{"title":"Theoretical elucidation of the hindering effect of oxide-layer growth on the ignition of iron particles","authors":"XiaoCheng Mi","doi":"10.1016/j.combustflame.2025.114310","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the hindering effect of a growing oxide layer on the ignition behavior of fine iron particles, focusing on scenarios where the gas temperature is below the critical ignition temperature (<span><math><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>ign</mi></mrow></msub></math></span>). The analysis is grounded in a thermophysical model integrating solid-phase iron oxidation mechanism and heat and mass transfer between the particle and surrounding gas. The results reveal that the growth of an oxide layer under subcritical temperatures has a hindering effect, significantly raising the <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>ign</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> required for thermal runaway. The effect is more pronounced for smaller particles, with the required <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>ign</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> increasing by 80–250<!--> <!-->K over a residence time of three seconds for particle sizes ranging from 200 to 50<!--> <!-->µm, respectively. These findings provide a theoretical framework linking ignition mechanism to the heating process experienced by an iron particle in a practical combustor, offering insights for improving ignition rates through tailored heating conditions.</div><div><strong>Novelty and significance statement</strong></div><div>This study theoretically identifies the primary reason why a significant number of iron particles fail to ignite in practical combustors—an issue previously reported by developers of iron-powder combustion technologies in industry, yet insufficiently addressed by academic researchers. It elucidates the hindering effect of oxide-layer growth, caused by inadequate heating rates, on the ignition propensity of iron particles—a mechanism suggested in the work of Mi et al. (2022), but still not fully understood within the Metal-enabled Cycle of Renewable Energy (MeCRE) community. By establishing a theoretical framework, this brief communication provides guidance for the design of iron-powder combustors, emphasizing the need for sufficient heating rates to improve ignition reliability and overall combustion efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":280,"journal":{"name":"Combustion and Flame","volume":"279 ","pages":"Article 114310"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Combustion and Flame","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010218025003487","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study investigates the hindering effect of a growing oxide layer on the ignition behavior of fine iron particles, focusing on scenarios where the gas temperature is below the critical ignition temperature (). The analysis is grounded in a thermophysical model integrating solid-phase iron oxidation mechanism and heat and mass transfer between the particle and surrounding gas. The results reveal that the growth of an oxide layer under subcritical temperatures has a hindering effect, significantly raising the required for thermal runaway. The effect is more pronounced for smaller particles, with the required increasing by 80–250 K over a residence time of three seconds for particle sizes ranging from 200 to 50 µm, respectively. These findings provide a theoretical framework linking ignition mechanism to the heating process experienced by an iron particle in a practical combustor, offering insights for improving ignition rates through tailored heating conditions.
Novelty and significance statement
This study theoretically identifies the primary reason why a significant number of iron particles fail to ignite in practical combustors—an issue previously reported by developers of iron-powder combustion technologies in industry, yet insufficiently addressed by academic researchers. It elucidates the hindering effect of oxide-layer growth, caused by inadequate heating rates, on the ignition propensity of iron particles—a mechanism suggested in the work of Mi et al. (2022), but still not fully understood within the Metal-enabled Cycle of Renewable Energy (MeCRE) community. By establishing a theoretical framework, this brief communication provides guidance for the design of iron-powder combustors, emphasizing the need for sufficient heating rates to improve ignition reliability and overall combustion efficiency.
期刊介绍:
The mission of the journal is to publish high quality work from experimental, theoretical, and computational investigations on the fundamentals of combustion phenomena and closely allied matters. While submissions in all pertinent areas are welcomed, past and recent focus of the journal has been on:
Development and validation of reaction kinetics, reduction of reaction mechanisms and modeling of combustion systems, including:
Conventional, alternative and surrogate fuels;
Pollutants;
Particulate and aerosol formation and abatement;
Heterogeneous processes.
Experimental, theoretical, and computational studies of laminar and turbulent combustion phenomena, including:
Premixed and non-premixed flames;
Ignition and extinction phenomena;
Flame propagation;
Flame structure;
Instabilities and swirl;
Flame spread;
Multi-phase reactants.
Advances in diagnostic and computational methods in combustion, including:
Measurement and simulation of scalar and vector properties;
Novel techniques;
State-of-the art applications.
Fundamental investigations of combustion technologies and systems, including:
Internal combustion engines;
Gas turbines;
Small- and large-scale stationary combustion and power generation;
Catalytic combustion;
Combustion synthesis;
Combustion under extreme conditions;
New concepts.