Numerical investigation into CO 2 emission, O 2 depletion, and thermal decomposition in a reacting slab

Abstract

The emission of carbon dioxide (CO 2) is closely associated with oxygen (O 2) depletion, and thermal decomposition in a reacting stockpile of combustible materials like fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, and natural gas). Moreover, it is understood that proper assessment of the emission levels provides a crucial reference point for other assessment tools like climate change indicators and mitigation strategies. In this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model for estimating the CO 2 emission, O 2 depletion, and thermal stability of a reacting slab is presented and tackled numerically using a semi-implicit finite-difference scheme. It is assumed that the slab surface is subjected to a symmetrical convective heat and mass exchange with the ambient. Both numerical and graphical results are presented and discussed quantitatively with respect to various parameters embedded in the problem. Copyright © 2011 O. D. Makinde et al.