Numerical Investigation and Optimization of Pyrolysis Process: Effects of Viscous Models and Combustion Power on Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer

The combustion of pyrolysis oil in industrial gas turbines utilizing biofuel represents a renewable energy source that originates from biomass waste. This combustion process presents a viable alternative to fossil fuels in industrial applications, contributing to a decrease in carbon emissions and mitigating greenhouse gas effects. An analysis of thermal and hydrodynamic factors is essential for comprehending how different combustion capacities and pyrolysis geometries like length, width, and storage volume affect system performance. This study aims to investigate how different variations of the k-ω viscosity model (k-ω Standard, SST, GEKO, and BSL) affect the pyrolysis combustion process of a gas-fired industrial burner with capacities of 200 kW, 700 kW, and 1000 kW. Numerical studies employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were carried out to ascertain the optimal thermal and hydraulic performance. The findings indicate that the k-ω standard viscous model produces the most favorable outcomes, with SST, GEKO, and BSL following closely, evaluated on parameters including air flow rate, maximum wall temperature, coefficient of heat transfer, and Nusselt number. Therefore, the k-ω standard numerical model, which has a combustion capacity of 1000 kW, is applicable for the geometric calculations of various pyrolysis gas-fired industrial burners.