Ultra-High Efficiency and Ultra-low Emissions Combustion Technology for Manufacturing Industries.

CATEGORY: ENERGY INTENSITY
Award Number: DE-EE0003478, Project Period: 10:2010 – 12:2012, Date of Report: March 31, 2013
Ultra-High Efficiency and Ultra-low Emissions Combustion Technology for Manufacturing Industries.
Principal Investigator: Arvind Atreya; 734-647-4790; aatreya@umich.edu
Recipient Organization: Regents of the University of Michigan; Research Administration,Ann Arbor, MI
Executive Summary
The purpose of this research was to develop and test a transformational combustion technology for high temperature furnaces to reduce the energy intensity and carbon footprint of U.S. manufacturing industries such as steel, aluminum, glass, metal casting, and petroleum refining.
A new technology based on internal and/or external Flue Gas Recirculation FGR along with significant enhancement in flame radiation was developed. It produces "Radiative Flameless Combustion RFC" and offers tremendous energy efficiency and pollutant reduction benefits over and above the now popular "flameless combustion." It will reduce the energy intensity or fuel consumption per unit system output by more than 50% and double the furnace productivity while significantly reducing pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions 103 times reduction in NOx and 10 times reduction in CO & hydrocarbons and 3 times reduction in CO2. Product quality improvements are also expected due to uniform radiation, as well as, reduction in scale/dross formation is expected because of non‐oxidative atmosphere.
RFC is inexpensive, easy to implement, and it was successfully tested in a laboratory‐scale furnace at the University of Michigan during the course of this work. A first‐ever theory with gas and particulate radiation was also developed. Numerical programs were also written to design an industrial‐scale furnace. Nine papers were published or are in the process of publication. We believe that this early stage research adequately proves the concept through laboratory experiments, modeling and computational models. All this work is presented in the papers. However, due to lack of time, conditions with gas radiation augmented by particulate radiation were not tested. We could also not test the multi‐fuel capability and evaluate the benefits in an industrial furnace with our industrial partners. Important conclusions of this work are: 1 It was proved through experimental measurements that RFC is not only feasible but a very beneficial technology. 2
Theoretical analysis of RFC was done in a spatially uniform strain field and b a planar momentum jet where the strain rate is neither prescribed nor uniform. Four important non‐dimensional parameters controlling RFC in furnaces were identified. These are: I The Boltzmann number; ii The Damkohler number, iii The dimensionless Arrhenius number, and iv The equivalence ratio. Together they define the parameter space where RFC is possible. It was also found that the Damkohler number must be small for RFC to exist and that the Boltzmann number expands the RFC domain. The experimental data obtained during the course of this work agrees well with the predictions made by the theoretical analysis. Interestingly, the equivalence ratio dependence shows that it is easier to establish RFC for rich mixtures than for lean mixtures. This was also experimentally observed. Identifying the parameter space for RFC is necessary for controlling the RFC furnace operation. It is hoped that future work will enable the methodology developed here to be applied to the operation of real furnaces, with consequent improvement in efficiency and pollutant reduction.
The new furnace combustion technology developed enables intense radiation from combustion products and has many benefits:  (i) Ultra‐High Efficiency and Low‐ Emissions;  (ii) Uniform and intense radiation to substantially increase productivity; (iii) Oxygen‐free atmosphere to reduce dross/scale formation; (iv) Provides multi‐fuel capability; and  (v) Enables carbon sequestration if pure oxygen is used for combustion.
Free Full Text Source: http://www.osti.gov/scitech/servlets/purl/1073616

An Optimization Supply Model for Crude Oil and Natural Gas in the Middle East

CATEGORY: ENERGY INTENSITY
Zero-Carbon Energy Kyoto 2012
Green Energy and Technology 2013, pp 17-29
An Optimization Supply Model for Crude Oil and Natural Gas in the Middle East
Hooman Farzaneh, Keiichi N. Ishihara, Nuki Agya Utama, Benjamin McLellan, Tetsuo Tezuka
Abstract
Presents a model of optimal oil and natural gas supply, developed for the Middle East region including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain.
Authors employ the model to prepare a projection of oil and gas supply up to 2030. Results indicate that oil production will increase in the Middle East region to satisfy increased consumption. Growth is expected to rise by about 30 Mbbld by 2030.  In addition, the Middle East’s share of global gas production is projected to expand to 20% in 2030. The projection implies that the Middle East upstream and refinery capacities are likely to be sufficient to meet the demand until around 2015.  Expansion beyond 2015 is uncertain.
Full Text Source (Subscription or Fee): http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-4-431-54264-3_2#