Comparison Of Dimethyl Ether And Natural Gas Combustion In A Swirl-Stabilized Industrial Burner

Abstract

The European Green Deal aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, necessitating the European Union to transform its energy system for affordability, efficiency, and circularity. Biofuels will play an important role in this energy transition. One such biofuel is Dimethyl ether (DME). It is a hydrocarbon that can be synthesized from waste and residual feedstocks. The DME produced in this way is also called “renewable dimethyl ether” (rDME) and can reduce the carbon footprint of energy-intensive processes by replacing fossil fuels. Another advantage of DME over fuels such as hydrogen is its good transportability. Like LPG, DME can be liquefied at pressures below 10 bar. This allows for easy handling at comparably low pressures. The combustion of DME within internal combustion engines is well researched. In addition, there are initial studies that deal with the combustion of DME within industrial burners. This paper builds on this work. First, a literature research was carried out on the existing kinetic mechanisms of DME combustion and examined in relation to the set requirements. Subsequently, CFD simulations of a baffle and swirl-stabilized industrial burner within a burner test rig were carried out. In addition to DME, natural gas was also simulated as fuel to compare the combustion characteristics of DME and natural gas in an unmodified burner. Test stand data of a natural gas flame was used to validate the simulation.