Fundamentals of Metal Particle Combustion for Energy and Loss Prevention Applications

用于能源和防损应用的金属颗粒燃烧基础知识

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-03879
• 负责人: Frost, David
• 金额: $ 2.48万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=651227
• 关键词: Fundamentals; Metal; Particle; Combustion; Energy

The search for a carbon-free energy source to replace fossil fuels to mitigate global climate change is of paramount importance. Primary electricity cannot be effectively stored or globally traded, so there is a need for non-polluting secondary energy carriers to replace the role that hydrocarbon fuels currently play as energy commodities. The use of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels remains elusive due to the low volumetric storage density of hydrogen and explosion safety problems.****Common metal powders, such as aluminum, magnesium, silicon and iron, are realistic and feasible candidates for use as zero-carbon-emission energy carriers due to their high energy density, inherent safety, abundance, low cost, and the fact that they can be recycled from oxides using existing metallurgical processes. The chemical energy released during metal combustion with air can be used to directly fuel external-combustion Stirling-type engines or run a Rankine cycle for power generation. Furthermore, metal powders can react directly with water to provide a hot hydrogen-steam flow which can be used to power internal-combustion engines, turbines, or fuel cells. The key step in all of these applications is the efficient reaction of metal powder with gases or water. In our laboratory, we have successfully stabilized aluminum and iron metal-powder flames in air and in the products of methane-air combustion. We have also demonstrated that hydrogen may be efficiently produced in an aluminum-water reactor using readily available micron-sized industrial aluminum powders. ****The primary objective of the proposed research program is to build a strong scientific foundation for the basis of a transformative metal-fuel economy that will enable the design and construction of efficient systems to convert the chemical energy stored in metal-powder fuels into power for transportation and power generation applications. The long-term goal will be to develop prototype energy-conversion devices using either a dry (metal-air) or wet (metal-water) conversion cycle. A secondary objective related to loss prevention is to predict and mitigate the effects of metal dust explosions following an accidental large-scale release of metal dust into air.***The research program includes a) identifying the best candidate metals for use as energy carriers using thermodynamic and economic life-cycle analyses, b) studying metal-powder/air flame structures and flame burning rates with optical and laser diagnostics, c) developing models of metal-powder/air flames with predictive capabilities to enable the design of efficient combustors, d) studying metal-water reactions at temperatures up to supercritical-water conditions, and e) studying the combustion of unconfined metal dust-air clouds to determine the effect of scale on the flame speed and radiative properties of large-scale dust-air flames.**

寻找无碳能源来替代化石燃料以缓解全球气候变化至关重要。一次电力无法有效储存或在全球范围内交易，因此需要无污染的二次能源载体来取代碳氢燃料目前作为能源商品的角色。由于氢的体积存储密度低和爆炸安全问题，使用氢作为化石燃料的替代品仍然难以实现。****普通金属粉末，如铝、镁、硅和铁，由于其能量密度高、固有安全性、丰富性、低成本以及可被用作零碳排放能源载体，是作为零碳排放能源载体的现实可行的候选者。 使用现有冶金工艺从氧化物中回收。金属与空气燃​​烧时释放的化学能可直接为外燃式斯特林发动机提供燃料或运行朗肯循环发电。此外，金属粉末可以直接与水反应，提供热氢蒸汽流，可用于为内燃机、涡轮机或燃料电池提供动力。 所有这些应用的关键步骤是金属粉末与气体或水的有效反应。 在我们的实验室中，我们成功地稳定了空气中以及甲烷-空气燃烧产物中的铝和铁金属粉末火焰。 我们还证明，可以使用现成的微米级工业铝粉在铝水反应堆中有效地生产氢气。 ****拟议研究计划的主要目标是为变革性金属燃料经济奠定坚实的科学基础，从而能够设计和建造高效的系统，将金属粉末燃料中存储的化学能转化为运输和发电应用的动力。 长期目标是开发使用干（金属-空气）或湿（金属-水）转换循环的原型能量转换装置。 与损失预防相关的第二个目标是预测和减轻金属粉尘意外大规模释放到空气中后金属粉尘爆炸的影响。***研究计划包括：a) 使用热力学和经济生命周期分析确定用作能量载体的最佳候选金属，b) 通过光学和激光诊断研究金属粉末/空气火焰结构和火焰燃烧速率，c) 开发金属粉末/空气模型 具有预测能力的火焰，以实现高效燃烧室的设计，d) 研究在超临界水条件下的金属-水反应，以及 e) 研究无约束金属尘埃-空气云的燃烧，以确定规模对大规模尘埃-空气火焰的火焰速度和辐射特性的影响。**