An optimization approach for improving the exergetic efficiency in mesoscale combustor

摘要

The optimum designs of combustor are traditionally based on trial and error method. In this paper, we propose a systematic optimization method for the optimum design of this kind of reactor. The optimization procedure is introduced by taking a premixed methane/air combustion as an illustrating example. We show the efficiency of the combustion process is dominated by the entropy generation of the reaction and heat transfer and the viscous dissipation of the fluid flow in the reactor. The minimum of entropy generation of the process is thus taken as the objective function and the conservation equations and constant viscous dissipation as the constraints. A solution procedure for the optimization problem based on the calculus of variation is proposed. To validate the proposed method, we show that the optimization procedure can provide a thermodynamic limit for the combustion process by comparing with different internal structures of combustion chamber.