Matej Zadravec

Advanced CFD modelling of air and recycled flue gas staging in a waste wood-fired grate boiler for higher combustion efficiency and greater environmental benefits

Grate-fired boilers are commonly used to burn biomass/wastes for heat and power production. In spite of the recent breakthrough in integration of advanced secondary air systems in grate boilers, grate-firing technology needs to be advanced for higher efficiency and lower emissions. In this paper, innovative staging of combustion air and recycled flue gas in a 13 MWth waste wood-fired grate boiler is comprehensively studied based on a numerical model that has been previously validated. In particular, the effects of the jet momentum, position and orientation of the combustion air and recycled flue gas streams on in-furnace mixing, combustion and pollutant emissions from the boiler are examined. It is found that the optimized air and recycled flue gas jets remarkably enhance mixing and heat transfer, result in a more uniform temperature and velocity distribution, extend the residence time of the combustibles in the hot zone and improve burnout in the boiler. Optimizing the air and recycled flue gas jet configuration can reduce carbon monoxide emission from the boiler by up to 86%, from the current 41.0 ppm to 5.7 ppm. The findings of this study can serve as useful guidelines for novel design and optimization of the combustion air supply and flue gas recycling for grate boilers of this type.

Two-step validation process of particle mixing in a centrifugal mixer with vertical axis

Two-step approach of validation is proposed to validate a numerical model, capable of accurate prediction of mixing power characteristics of a centrifugal mixer with vertical axis. Two sets of experiments and two sets of numerical simulations are presented—the first set to determine physical characteristics of the particles comparing the numerical simulations results with experimental data, and the second set to validate predicted behavior of anchor type vertical axis impeller for mixing of same particles. Zeolite particles were used for actual calculations. After determining shear modulus, coefficient of interaction, static friction coefficient, and rolling friction coefficient through optimization process based on numerical simulations with subject function of diameter and angle of repose derived from experiment, using these values in numerical simulation of impeller mixer mixing zeolite particles led to results, which were in good agreement with results of the second set of experiments. The obtained zeolite material parameter values can therefore serve as a solid basis for discrete elements method based numerical simulation of zeolite granular materials.

Cooling analysis of a light emitting diode automotive fog lamp

Efficiency of cooling fins inside of a light emitting diode fog lamp is studied using computational fluid dynamics. Diffusion in heat sink, natural convection and radiation are the main principles of the simulated heat transfer. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved by the computational fluid dynamics code, including Monte Carlo radiation model and no additional turbulence model was needed. The numerical simulation is tested using the existing lamp geometry and temperature measurements. The agreement is excellent inside of few degrees at all measured points. The main objective of the article is to determine the cooling effect of various heat sink parts. Based on performed simulations, some heat sink parts are found to be very ineffective. The geometry and heat sink modifications are proposed. While radiation influence is significant, compressible effects are found to be minor.