Combustion Technologies for a Clean Environment

Maria G. da Graca Carvalho, Woodrow A. Fiveland, F. C. Lockwood, Christos Papadopoulos, Carvalhoc

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9782881246197
• eBook ISBN: 9781000725179
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Environmental Management

Selected Papers from the Proceedings of the First International Conference Vilamoura, Portugal, September 3-6, 1991. The 54 papers in this volume establish the first in a series of biannual benchmarks for technologies that maximize energy conversion while minimizing undesirable emissions. Covering the entire range of industrial and transport combustion as well as strategies for energy R&D, these contributions will be useful to mechanical and chemical engineers in academia and industry, and technical personnel in military, energy and environmental agencies of government. Among topics covered in the book are: strategies: now and in the future; pulverised coal combustion; oil combustion; gas combustion; gas fired systems, biomass combustion; fluidized bed combustion; incinerators; internal combustion; engines and reaction kinetics.

1. STRATEGIES: NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

DOI: 10.1201/9780367810597-1

Strategies for Future R & D in Combustion Processes

Invited lecture by P.F. SENS Commission of the European Communities, DG XII

DOI: 10.1201/9780367810597-2

INTRODUCTION

Designing an energy R & D strategy is a very speculative and, risky matter. The development of a new technology to a commercial product apparently takes some 30 years and another 20 years may be required to implement the technology on a large scale. An example of this can be found in the development of the jet engine which was invented in 1929, but it has lasted until the end of the fifties, with several interruptions in the development, explosions of test engines and bankruptcy, that jet aircraft was introduced in regular air traffic. It has also taken about thirty years between the discovery of uranium fission and the first civilian application of nuclear energy, but further introduction of nuclear power suffers now from lack of public support in many countries.

The prototype fast breeder reactor in Kalkar (D) will not be taken into operation and will be dismantled after more than 25 years of development. It is to be hoped that the development of fusion technology can obtain timely assurance of continued public support in order to avoid a fate similar to the Kalkar reactor.

Because of the long lead times, today’s decision makers will very likely no longer be around by the time the full effect of their decision, or lack of decision, becomes apparent. Their decision will affect their children much more, but it is difficult to predict in which way.

The conditions under which a specific technology may have to compete with others may change drastically during the development period. The last two decades have given examples of significant changes, caused not only by market forces but also by geopolitical factors and public acceptance. The fluctuations in oil price have caused fluctuations in coal price as well. The upward instabilities have stimulated developments from offshore technology to renewable energy while the downward instabilities have made their economy doubtful.

Uncertainties of this kind will remain and require a flexible R & D planning. On the one hand one should be careful not to drag on R & D activities on a new energy technology which has reached the phase of demonstration but whose application is postponed due to a change in the economic environment. Such a technology should be mothballed and kept in reserve as an option for “better” times.

On the other hand, a decision not to develop an energy option because it will never become economic under the present conditions may, in retrospect, appear to be unjustified if looked at under the circumstances of the year 2010 or beyond, when oil prices, according to present scenarios, have increased considerably due to exhausting resources.

CRITERIA

It may be evident from the above that energy R & D strategy has to be directed to long term targets and that economic prospects should not be the only guiding principle. In judging potential energy sources one should apply criteria such as:

• — contribution to the energy supply;
• — contribution to supply security and diversification;
• — R & D requirement;
• — environmental impact;
• — economic prospects;
• — societal acceptance.

As indicated above, the last two criteria imply such large uncertainties, that they can hardly be applied for long term R & D strategy. Another question is: is long term equally long for all the actors in the field?

For the R & D programmes, supported by the European Communities there are a number of specific criteria such as:

• — industry oriented;
• — multinational and multipartner;
• — innovative;
• — positive for the environment;
• — precompetitive;
• — subsidiary;
• — in support of SME’s;
• — reflecting the European dimension.

It must be evident from these criteria that, although the EC may recognize the need for R & D in a specific area, it does not necessarily have to be supported by the EC. The subject may already be too close to competition or no longer suited for a multipartner arrangement.

Subsidiary means that the EC should pref...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction to the Series
• Preface
• Scientific Committee
• Sponsors
• PART 1 — STRATEGIES: NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
• PART 2 — PULVERIZED COAL COMBUSTION
• PART 3 — OIL COMBUSTION
• PART 4 — GAS COMBUSTION
• PART 5 — GAS FIRED SYSTEMS
• PART 6 — BIOMASS COMBUSTION
• PART 7 — FLUIDISED BED COMBUSTION
• PART 8 — INCINERATORS
• PART 9 — INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
• PART 10 — REACTION KINETICS