Design Considerations for Carbon-Free Combustion

reportCombustion of a hydrocarbon produces water and carbon dioxide. As consensus continues to build around the contributions of carbon in global client change, jurisdictions, both internationally as well as domestically, are working towards limiting formation of carbon dioxide. One way to work toward effective decarbonization is through combustion of hydrogen (H2) ensuring a source of carbon-free energy, as the only product of combustion of hydrogen is water. However, hydrogen presents several challenges when used as a fuel source. This paper will explore some of the special considerations required to use hydrogen as a fuel both effectively and safely. Because Hydrogen is less dense (at standard temperature and pressure) compared to other fuels, it presents several challenges. For example, compared to denser fuels, flame speeds for hydrogen are much faster, flame temperatures are higher, and diffusion and mixing of fuel and oxygen are faster. Furthermore, the higher flame temperatures, and faster mixing also enhance the production of nitrogen oxides (NOx) which are almost universally restricted as known pollutants, requiring creativity to mitigate the formation of these emissions. All of these factors require special consideration in burner and system design