A Model of the Combustion of a Porous Carbon Particle in Oxygen

Institute for Problems in Mechanics RAS, Ave. Vernadskogo 101/1, Moscow 117526, Russia

V. M. GREMYACHKIN* and

Institute of Process Engineering and Power Plant Technology (IVD), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 23, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany A model of the combustion of a porous carbon particle in oxygen is developed. The model considers heat and mass transfer in both the gas phase above the particles surface and inside the porous particle. The conditions for the model having a solution have been determined by solving the diffusion equation in the gas phase around the particle. Two regimes of particle combustion have been analyzed: 1) the regime when carbon reacts with oxygen in the all volume of the particle, and 2) the regime with carbon reacting with oxygen in a layer at the particles exterior. Both carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide can be formed in the rst regime, but carbon monoxide can only be formed in the second regime. The conditions for each regime of particle combustion are determined. 2002 by The Combustion Institute

D. FORTSCH, U. SCHNELL, and K. R. G. HEIN

NOMENCLATURE a particle radius (m) Cj molar heat capacity of substances (J kmol 1 K 1) c heat capacity per (J kg 1 K 1) D diffusivity (m2 s 1) Ij uxes of gaseous substances (kg m 2 s 1) Ih ux of heat (J m 2 s 1) IR ux of heat by radiation (J m 2 s 1) Hj molar enthalpy of gaseous substances (J kmol 1) hj enthalpy of gaseous substances (J kg 1) hc enthalpy of solid carbon (J kg 1) k gas penetration coefcient of the porous particle (m2) kj dimensionless equilibrium constants for the formation of a substance from its elements Mj molecular mass of gaseous substance j (kg kmol 1) Mc molecular mass of carbon (kg kmol 1) mj number of carbon atoms in a molecule of a substance nj number of oxygen atoms in a molecule of a substance
*Correspond author. E-mail: grema@ipmnet.ru COMBUSTION AND FLAME 130:161170 (2002) 2002 by The Combustion Institute Published by Elsevier Science Inc.

Rg rate of a homogeneous chemical reaction (kg m 3 s 1) Rc rate of reaction of carbon with carbon dioxide (kg m 2 s 1) R rate of carbon consumption in a heterogeneous reaction (kg m 2 s 1) P dimensionless pressure in units of atmospheres p dimensionless partial pressure in units of atmospheres r radial coordinate (m) s internal surface area of a particle (m 1) S dimensionless internal surface aria of a particle T temperature (K) Tw temperature of furnace wall (K) Ts temperature of the particles surface (K) U mass ux in a gas (kg m 2 s 1) u Stephans velocity (m s 1) zj mass fraction of a gaseous substance zj mass fraction of a substance in an ambient gas zj0 mass fraction of a substance at the particles surface Greek Symbols dimensionless mass velocity of a gas porosity of a particle
0010-2180/02/$see front matter PII S0010-2180(02)00349-8

162 gas viscosity (kg m 1 s 1) dimensionless rate of particle combustion dimensionless coordinate gas density (kg m 3) Stephan-Boltzmann constant

V. M. GREMYACHKIN ET AL. the internal structure of the porous particle. The second problem is to determine the composition of the reaction products; these can be carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide. Four chemical reactions may be considered in the combustion of carbon in oxygen: C C O2 CO2, CO2 2CO, 2C O2 2CO, O2 2CO2

Subscripts j: 0 1 2 3 at a particles exterior CO2 CO O2

2CO

INTRODUCTION The combustion of a porous carbon particle is a kinetic process up to very high temperature 17. However, despite numerous attempts to fully understand the coupled processes of heat and mass transfer with chemical reactions, there are still open questions. In the past, models were developed to solve the relevant equations using certain assumptions, like frozen ow or gas phase equilibrium [8 10]. Nevertheless, because a theoretical model of the combustion of a porous carbon particle has to include the kinetics of the chemical reactions of carbon with oxygen as an essential part of the model, and the kinetics of this reaction are not sufciently known at this time, no model of porous carbon combustion exists that describes all features of this process. Experimental data on carbon combustion [17] are commonly presented as the dependence of the rate of particle burning on the particles surface temperature. However, experimental results obtained in different reactors often do not correlate with each other, because of the different experimental conditions or differences in the size or internal structure of the carbon particles. Thus, using the experimental measurements in a kinetic model for the combustion of a carbon particle [11] may be problematical. Consequently, the lack of knowledge on the kinetics of the chemical reactions taking place when a carbon particle burns is a severe hindrance for developing a theory for the combustion of a porous carbon particle. There are two main problems in formulating such a theory. The rst is the determination of how the rate of combustion of a particle depends on ambient conditions, particle size, and

The rst three reactions are heterogeneous and can take place either inside a porous particle or at the particles surface. The last reaction is homogeneous and can occur both in the gas phase near a particle and inside the porous particle. The kinetics of the homogeneous chemical reaction may be assumed to be [12]: Rg d CO2] M1 dt 1.05 10 10 M 1

exp ( 14293/T)[CO][O2]0.5[H2O]0.25 (1) where the concentrations are used in mol/l. It is known that the reaction of CO with O2 is very slow in the absence of water vapor, since the reaction is really CO OH CO2 H. However, in this analysis we focus on the combustion of a carbon particle in pure oxygen, and the effect of water on the rate of homogeneous reaction will not be considered here. It may be assumed the kinetics of the heterogeneous reaction of carbon with carbon dioxide per unit surface area is [13]: Rc 760 exp ( 30205/T)[CO2] (2)

The kinetics of the reaction of carbon with oxygen is taken to be unknown.

MODEL FOR THE COMBUSTION OF A POROUS CARBON PARTICLE Consider the basic equations describing the combustion of a porous carbon particle of radius a in a furnace containing pure oxygen; the temperature of the gas and wall is Tw. Steady state equations may be used, because the time for diffusion is negligible in comparison with the

COMBUSTION OF A POROUS CARBON PARTICLE time for the particle to burn out. Such equations conserve the masses of carbon and oxygen and also the enthalpy: div div div mj Ij Mj nj Ij Mj Ij hj Rs ; Mc 0; Ih sRh c IR r a (3) (4) (5)

163

where (r a) is function; j 1, 2, and 3 corresponds to CO2, CO, and O2 respectively. IR (T 4 T 4 ) is the heat lost by radiation, s w and mj and nj are the respective numbers of atoms of carbon and oxygen in a molecule, so that the involved species can be written as: Cmj Onj. The total rate of carbon consumption by heterogeneous reactions inside the particle per unit internal surface area, s, is denoted by R and includes the reactions: C CO2 and C O2. Introducing u, the mass ow rate of gas per unit area of porous particle: U the uxes of gaseous species and heat may be written in the form: Ij Ih Uz j UcT Dgrad z j;
g c

ered constant in this study to obtain a solution. The problem determining the diffusion coefcient is further complicated, because there may be a transition from molecular diffusion to Knudsen diffusion, introducing an additional dependence on the pore structure, that is, on pore size distribution and porosity. In this study, however, we only consider the molecular regime, corresponding to rather large pores inside particle. It is necessary to formulate an equation, which includes the kinetics of heterogeneous and homogeneous chemical reactions. Such an equation may be the diffusion equation for oxygen: div I 3 M3 R s M c o1 M3 R 2M c o2 M3 Rg 2M 1 (10) Here Ro1 is the rate of carbon consumption in the heterogeneous reaction with oxygen yielding CO2 and Ro2 is the rate of production of CO. The boundary conditions for the above equations are: r 0: U 0, Ij 0, Ih 0, dP dr 0; (11) r : zj z j0, T T , P P0 (12)

(6) 1 grad T, (7)

which implies that the binary diffusion coefcients of every species are equal. This is acceptable for the current study, because the molar masses of the species involved are similar. The conservation of mass of gas is given by: div U sR (8)

Equations 3 to 5 may be integrated over the radial coordinate. Excluding the function for the consumption rate of carbon from Eqs. 3 and 8 and integrating these equations with boundary conditions at r 0, the following relations between the uxes of the individual species are obtained: mj Ij Mj nj Ij Mj Ij hj U ; Mc 0; Ih Uh c IR a2 r2 r a (13) (14) (15)

The alteration of pressure inside a porous particle because of the ow of combustion products may be modelled by Darcys law: u k grad P (9)

In general, the porosity, gas penetration coefcient, k, and internal surface area, s, alter inside the particle, for example, because of preferential consumption of carbon in the outer layer of the particle. However, they are consid-

a) equals zero inside the particle Here (r (r a), but unity outside the particle (r a). Equations 13 and 14 may be integrated over

164 the radial coordinate once again with the boundary conditions at r . Likewise Eq. 15 may be integrated, if the enthalpy of solid carbon hc is assumed to equal zero [11] and that the enthalpy ux in the solid is negligible in comparison to the ux of total enthalpy in the gas; further the Lewis number is assumed to be unity. This yields the relations: mj zj Mj nj zj Mj r a: e r a: e where: U dr D (20) e e z jh j zj hj zj hj zj hj mj zj Mj nj zj Mj cT cT cj T cj T IR U0 IR U0 (19) 1 e
0

V. M. GREMYACHKIN ET AL. DIFFUSION REGIME OF THE PARTICLE COMBUSTION In the diffusion-controlled regime the rates of the chemical reactions are inherently faster than the diffusional uxes of the species involved. Thus, the concentrations of reactants must equal to their values for equilibrium. The high rates of chemical reactions at the particles surface signify that the reactions cannot take place inside the particle. Therefore the diffusion equations have to be considered only in gas phase above a particles surface. The concentrations at the particles surface are zj0 and the local temperature Ts may be determined from Eqs. 16 to 19 and the equilibrium conditions for the homogeneous reaction. The gas composition for equilibrium may be calculated from reported [14] equilibrium constants, kj, for the elementary chemical reactions: pj p njpc mj o c kj (22)

1 Mc

1 Mc

(16) (17)

IR Ug

(18)

The mass ux of gas, U, and the function in the gas phase above the carbon particle are then given by: U U0a2/r2, and 0 a/r. So 0 U0a/ D is the dimensionless rate of combustion of the particle. Inside the particle, on the the dependence of the function radial coordinate may be more complex, because the mass ux of gas is altered by heterogeneous reactions taking place. Equation 9 may be also integrated: r r a: a: P2 P P2 0 P 0, 0 , (21)

where: D/(kP0 s) is a parameter determining the rise in pressure inside the porous particle because of the gas ow. Those equations including the rates of heterogeneous reactions cannot be integrated, because their kinetics are unknown.

where po and pc are the partial pressure of atomic oxygen and carbon vapor. Excluding the concentrations of the elements from Eqs. like 22, the equation for a homogeneous reaction at equilibrium may be obtained. Thus, the composition of the gas at the particles surface may be determined from Eqs. 16 to 19 as a function of the parameter 0. It should be noted that in the diffusioncontrolled regime, conditions at the particles surface are given by equilibrium between the gas and solid. Such an equilibrium condition at high temperatures involves the thermodynamic equilibrium between carbon vapor and solid carbon. So, the partial pressure of carbon must equal the saturated pressure of carbon vapor at the particles temperature, so that the partial pressure of carbon is known. Such an additional condition gives the equation for the reaction of carbon with carbon dioxide being at equilibrium and further more it gives the possibility of determining the rate of particle combustion, 0, in the diffusion-controlled regime. Figure 1 shows the dependence of the dimensionless burning rate, 0, of a particle and also its surface temperature, Ts, on the concentration of oxygen for a furnace with a wall at the

COMBUSTION OF A POROUS CARBON PARTICLE

165

Fig. 2. The domain in which a solution exists. Fig. 1. Dependencies of a particles burning rate and the particles temperature on the mass fraction of oxygen in the ambient gas for the diffusion-controlled regime of particle combustion.

temperature Tw 1400 K. For example, the particles surface temperature in the diffusioncontrolled regime in pure oxygen will be 2500 K and the rate of combustion of the particle is 0.56. The corresponding temperature in 0 the diffusion-controlled regime for the particle burning in air will be 1800 K and the dimensionless rate of combustion of the particle is 0.16. The diffusion-controlled regime of 0 the carbon particle combustion may be realized for a large particle with a large internal surface area. However, consideration of the diffusioncontrolled regime gives the possibility of determining the maximum rate of combustion of a particle and also the particles temperature.

with Rg being the known function of the rate of homogeneous chemical reaction of CO with O2, that is, Eq. 1. The boundary condition for Eq. 23 is known in the ambient gas, but not at the particles surface. Equations 16 to 19 are valid both in the gas phase above the particles surface and inside the particle; specically, they are valid at the particles surface. Consequently, the following relations hold at the particles surface: m j z j0 Mj n j z j0 Mj z j0 Hj Mj e
0

e e

mj zj Mj nj zj Mj

1 Mc

1 Mc

(24) (25)

C jT s C jT IR Ug IR Ug (26)

PROCESSES IN THE GAS PHASE ABOVE THE PARTICLE Consider now the processes in the gas phase above the particles surface, because it provides information about the particles combustion, without considering the processes inside the porous particle. Equations 3 to 9 are simpler in the gas phase, because the heterogeneous reactions are absent and the porosity, , is unity; also the dependence of the mass ow rate and the function on the radial coordinate, r, are known. The diffusion Eq. 10 in the gas phase is: 1 d 2 r I3 r 2 dr M3 R 2M 1 g (23)

zj Hj Mj

These equations determine the composition of the gas at the particles exterior in terms of the surface temperature, Ts, and the parameter 0 determining the rate of combustion of the particle. The solution of Eqs. 24 to 26 is reasonable if the mass fractions of every species take positive values. This denes a domain for the existence of a solution and is illustrated in Fig. 2. It is restricted by curves, on which the mass fractions of carbon dioxide (a), carbon monoxide (b), and oxygen (c) approach zero. The calculations were carried out for a furnace temperature of 1400 K and for a size of the carbon particle corresponding to a/ D 1m2 s/kg, as often used in carbon combustion.

166 Chemical reactions are possible if the concentrations of reactants differ from their equilibrium values at the given pressure and temperature. The equilibrium concentrations at the particles surface may be determined from Eqs. 24 to 26 and the equations for chemical equilibrium. When considering equilibrium for the homogeneous chemical reactions, the reactions of carbon with CO2 and of carbon with O2 forming CO and CO2 may be considered. Thus, Eqs. 24 to 26 and the condition of chemical equilibrium determine the equilibrium composition and equilibrium temperature of the reaction and its dependence on 0, the dimensionless burning rate of the particle. In Fig. 2, the dependence of the surface temperature on 0 for the homogeneous reactions being at equilibrium is illustrated by curve 3. The curves for the heterogeneous reactions of carbon with CO2 and with O2 being at equilibrium practically coincide with curves a and c. The diffusion Eq. 23 may be solved if the ux of some substance is known at the particles exterior. Curves 1 and 2 in Fig. 2 refer to the condition that at the exterior the uxes of oxygen and carbon dioxide both equal to zero. As illustrated by experiments [17], the burning rate increases usually sharply with the particles surface temperature. At near 2500 K the rate of combustion achieves the maximum possible rate of 0 0.56, which corresponds to a rate in the diffusion regime when the rates of the chemical reactions exceed the diffusional uxes of the reactants. There are experimental observations [2 4] of the combustion rate decreasing with particle (surface) temperatures above 2500 K. The existence of such a high-temperature regime for the combustion of a particle is connected with oxygen being consumed totally in the gas phase and with the main reaction inside the particle being the endothermic reaction of carbon with carbon dioxide. In this case, the particle temperature will decrease when the rate of reaction between (CO2) and carbon increases. In summary, the domain describing a reasonable dependence of the particles burning rate on the particles surface temperature is restricted by the curves 1, a, and 3; as can be seen from Fig. 2, this domain is rather narrow. The dependence of the rate of the homogeneous reaction on the concentration of water

V. M. GREMYACHKIN ET AL. vapor was not considered in the calculations. If the dependence of the rate of the reaction on [H2O] were considered, the rate of the homogeneous reaction would be lower and curve 1 in Fig. 2 would move to higher temperatures. Consequently, the domain for the existence of a solution would be narrower. It should be emphasized that the results illustrated in Fig. 2 are the results from the solution of the diffusion equations in the gas phase above the particles surface without assuming strong restrictions; specically, no information is needed about the internal structure of the particle that is usually unknown.

REGIMES OF CARBON PARTICLE COMBUSTION IN OXYGEN Inside the porous carbon particle the heterogeneous reactions of carbon with both oxygen and carbon dioxide and the homogeneous oxidation of carbon monoxide in oxygen can take place. Introducing the function determining the rate of mass ow inside particle aU D the equations of carbon consumption and the diffusion equation for oxygen may be written in the dimensionless form: 1 d 2 d d d 1 dJ 3 2 d R o1 R o2 Rc S (27) (28) M3 Mc R o1 1 R S 2 o2 Mc R 2M 1 g (29)
2

dz 3 d

z3

J3

(30)

where: Ro1 a Ro1/( D) and Ro2 a Ro2/( D) are the dimensionless rates of the heterogeneous chemical reactions of carbon with oxygen with producing CO2 and CO, respectively. Those Rg a2 Rg/( D) and Rc Rca/( D) are the dimensionless rates of homogeneous

COMBUSTION OF A POROUS CARBON PARTICLE reaction and heterogeneous reaction of carbon with carbon dioxide. Also J3 a I3/( D) is the dimensionless ux of oxygen, S s a/ is a dimensionless internal surface area and r/a is the dimensionless radial coordinate. The appropriate expression for Rg is Eq. 1. However, for this reaction the rate has to vanish if the concentrations of oxygen or carbon monoxide are equal to their equilibrium concentrations. Therefore, saving the assumption that the rate of homogeneous reaction does not depend on the concentration of water vapor, the expression for rate of the homogeneous reaction is: Rg exp 1.057 10 10 a2 D M1 M2 z 2e M3 z3 z 3e (31) where zje denotes the respective mass fraction for equilibrium and D does not depend on pressure. The equilibrium mass fractions are determined from Eqs. 24 to 26 and the equilibrium condition for the homogeneous chemical reaction. Introducing the mass ow rate inside the particle, dened by: G Mc J3 M3 (32) 1 d
2

167 f* d G f *R cS Mc R 2M 1 g

(35)

In this equation the parameter f* determines the product distribution between CO and CO2 and ranges from 0.5 to 1. If only carbon dioxide is formed, then f* 1, and for the production of pure carbon monoxide f* 0.5. CO2 is formed in a homogeneous reaction, but is consumed by reacting with carbon. On curve 2 in Fig. 2 the ux of CO2 equals zero, so the rates of the homogeneous reaction and of carbon with carbon dioxide are compensating one another. For further developments it may be assumed that the RHS of Eq. 35 is negligible in the region where oxygen is present. In this way, Eq. 35 may be integrated to give: f* G C const (36)

14293/T z 2

where the constant C may be determined from the nature of the combustion inside the particle, as follows. 1. The reaction of carbon with oxygen takes place in all the volume of the particle. Under this condition the constant has to equal zero, because the function is zero in the center of the particle, where 0. Then, for values of 0, the solution to Eq. 36 is: G f* (37)

expressions for the rate of the heterogeneous reactions of carbon with oxygen may be determined from Eqs. 27 and 29 as: R o1 1 d
2

0.5 d

2. The reaction of carbon with oxygen takes place in a layer at the particles exterior. In this case C ef*, where e is the value of the at the point where the oxygen function concentration approaches zero, that is, where the ux of oxygen equals zero, that is, G 0. Thus, we obtain the approximate solution: G f* 1
e

Mc R M1 g R o2 1 d
2

0.5R cS G

0 R cS

(33) 0 (34)

(38)

1 d

Mc R 2M 1 g

If the heterogeneous reaction of carbon with oxygen forms only CO2, the equality applies to Eq. 34, but if only CO is formed, the equality applies to Eq. 33. Consequently, it may be written:

The function G may be determined at each point in the domain where a solution exists. In Fig. 2 curve b is the locus for G 1, where the ux of CO at the particles surface equals zero; curve 2 is for G 0.5, where the ux of CO2 equals zero. The value of G is less than 0.5 above curve 2 in Fig. 2, and G may be altered between 1 and 0.5 below curve 2. Thus, the solution G f* may exist in the domain below

168 curve 2, because the parameter f* can not be less than 0.5; however, the solution G 0.5(1 e/ ) may exist inside the domain above curve 2. Consequently, for a particle burning under conditions corresponding to the domain below curve 2, the reaction of carbon with oxygen takes place everywhere inside the particle; but for particles burning under conditions corresponding to the domain above curve 2, the reaction of carbon with oxygen takes place only in a layer at the particles exterior and in the center of the particle the reaction of carbon with carbon dioxide can take place only. Both CO and CO2 may be formed in the domain below curve 2, because the function f* may vary from 0.5 to 1 here. However, CO may only be formed in the domain above curve 2, as the function G 0.5 and f* 0.5 The expressions for uxes of the individual species may be found from the functions G and : Mc J1 M1 2G 1; Mc J2 M2 G 2 1 G ; (39) 0.5) we dz 3 d

V. M. GREMYACHKIN ET AL. M3 G Mc

z3

(42)

Excluding the function from the expression for function G, that is, Eqs 38 and 30, we obtain: 1 1 2 d
e

1 d (43)

Substituting this expression into Eq. 42, gives: d d z3 2M c M3

e

z3

2M c M3

(44)

As the value 2 Mc/M3 3/4 is less than unity, it may be assumed that the R.H.S. of Eq. 44 is a function, which is only slightly altered. In this way the oxygen concentration, z3 may be approximated by z3 z0. Then, integration of Eq. 3 44 from some value e (corresponding to the radius inside the particle where the [O2] approaches zero at e) to 0 (corresponding to the particles exterior) yields: z0 3 2Mc M3 1
e e

Mc J3 M3

z0 3

2Mc M3

1 (45)

Inside the domain above curve 2 (f* also have: Mc J1 M1 2G 1

e

(40)
e

Equation 45 relates the parameters e and e. The next case is when carbon reacts with CO2 in the center of the particle. Therefore, at the center of the particle Eqs. 27 to 28 become: 1 d 2 d d d SR c . (46) (47)

Consequently, the parameter

e

is given by: (41)

Mc J M1 1

Mc J M 1 10

This is because it was assumed that the formation of CO2 homogeneously is compensated by the consumption of carbon dioxide in the heterogeneous reaction of carbon with CO2. Thus, the parameter e is determined by the ux of CO2 at the exterior to the particle. The ux of CO2 at the particles surface, J10, may be determined at each point of the domain where a solution exists (see Fig. 2). The equality is natural, because the reaction of carbon with CO2 takes place in the center of the particle and the ux of CO2 within the particle is determined by the rate of this reaction. Equation 30 may be rewritten as:

The boundary conditions for these equations are:

e: e, e;

0:

(48)

The parameter, S, is known from assuming that the homogeneous reaction and the reac-tion of carbon with CO2 compensate each other, and is then given by: S Mc Rg c 2 M1 R (49)

COMBUSTION OF A POROUS CARBON PARTICLE

169

Fig. 3. The coordinate, e, at the end of the reaction of carbon with oxygen plotted against the dimensionless internal surface area of a particle.

Consequently, the additional boundary condition Eq. 48 gives the possibility of determining the relation between e and e by solving the second-order system of differential Eqs. 46 and 47. The relation obtained, together with Eq. 45 enables one to determine the values of every parameter at the end of the reaction zone of carbon with oxygen: viz e, e, and e. The dependence of the parameter e on the normalized surface area, S, is illustrated in Fig. 3 for different values of parameter 0 for Tw 1400 K and R/( D) 1. Figure 3 shows that the coordinate of the end of the reaction of carbon with oxygen decreases sharply with the internal surface area of the particle, decreasing to zero for the parameter S 103. Conse3 quently, if S 10 , the reaction of carbon with oxygen takes place in a layer at the particles surface and only CO is formed in this reaction; but if S 103, the reaction of carbon with oxygen takes place in all the internal volume of the particle and both CO and CO2 may be formed by reaction of carbon with oxygen. However, this solution does not allow one to determine the distribution of temperature and concentra-tions inside the particle. To determine such distributions it is necessary to consider the full system of equations. CONCLUSION A model for the combustion of a porous carbon particle has been developed. The model considers the equations of heat and mass transfer, both in the gas phase around the particle and

inside the pores. Analysis of the equations describing those processes in the gas phase reveals the existence of a domain, where a solution exists in terms of the dependence of the particles burning rate on surface temperature. This domain is rather narrow and the real dependence of the particles combustion rate on its temperature has to fall into this domain. It should be emphasized that the solution of the diffusion equation for the gas phase around the particle may be known with sufcient accuracy without the need for applying strong assumptions; specically, no assumption needs to be made regarding the internal structure of the carbon particle. The diffusion-controlled regime of the combustion of a particle was analyzed. This represents the maximum combustion rate, which is theoretically possible for innitely fast chemical reactions. The dependencies of the combustion rate of a particle and of the particles temperature on [O2] in the ambient gas were determined in the diffusion-controlled regime. It was shown that the domain where a solution is possible may be divided into two subdomains by a curve on which the net ux of CO2 at the particles exterior equals zero. In the rst sub-domain, the reaction of carbon with O2 takes place in a layer at the particles surface; in the center of the particle carbon only reacts with CO2. Carbon monoxide is the product of the reaction of carbon with O2 only in this case. In the second sub-domain carbon reacts with O2 throughout all the volume of the particle. Both CO and CO2 may be formed in this case. This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Russian Foundation of Basic Investigations (RFBI).

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