Development of a Meso-Scale Central-Porous-Fuel- Inlet Combustor: Concept, Design and Application

Utilizing a central-porous medium for a liquid fuel film combustor is an effective method to increase the contact surface area and conduction heat transfer for liquid fuel vaporization and flame stabilization. Based on this concept, a meso-scale liquid fuel film combustor with a central porous inlet was theoretically analyzed and confirmed its feasibility. The effects of porous material type and bead size on the flame structures and combustion characteristics are examined. Porous media made of stainless steel and bronze are tested in the meso- scale combustor with different fuel and air flow rates, equivalence ratios, and bead sizes. The flame structure and its corresponding stabilization mechanism are different between the stainless steel and the bronze porous media combustor. Eventually, applying the present central-porous fuel- film combustor in TPV system was demonstrated. An infrared thermal tube replaces the chamber wall of fuel-film combustor and doubles as an emitter. Integrating commercial PV cells with the infrared thermal combustor was tested and examined by the I-V analyzer.