TY - JOUR
T1 - Flow processes in a radiant tube burner: isothermal flow
AU - Tsioumanis, Nick
AU - Brammer, John G.
AU - Hubert, J.
PY - 2008/1
Y1 - 2008/1
N2 - This paper presents the first part of a study of the combustion processes in an industrial radiant tube burner (RTB). The RTB is used typically in heat-treating furnaces. The work was initiated because of the need for improvements in burner lifetime and performance. The present paper is concerned with the flow of combustion air; a future paper will address the combusting flow. A detailed three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model of the burner was developed, validated with experimental air flow velocity measurements using a split-film probe. Satisfactory agreement was achieved using the k-e turbulence model. Various features along the air inlet passage were subsequently analysed. The effectiveness of the air recuperator swirler was found to be significantly compromised by the need for a generous assembly tolerance. Also, a substantial circumferential flow maldistribution introduced by the swirler is effectively removed by the positioning of a constriction in the downstream passage.
AB - This paper presents the first part of a study of the combustion processes in an industrial radiant tube burner (RTB). The RTB is used typically in heat-treating furnaces. The work was initiated because of the need for improvements in burner lifetime and performance. The present paper is concerned with the flow of combustion air; a future paper will address the combusting flow. A detailed three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model of the burner was developed, validated with experimental air flow velocity measurements using a split-film probe. Satisfactory agreement was achieved using the k-e turbulence model. Various features along the air inlet passage were subsequently analysed. The effectiveness of the air recuperator swirler was found to be significantly compromised by the need for a generous assembly tolerance. Also, a substantial circumferential flow maldistribution introduced by the swirler is effectively removed by the positioning of a constriction in the downstream passage.
KW - radiant tube burner
KW - computational fluid dynamics
KW - swirling flow
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36049028435&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016236107001809?via%3Dihub
U2 - 10.1016/j.fuel.2007.03.048
DO - 10.1016/j.fuel.2007.03.048
M3 - Article
SN - 0016-2361
VL - 87
SP - 103
EP - 111
JO - Fuel
JF - Fuel
IS - 1
ER -