CFD design and optimization of a multi-probe device for temperature measurements in Waste-to-Energy plants

Abstract

Abstract The temperature of exhaust gases is an essential parameter to monitor in Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants, since it significantly affects energy efficiency, pollutant emissions and materials’ integrity. Current methods for monitoring gas temperature in such plants (i.e., thermocouples, infrared pyrometers, and aspirated thermocouples) exhibit shortcomings in both accuracy and reliability when used in environments where radiative heat exchange plays an important role. In previous research, by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, the authors designed a new multi-probe device, with the aim of mitigating the issues associated with these commonly adopted techniques. The newly designed measuring device is herein further characterized by means of multi-region CFD simulations, to investigate any local thermal-fluid dynamics effects which may impair the measurement, due to the mutual influence of the ducts where the sensors are located. Results have shown that the mutual influence is not significant, confirming the validity of the designed shape.