Parametric study of high-efficiency and low-emission gas burners

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of three significant parameters, namely, swirl flow, loading height, and semi-confined combustion flame, on thermal efficiency and CO emissions of a swirl flow gas burner. We focus particularly on the effects of swirl angle and inclination angle on the performance of the swirl flow burner. The results showed that the swirl flow burner yields higher thermal efficiency and emits lower CO concentration than those of the conventional radial flow burner. A greater swirl angle results in higher thermal efficiency and CO emission. With increasing loading height, the thermal efficiency increases but the CO emission decreases. For a lower loading height (2 or 3 cm), the highest efficiency occurs at the inclination angle 15°. On the other hand, at a higher loading height, 4 cm, thermal efficiency increases with the inclination angle. Moreover, the addition of a shield can achieve a great increase in thermal efficiency, about 4-5%, and a decrease in CO emissions for the same burner (swirl flow or radial flow). © 2013 Shuhn-Shyurng Hou and Ching-Hung Chou.