Experimental and numerical investigation on energy efficiency improvement of methane/propane added of hydrogen-fueled micro power generation

The micro-thermal power generation presents several challenges including reaction instability, large heat loss, and energy conversion. So, a micro-planar with multi-hole baffle for micro power generation is proposed with C3H8/CH4 blended and reaction sensitivity analyzed. Effects of fuel sensitivities, baffle settings, operating conditions on combustion characteristics and performance of thermal are analyzed. Experimental results revealed the thermal performance of H2-fueled combustion with blended CH4 and C3H8 can be improved, while the H2/ CH4/air burning obtains a higher improvement by promoting flame anchoring and reducing heat losses. Thermal reflux and high temperature zones can be generated at appropriate baffle positions and hole sizes to enhance the operating micro-combustor performance. Optimized baffles and CH4 blending ratios significantly improved combustor output power and system efficiency. For instance, the maximum mean radiation temperature of 1347 K can be obtained in combustor C8-0.8 at mc = 25 % and mf = 4.08 x 10-5 kg/s. Meanwhile, microthermophotovoltaic (MTPV) system equipped with InGaAsSb cell can achieve a 3.4 W electrical power output and a system efficiency of 3.5 %. It provides solutions for recovering energy from exhaust gases and improving energy efficiency to develop efficient and sustainable micro-energy sources.