SusChEM: Ultrafine Particle Formation in Advanced Low Carbon Combustion Processes

Biswas，PratimOne对碳捕获技术的进步至关重要的领域是理解在与下一代低碳燃烧技术（例如加压氧燃烧）相关的燃烧条件下超细颗粒的形成。超细颗粒形成的另一个感兴趣的领域是煤与天然气（NG）的共燃，因为这可以降低现有燃煤电厂的碳强度。深入了解超细颗粒物的形成对于预测和控制锅炉中的辐射以及避免细颗粒物对锅炉中的污垢和大气中的排放的有害影响是必不可少的。为此，三所大学联手利用其在气溶胶和燃烧科学领域的独特能力来解决这一课题。研究将解决以下假设，重点关注有利于先进低碳燃烧过程的环境中的颗粒形成，演变和测量：（1）相对于常规燃烧，这些过程的高CO2浓度、升高的压力和高氧气浓度将影响加热速率，热解和焦炭燃烧过程中燃料的温度和环境，从而影响无机矿物物种的挥发和随后的超细颗粒的形成和生长;（2）在加压富氧燃烧系统中，有机组分与无机矿物质的相互作用将影响化学反应途径和产物的形成，（3）天然气与煤共燃过程中，燃料颗粒局部化学环境的变化将影响超细颗粒的形成;（4）从从头算到中尺度到全尺度的多尺度模型可以用受控实验中使用的一系列仪器进行验证，并将有助于对先进燃烧过程中超细颗粒形成的全面理解。该奖项由CBET环境可持续发展计划和国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

1705864 Biswas, PratimOne area that is critical to advancement of carbon capture technologies is understanding ultrafine particle formation under combustion conditions associated with next-generation low-carbon combustion technologies, such as pressurized oxy-combustion. Another area where ultrafine particle formation is of interest is that of co-firing coal with natural gas (NG), as this can reduce the carbon intensity of existing coal-fired power plants. A thorough understanding of ultrafine particle formation is essential to both predict and control radiation in boilers and to avoid the deleterious effects of fine particles on fouling in the boilers and emissions in the atmosphere. To this end, three universities have joined forces to utilize their unique capabilities in the fields of aerosol and combustion science to address this topic.The research will address the following hypotheses, which are focused on particle formation, evolution, and measurement in environments conducive to advanced low-carbon combustion processes: (1)The high CO2 concentrations, elevated pressures and high oxygen concentrations of these processes, relative to conventional combustion, will affect the heating rate, temperature and environment of the fuel during pyrolysis and char combustion, thus affecting the volatilization of inorganic mineral species and the subsequent ultrafine particle formation and growth; (2) The interaction of organic constituents with the inorganic mineral matter in pressurized oxycombustion systems will affect the chemical reaction pathways and resultant formation, growth and transformation of soot and organic aerosols; (3) During NG co-firing with coal, the change in the local chemical environment of the fuel particle will affect ultrafine particle formation; (4) Multiscale models ranging from ab-initio to meso- to full-scale can be validated with a range of instrumentation used in controlled experiments, and will aid in the overall understanding of ultrafine particle formation in advanced combustion processes. This award is co-funded by the CBET Environmental Sustainability program and the Office of International Science and Engineering.