Modeling filtration combustion of a pyrolyzing solid fuel

A model is proposed for the steady-state combustion of a mixture of a pyrolyzed solid fuel and an inert material in a countercurrent gaseous oxidizer. The chemical scheme includes the pyrolysis of the original fuel with the formation of a coke residue and gaseous products (pyrolysis tar), oxidation of pyrolysis tar, and oxidation of the coke residue. The process in an infinite nonadiabatic reactor is considered. The one-dimensional single-temperature model includes the energy conservation equation for the system and the mass conservation equations for each species. The original system of equations is solved for each type of thermal structure of the combustion wave (normal and inverse) using an asymptotic method and assuming a narrow combustion zone. Analytical relations between the main macrokinetic parameters of the process are obtained. It is shown that at la ow content of the inert components (in the parametric domain of inverse waves), pyrolysis completely proceeds in a zone distant from the combustion front. In the region of normal waves, more complete combustion of the fuel is observed, which is provided by oxidation of part of pyrolysis tar.