Modeling of Combustion Systems A Practical Approach

Addressing the important need to predict and control emissions from operating units, Modeling of Combustion Systems: A Practical Approach shows how to obtain accurate real-time models for predicting flame behavior and emissions based on input factors alone. The author combines techniques for obtaining practical emissions and combustion models and uses a semi-empirical approach that presumes no special knowledge beyond that of a typical engineering curriculum. He demonstrates how to obtain valid data from scale or actual testing, validate the model, and use the model to predict and control unit behavior and presents practical applications of theoretical models useful to practicing engineers.

Increasing competitive pressure for improved quality and efficiency on one hand and tightening emissions and operating requirements on the other leave the modern process engineer squeezed in the middle. While effective modeling can help balance these demands, the current literature offers overly theoretical treatments on modeling that do not translate quickly and easily to the immediate needs of the practicing engineer. Based on more than a quarter-century of experience, Modeling of Combustion Systems: A Practical Approach introduces an approach to semi-empirical combustion modeling for better control, optimization, prediction, and description of industrial combustion processes. First, the author provides an introduction to modeling, the basic model categories, and analytical methods followed by an introduction to combustion that includes equipment and mathematical modeling. Next, he introduces the concepts and procedures of experimental design and provides detailed discussion on how to analyze non-ideal data. The final chapter draws together the previous information to clearly demonstrate the construction of semi-empirical models. Fully worked examples and step-by-step derivations support the discussion along the way, and the book also includes a complete guide to nomenclature and supplies appendices for important physical and chemical properties, conversions, statistical tables, and much more. Modeling of Combustion Systems: A Practical Approach provides concrete answers to real problems and is tailor-made to suit the needs of practicing engineers.

Concordance of Nomenclature Introduction to Modeling Model Categories Kinds of Testing Analytical Methods Perceiving Higher Dimensionality Basic Data Classifications A Linear Algebra Primer Important Concepts and Notation Least Squares Addendum References Introduction to Combustion General Overview Archetypical Process Units Important Factors and Responses Mass Balance for Combustion in Air Conservation of Energy Mechanical Energy Balance References Experimental Design and Analysis Some Statistics The Analysis of Variance Two-Level Factorial Designs Correspondence of Factor Space and Equation Form Fractional Factorials ANOVA with Genuine Replicates Randomization About Residuals Screening Designs Second-Order Designs Sequential Experimental Design References Analysis of Nonideal Data Plant Data Empirical Models Ways to Make Designs Orthogonal Regression Statistics and Data Integrity Residual Analyses Categorical Factors Categorical Response Values Mixture Designs References Semiempirical Models NOx and Kinetics Overview of NOx Reduction Strategies NOx Models CO Models Response Transformations Heat Flux Flame Shape Visible Plumes References Epilogue Appendices Appendix A: Fuel and Combustion Properties Appendix B: Mechanical Properties Appendix C: Units Conversions Appendix D: Properties of the Elements Appendix E: Statistical Tables Appendix F: Numbers in Binary, Octal, and Hexadecimal Representations Appendix G: Kinetics Primer Appendix H: Equilibrium Primer Index

Joseph Colannino