2008 Volume 2 Issue 3 Pages 1074-1084
This study focuses on the fundamental characteristics of DME (Dimethyl Ether) combustion aiming at development of low-NOx combustion technology with flue gas recirculation, FGR. The flue gas is recirculated into the combustion chamber to reduce the oxygen concentration and to suppress the combustion gas temperature, so that NOx emission is significantly reduced. The fuel gas recirculation at high mixing ratio, however, may lead to unstable combustion of conventional fuels, methane or city gas. On the other hand, DME has very high potential of applicability for the flue gas recirculation even at high mixing ratio because of its high burning velocity and low ignition temperature. Combustion tests were conducted with laboratory-scale 11kW combustor. The maximum FGR ratio is 85% at the initial air ratio of 1.5 with preheated diluted air about 600K. The NOx emission reduced to 13ppm at 0%-O2, which corresponds to about 9% of NOx emission at FGR=0%. The stable combustion is sustained even in the low oxygen concentration by preheating diluted-air up to near the auto-ignition temperature of DME. Finally, the effect of the flue gas recirculation on the NOx and CO emission is discussed with reference to the industrial-scale water-tube boilers.
