Numerical investigation of oxy-natural-gas combustion in a semi-industrial furnace: Validation of CFD sub-models

The modeling through computational fluid dynamics of oxy-natural-gas combustion experimental tests in a 3 MW semi-industrial furnace equipped with a low NOx burner is discussed. Since the complex geometry of the burner and the size of the furnace, a modeling strategy has been adopted to diminish the computational time and thus to make the simulations affordable. The model aims at validating different sub-models (e.g. combustion/kinetics, radiation/spectral) for oxy-natural-gas fired conditions through the comparison of predictions and in-flame measurements of temperature and chemical species. It is found that fast chemistry approaches are unable to predict the temperature field. The spectral model was also found to play a fundamental role for the correct analysis of such scale devices. Uncertainties in experimental and modeling results are discussed and compared.