The Start-Up Characteristics of a Catalytic Combustor Using a Methanol Mixture

Abstract

Experimental work and numerical analysis were carried out to evaluate the performance of the catalytic combustor using the methanol mixture. The catalyst used was a platinum-loaded γ-Al₂O₃ monolith. The temperature profiles and the emission characteristics were determined in the transient stage. From the experimental results, considerable formaldehyde emission was detected in the start-up period. It was also discovered that the transient emission characteristics were improved by the preheating of the catalyst bed and by reducing the space velocity. A modified quasi-steady-state model is used to analyze the transient behavior of the catalytic combustor. The initial temperatures of the catalyst and the space velocity were used as the parameters in the model. The temperature profiles and the emission characteristics from the numerical analysis agreed well with the experimental results.