A novel combustor based on chemical-looping reactions and its reaction kinetics.

A novel combustor based on controlled chemical-looping reactions without flame differs from the traditional combustor, in which the fuel is in direct contact with air. It allows CO2 to be easily recovered and promises advanced-level thermal efficiency for power generation. Promising results of laboratory experiments with the novel combustor are presented here. We found that NiO particles mixed with YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia) have very good properties with respect to oxidation rate, conversion, and physical strength. Especially, the rate of oxidation of Ni particles is increased significantly. The effects of YSZ content in the particle, the reaction temperature, the particle size, and the water vapor concentration were examined by studying the kinetic behavior of reactions. These promising results revealed high potential for applying chemical-looping combustion in a power-generation plant.