Enhancing MILD Combustion of Natural Gas with Additives: A Taguchi Method Approach for CO2 Emission Reduction

Global warming poses a significant challenge to humanity, primarily fueled by greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide from combustion. With a growing energy demand, producing energy with minimal pollutants is imperative. Natural gas, with its low carbon-to-hydrogen ratio, emerges as a viable energy source. This study investigates MILD combustion of natural gas while considering radiative heat transfer. Combustion modeling utilizes the EDC model. A new chemical mechanism is used in this study that combines two mechanisms: the GRI 2.11 mechanism and the one employed by Stagni et al. specifically tailored for ammonia/hydrogen combustion. Radiation modeling employs the DO model. The radiative properties of gases are analyzed using the WSGGM. Additives such as hydrogen and ammonia have been added to the fuel and water vapor at different levels to air to identify the optimal combination of methane, hydrogen, and ammonia, as well as the ideal air-water vapor mixture. The primary objective is to achieve the lowest possible carbon dioxide emissions with a combination in this range of percentages. Hydrogen significantly reduces CO2 emissions, followed by ammonia, with water vapor playing a minor role. By validating the Taguchi method in the present study, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the Taguchi method in emission reduction strategies, highlighting its promise for sustainable combustion engineering practices.