in the gas outlet of the FR as SO₂, affecting to the quality of the CO₂ produced. Formation of copper sulphide, Cu₂S, and the subsequent reactivity loss was only detected working at low values of ? ≤ 1.5, although this fact did not produce any agglomeration problem in the fluidized beds. In addition, the oxygen carrier was fully regenerated in a H₂S-free environment. It can be concluded that Cu-based oxygen carriers are adequate materials to be used in a CLC process using fuels containing H₂S although quality of the CO₂ produced is affected.     

Design study of a 150 kWth double loop circulating fluidized bed reactor system for chemical looping combustion with focus on industrial applicability and pressurization

Nowadays the lab scale feasibility of the chemical looping combustion technology has been proved. This article deals with many of the design requirements that need to be fulfilled to make this technology applicable at industrial scale. A design for a 150 kW_th chemical looping combustion reactor system is proposed. In the base case it is supposed to work with gaseous fuels and inexpensive oxygen carriers derived from industrial by-products or natural minerals. More specifically the fuel will be methane and a manganese ore will be the basis for the oxygen carrier. It is a double loop circulating fluidized bed where both the air reactor and the fuel reactor are capable to work in the fast fluidization regime in order to increase the gas solids contact along the reactor body. High operational flexibility is aimed, in this way it will be possible to run with different fuels and oxygen carriers as well as different operating conditions such as variation in air excess. Compactness is a major goal in order to reduce the required solid material and possibly to enclose the reactor body into a pressurized vessel to investigate the chemical looping combustion under pressurized conditions. The mass and heat balance are described, as well as the hydrodynamic investigations performed. Most design solutions presented are taken from industrial standards as one main objective is to meet commercial requirements.     

Experimental validation of in situ CO2 capture with CaO during the low temperature combustion of biomass in a fluidized bed reactor

A novel concept for capturing CO₂ from biomass combustion using CaO as an active solid sorbent of CO₂ is discussed and experimentally tested. According to the CaO/CaCO₃ equilibrium, if a fuel could be burned at a sufficiently low temperature (below 700 °C) it would be possible to capture CO₂ “in situ” with the CaO particles at atmospheric pressure. A subsequent step involving the regeneration of CaCO₃ in a calciner operating at typical conditions of oxyfired-circulating fluidized combustion would deliver the CO₂ ready for purification, compression and permanent geological storage. Several series of experiments to prove this concept have been conducted in a 30 kW interconnected fluidized bed test facility at INCAR-CSIC, made up of two interconnected circulating fluidized bed reactors, one acting as biomass combustor-carbonator and the other as air-fired calciner (which is considered to yield similar sorbent properties than those of an oxyfired calciner). CO₂ capture efficiencies in dynamic tests in the combustor-carbonator reactor were measured over a wide range of operating conditions, including different superficial gas velocities, solids circulation rates, excess air above stoichiometric, and biomass type (olive pits, saw dust and pellets). Biomass combustion in air is effective at temperatures even below the 700 °C, necessary for the effective capture of CO₂ by carbonation of CaO. Overall CO₂ capture efficiencies in the combustor-carbonator higher than 70% can be achieved with sufficiently high solids circulation rates of CaO and solids inventories. The application of a simple reactor model for the combined combustion and CO₂ capture reactions allows an efficiency factor to be obtained from the dynamic experimental test that could be valuable for scaling up purposes.     

Investigation effect of hydrogen addition on the performance and exhaust emissions of Pongamia pinnata biodiesel fueled compression ignition engine

In the recent decades, the energy demand for transport and industrial sector has increased considerably. Fossil fuels which were the major fuel source for decades are no more sustainable. Biodiesel is an efficient alternative compared to depleting fossil fuels. The prospect of biodiesel as the best alternative fuel is a reliable source compared to depleting fossil fuels. Hydrogen is also considered as an attractive alternative fuel producing low emission with improved engine performance. This paper investigates the performance and emission characteristics of a single cylinder compression ignition engine using hydrogen as an inducted fuel and biodiesel, aka Pongamia pinnata as injected fuel. The experiments are conducted for different quantities of hydrogen induction through the intake manifold in order to improve the performance of the engine. The performance parameters such as brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, exhaust temperature and emission quantities like HC, NO_X, CO, CO₂ of biodiesel fueled CI engine with variable mass flow rate of hydrogen are investigated. The performances of biodiesel combined with hydrogen at varying mass flow rates are also compared. The 10 LPM hydrogen induction with biodiesel provided 0.33% increase of brake thermal efficiency compared with diesel and increase of 3.24% to biodiesel at 80% loading conditions. The emission of HC decreased by 13 ppm, CO decreased by 0.02% by volume and CO₂ decreased by 3.8% by volume for biodiesel with induction of hydrogen at 10 LPM to that of neat biodiesel for 80% load conditions.     

Biogas combustion in a chemical looping fluidized bed reactor

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a process in which oxygen required for combustion of a fuel is supplied by the metal oxide. Metal oxide plays the role of an oxygen carrier by providing oxygen for combustion when being reduced and is then re-oxidized by air in a separate reactor. Combustion is thus without any direct contact between air and fuel: as a consequence flue gas does not contain nitrogen of air which simplifies flue gas treatment prior to sequestration. In the present study, biogas combustion was analyzed in a chemical looping combustion fluidized bed reactor. NiAl_0.44O_1.67 and Cu_0.95Fe_1.05AlO₄ metal oxide particles were used as oxygen carriers. The experiments have shown the feasibility of biogas combustion in chemical looping combustion: CH₄ of the biogas was completely converted to CO₂ and H₂O with a small fraction of CO and H₂. The outlet flue gas distribution profile was not affected by ageing during the cycles of reduction and oxidation, indicating the chemical stability of the oxygen carriers. There was limited formation of carbon on the oxygen carriers during reduction.     

Oxy-fuel coal combustion—A review of the current state-of-the-art

Carbon dioxide emissions will continue being a major environmental concern due to the fact that coal will remain a major fossil-fuel energy resource for the next few decades. To meet future targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, capture and storage of CO₂ is required. Carbon capture and storage technologies that are currently the focus of research centres and industry include: pre-combustion capture, post-combustion capture, and oxy-fuel combustion. This review deals with the oxy-fuel coal combustion process, primarily focusing on pulverised coal (PC) combustion, and its related research and development topics. In addition, research results related to oxy-fuel combustion in a circulating fluidised bed (CFB) will be briefly dealt with.During oxy-fuel combustion, a combination of oxygen, with a purity of more than 95 vol.%, and recycled flue gas (RFG) referred to as oxidant is used for combusting the fuel producing a gas consisting of mainly CO₂ and water vapour, which after purification and compression, is ready for storage. The high oxygen demand is supplied by a cryogenic air separation process, which is the only commercially available mature technology. The separation of oxygen from air as well as the purification and liquefaction of the CO₂-enriched flue gas consumes significant auxiliary power. Therefore, the overall net efficiency is expected to be decreased by 8–12% points, corresponding to a 21–35% increase in fuel consumption. Alternatively, ion transport membranes (ITMs) are proposed for oxygen separation, which might be more energy efficient. However, since ITMs are far away from becoming a mature technology, it is widely expected that cryogenic air separation will be the selected technology in the near future. Oxygen combustion is associated with higher temperatures compared with conventional air combustion. Both fuel properties as well as limitations of steam and metal temperatures of the various heat exchanger sections of the boiler require a moderation of the temperatures in the combustion zone and in the heat-transfer sections. This moderation in temperature is accomplished by means of recycled flue gas. The interdependencies between the fuel properties, the amount and temperature of the recycled flue gas, and the resulting oxygen concentration in the combustion atmosphere are reviewed.The different gas atmosphere resulting from oxy-fuel combustion gives rise to various questions related to firing, in particular, with respect to the combustion mechanism, pollutant reduction, the risk of corrosion, and the properties of the fly ash or its resulting deposits. In this review, detailed nitrogen and sulphur chemistry was investigated in a laboratory-scale facility under oxy-fuel combustion conditions. Oxidant staging succeeded in reducing NO formation with effectiveness comparable to that typically observed in conventional air combustion. With regard to sulphur, a considerable increase in the SO₂ concentration was measured, as expected. However, the H₂S concentration in the combustion atmosphere in the near-flame zone increased as well. Further results were obtained in a pilot-scale test facility, whereby acid dew points were measured and deposition probes were exposed to the combustion environment. Slagging, fouling and corrosion issues have so far been addressed via short-term exposure and require further investigation.Modelling of PC combustion processes by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become state-of-the-art for conventional air combustion. Nevertheless, the application of these models for oxy-fuel combustion conditions needs adaptation since the combustion chemistry and radiative heat transfer is altered due to the different combustion gas atmosphere.CFB technology can be considered mature for conventional air combustion. In addition to its inherent advantages like good environmental performance and fuel flexibility, it offers the possibility of additional heat exchanger arrangements in the solid recirculation system, i.e. the ability to control combustion temperatures despite relatively low flue gas recycle ratios even when combusting in the presence of high oxygen concentrations.     

Verdant vehicles via viscoelasticity

The combustion of hydrocarbon (HC) fuels in internal combustion (IC) engines is modified by the presence of a few parts per million of megadalton molecular weight elastomers. The viscoelasticity imparted provides: reduced fuel vaporization, lesser back pressure, larger average droplet sizes, and lower combustion chamber temperatures. These effects result in: a reduction of emissions of HC, CO and NO_x of more than 70%, a substantial decrease in the number of particulates from diesel engines, a drop in combustion temperatures of more than 30vv°C, increases in engine power of more than 10%, an improved fuel octane rating, and economies of fuel consumption of more than 20%. The results are magnified during transitions, especially in the lower gears, used more often in urban traffic, where normal fuels emit more pollutants. These effects have a positive public health impact due to reductions in ozone, acid rain, particulates and partially oxidized HC.     

The role of electricity in sustainable development

Current projections estimating world population growth read in conjunction with corresponding projections of increased world energy consumption, point to electricity as the cleaner fuel of the future, especially because of its high efficiency and low levels of pollution. Due mostly to the fact that the electrical end-use devices are considerably more efficient than those using other forms of energy, most developed countries show decreasing curves of energy intensity as technologies become more sophisticated and shift over to increased reliance on electricity. It is therefore argued in this article that a gradual shift away from fossil fuels to electricity is a promising possibility to bring down global air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases to acceptable levels. Examples are given of greater efficiency achieved by electrification. Overall gains in energy efficiency from the change over from fossil fuels to electricity, are possible even in situations where the electricity is generated by fossil fuel combustion, despite the loss of primary energy in the conversion process. The article also presents electricity generating projects designed for developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The generation of electricity from the combustion of renewable sources (biomass waste), fossil fuels, and other innovative methods are outlined.