David Battye

PhD Candidate

BE (Chem.) Hons

Location: Room A210 Engineering North Annex
Email: dbattye@chemeng.adelaide.edu.au
Phone: + 61 8 8303 3093
FAX: +61 8 8303 4373

Supervisors

Dr Peter Ashman

Research Topic

Stoichiometry and Kinetics of Lignite Char Combustion

Research Abstract

The design of advanced technologies for cleaner power generation from lignite (low-rank coal) requires knowledge of the stoichiometry and kinetics of major heterogeneous reactions, of which char combustion is one. Lignite chars consist mainly of solid carbon, which forms CO and CO2 by direct heterogeneous reaction with molecular oxygen. For solid carbons in general, the CO/CO2 ratio increases exponentially with temperature but also varies widely between different carbon types at identical temperatures. Calcium in carbon, such as that occurring naturally in lignite chars, is known to catalyse CO2 formation.
The project seeks to investigate both the stoichiometry and kinetics of lignite char combustion experimentally. This involves measuring CO and CO2 formation rates for chars burning at low temperatures (eg. 400 C) such that the combustion rate is not influenced by mass-transfer and CO does not oxidise to CO2. Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) is used to determine the quantity of stable surface oxides during the combustion. The combined data enables new insights on the carbon combustion mechanism.

Interests

• Combustion and gasification of solid fuels.

Recent Publications

• Battye, D. and Ashman, P. Stable Surface Oxides Formed During Oxidation of Lignite Chars, 2003 Australian Symposium on Combustion & The 8th Australian Flame Days. (Monash University, Vic) Dec, 2003.