Review on thermal-science fundamental research of pressurized oxy-fuel combustion technology
image: Schematic of POC technology. HP, IP, and LP represent high pressure, intermediate pressure, and low pressure turbine, respectively
Credit: Xinran Wang, Shiquan Shan, Zhihua Wang, Zhijun Zhou & Kefa Cen.
With global electricity demand rising, controlling CO₂ emissions from the power sector is crucial for climate goals. Oxy-fuel combustion, which uses oxygen and recirculated flue gas to produce high-purity CO₂ for capture, is a leading carbon capture technology. However, conventional atmospheric oxy-fuel systems face efficiency losses due to pressure differences between combustion and CO₂ processing units. Pressurized oxy-fuel combustion (POC) has emerged as a promising upgrade, improving system efficiency and reducing energy consumption during CO₂ compression.
A review article by Xinran Wang, Shiquan Shan, Zhihua Wang, Zhijun Zhou, and Kefa Cen from the State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization at Zhejiang University, published in Frontiers in Energy, comprehensively examines the thermal-science fundamentals of POC. The paper systematically summarizes research progress on POC system designs, heat transfer mechanisms, combustion behavior, and pollutant emissions.
The review highlights that POC can increase net system efficiency by about 3% when combustion pressure rises from 1 to 10 bar, and radiative heat flux at 14 bar is 25 kW/m² higher than at atmospheric pressure. It details how pressure enhances radiation heat transfer—attributed to triatomic gases like CO₂ and H₂O—and summarizes improvements in radiation models such as the WSGG model for high-pressure conditions. The study also covers pressurized combustion characteristics, including transitions in ignition mechanisms and shortened char burnout time, as well as NOₓ and SOₓ emission trends under pressure.
This work provides a valuable reference for researchers by consolidating experimental and modeling results in POC technology. It identifies key research gaps, such as the need for more accurate radiation models and further studies on fine particle and trace element emissions, offering a scientific basis for future system optimization and industrial application of POC.
Original source:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11708-024-0931-y
https://journal.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-024-0931-y
Shareable link: https://rdcu.be/eSrRU
Keywords:
pressurized oxy-fuel combustion (POC) / CO2 control / system efficiency / radiation heat transfer