Special Issue on Modelling, Simulation and Control in Combustion Processes of Renewable Fuels

Abstract

The modeling and simulation of combustion processes is still a challenging field. It requires integrating heat and mass transfers, flow conditions, and reaction chemistries. The available tools for such modeling methods are very different and are usually problem-specific. One particular field of interest is the fluidized bed combustion of solid fuels, which additionally encounters fluidized bed hydrodynamics and particle interactions. Recent trends in the field focus on a more detailed description and understanding of the burn-out mechanism of solid fuel particles, which is essential for modeling in order to produce reasonable outputs. From a control point of view, for example, the dynamic models of combustion processes are essential in model-based control algorithms. Due to their complexity, dynamic modeling based on partial differential equations and parameter identification for the corresponding transient models is a topical problem that can be solved using a comprehensive approach based on experimental data, numerical simulation, regression modeling, and artificial intelligence methods. One common challenge is validating the models in an actual process, which requires in-depth and precise measurements that are typically complicated by limited access to the combustion process zone. This information is also essential for controlling and monitoring combustion processes.