Addition or injection of water in the combustion of hydrocarbons, doctoral thesis by Rémi Guillet

The injection of water into an engine or into a hydrocarbon combustion cycle is beneficial both in terms of pollution control and cycle efficiency.

This is called: "wet combustion".

Rémi Guillet, Doctor of Science, has made a doctoral dissertation supported in 2002 to download here: “Wet combustion and its performance” by Rémi Guillet

This obviously meets the principle of water injection in internal combustion engines and the work, among others, Christophe Martz

Summary of R.Guillet's thesis:

For many years, water has been used as an additive to improve combustion, improve machine power, and even as an anti-knock and, more recently, as an inert to reduce the formation of nitrogen oxides. Today the challenge to be taken up concerns the economy of the scarce resource that is fossil energy and even more, the protection of the environment.

With the wet combustion, the performance of land based gas turbines can be enhanced very significantly Thus, steam injection cycles (STIG), regenerative cycles to humidified air (HAT), can approach the performance of the combined cycle.

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For its part, the water vapor pump cycle which recycles the ultimate, sensible and latent heat, usually released to the chimney, in the form of preheated and humidified combustion air, allows many processes to approach efficiency. maximum combustion of 100% of the higher calorific value of the fuel.

In all its forms, the introduction of water into the combustion chambers is also known to reduce the formation of NOx: direct injection, in emulsion with the fuel, in vapor form generated by a recuperator, a water vapor pump ...

Then, remarkable energy and ecological performances are possible, especially for the processes that value the recovery of latent heat. Among the processes most likely to benefit from the benefits of wet combustion are:
- condensing boilers;
- direct contact generators;
-the direct dryers with energy recovery;
- regenerative cogeneration turbines;
- clean incineration processes with energy recovery.

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In wet combustion, three fluids are introduced into the combustion chamber: fuel, combustion air and additional water ...

To analyze these processes, we have developed an analysis method using the wet bulb temperature as the main parameter, called the Combustion Hygrometric Diagram. This method, presented in detail as well as many diagrams resulting from it, is recommended for:
-analysis, forecasting, improvement, optimization of combustion efficiency;
- predictive control;
- prediction of condensation;
- the sizing of two-phase exchangers.

But the method can also be used in the case of traditional processes such as boilers and condensing generators to offer prospects of access to efficiency with more precision and at lower cost.
Further information on changes due to the presence of additional water in thermal combustion processes is also provided.

More:
- Download the full thesis “Wet combustion and its performance” by Rémi Guillet
- Download a synthesis on the combustion in humid air
- Explanations and analyzes on wet combustion on our forums
- All downloads

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