Abstract
The utilization of fossil fuels causes serious negative impacts on the environment and human life, To mitigate greenhouse gases and other pollutants, a novel combustion process-nonflame combustion technology using thermal cyclic carrier of molten salt is introduced. And the technological concept of this technology is pointed out. Four types of combustion systems, in which Cu_2O-CuO, Na_2O-Na_2O_2,Na_2S-Na_2O_4 and FeO-Fe_2O_3 are involved as oxygen carriers respectively, are examined thermodynamically, and the thermodynamic data of the redox reactions are calculated. The metal oxides scattered into molten salts play the roles of oxygen carriers, and they can constantly gain and give oxygen element form air to fuels during combustion process. There are not environmental-unfriendly gases such as NO_x, CO_2 and SO_x discharged in the whole combustion process because N_2 is separated from O_2 in the section of producing oxide, sulfur and heavy metals elements are absorbed into molten salts, and pure CO_2 is easily recovered in the section of combustion. Combustion processes realizes zero emission through this technology. Experimental studies are carried out in a mini-scale stainless reactor. Results indicate that the nonflame combustion process is going on as it is expected. But the reaction rates are not as quick as we anticipated. It seems that the kinetics and the mechanism of combustion process are still to be investigated.
