Effects of gas flow distribution on particle gasification and ash/slag melting characteristics in a solid waste gasification-melting furnace

Under a constant total fuel supply, this study investigates the effects of burner gas flow distribution on particle gasification and ash/slag melting characteristics in a solid waste gasification-melting furnace. A three-dimensional CFD model of the gasification-melting furnace was developed and validated against experimental data. Based on the validated model, the total fuel flow rate supplied to the furnace body was kept constant, while the number of active furnace-body burners and their flow distribution were varied. The effects of different burner configurations on the in-furnace flow and heat transfer, particle heating and gasification, distributions of CO and H 2 produced by gasification reactions, and ash/slag melting behavior were analyzed. The results show that increasing the number of active furnace-body burners improves the heat release pattern and axial continuity of heat supply in the furnace. This promotes particle heating, volatile release, and subsequent gasification reactions, thereby enhancing the ash/slag melting capability and increasing the melting ratio. However, when the number of burners involved in the gas flow distribution increases beyond a certain level, the further improvement in the melting ratio becomes limited.