Numerical Modelling and Experimental Verification of the Low-Emission Biomass Combustion Process in a Domestic Boiler with Flue Gas Flow around the Combustion Chamber

Abstract

The paper presents the results of numerical and experimental studies aimed at developing a new design of a 10 kW low-emission heating boiler fired with wood pellets. The boiler is to meet stringent requirements in terms of efficiency (η > 90%) and emissions per 10% O2: CO < 500 mg/Nm3, NOx ≤ 200 mg/Nm3, and dust ≤ 20 mg/Nm3; these emission restrictions are as prescribed in the applicable ECODESIGN Directive in the European Union countries. An innovative aspect of the boiler structure (not yet present in domestic boilers) is the circular flow of exhaust gases around the centrally placed combustion chamber. The use of such a solution ensures high-efficiency, low-emission combustion and meeting the requirements of ECODESIGN. The results of the numerical calculations were verified and confirmed experimentally, obtaining average emission values of the limited gases CO = 91 mg/Nm3, and NOx = 197 mg/Nm3. The temperature measured in the furnace is 450–500 °C and in the flue it was 157–197 °C. The determined boiler efficiency was 92%. Numerical calculations were made with the use of an advanced CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) workshop in the form of the Ansys programming and a computing environment with the dominant participation of the Fluent module. It was shown that the results obtained in both experiments are sufficiently convergent.