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Rationale
Fuel combustion is the
major source of energy in the industrial world. The efficient use of fuel will
reduce the carbon dioxide burden in the atmosphere for a given energy demand,
and the nature of the combustion process will also influence the production
of atmospheric pollutants such as NOx. In the combustion reaction, the reactants
(fuel and oxidizer) interact to generate combustion products and release
the heat of combustion. For the hydrocarbon fuel, methane, the stoichiometric
combustion reaction obeys the relation: CH4 + 2O2
-> CO2 + 2H2O
+ Q
where
Q is the "Heat of Reaction." Atoms are conserved in such reactions and the
coefficients multiplying each chemical type are known as the stoichiometric
coefficients. The reaction can also take place in the presence of inert substances
or with the reactants present in concentrations other than those required
for stoichiometry. For example, if air is used as the source of the oxidizer,
the 79% by volume of nitrogen in air can be treated as an inert material
in the combustion reaction and its presence will alter the flame temperature.
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