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Combustion facilities run on pulverized biomass often exhibit fluctuations in fuel feeding and, thus, equivalence ratio and would benefit from fast process control based on optical λ sensors installed in the reactor core. The conversion of softwood powder is investigated in an atmospheric entrained-flow reactor (EFR) operated close to stoichiometry using two different burners (swirl and jet) and three oxygen concentrations (21, 30, and 40%). Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is used to conduct time-resolved (0.1–1 s) in situ measurements of the gas temperature, carbon monoxide (CO), water vapor (H2O), gaseous atomic potassium [K(g)], and soot volume fraction in the lower part of the reactor core and in the exhaust of the EFR. At both locations, the measurement parameters show significant, correlating fluctuations. The local equivalence ratio is derived from a comparison of measured CO and H2O concentrations (for fuel-rich and fuel-lean conditions, respectively) to thermodynamic equilibrium calculations (TEC) and found to vary in a wide range (0.8–1.3). Soot production decreases with an increasing local equivalence ratio and oxygen enrichment and is lower for the swirl compared to the jet burner. The measured K(g) concentrations follow the general behavior predicted by TEC around stoichiometry. In the relevant temperature range (1100–1700 K), K(g) is 2–4 orders of magnitude higher under fuel-rich than fuel-lean conditions, with a sharp transition at stoichiometry. While K(g) concentrations are lower than TEC in the reactor core and under fuel-rich conditions, excellent agreement is found at the exhaust after complete fuel conversion. Precise, wide dynamic range detection of K(g) using TDLAS enables discrimination between fuel-rich and fuel-lean conditions and has the potential for lambda sensing close to the hot reaction zone of combustion plants.

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is employed for simultaneous detection of gas temperature, water vapor (H₂O) and gas-phase atomic potassium, K(g), in an atmospheric, research-scale entrained flow reactor (EFR). In situ measurements are conducted at four different locations in the EFR core to study the progress of thermochemical conversion of softwood and Miscanthus powders with focus on the primary potassium reactions. In an initial validation step during propane flame operation, the measured axial EFR profiles of H₂O density-weighted, path-averaged temperature, path-averaged H₂O concentration and H₂O column density are found in good agreement with 2D CFD simulations and standard flue gas analysis. During biomass conversion, temperature and H₂O are significantly higher than for the propane flame, up to 1500 K and 9%, respectively, and K(g) concentrations between 0.2 and 270 ppbv are observed. Despite the large difference in initial potassium content between the fuels, the K(g) concentrations obtained at each EFR location are comparable, which highlights the importance of considering all major ash-forming elements in the fuel matrix. For both fuels, temperature and K(g) decrease with residence time, and in the lower part of the EFR, K(g) is in excellent agreement with thermodynamic equilibrium calculations evaluated at the TDLAS-measured temperatures and H₂O concentrations. However, in the upper part of the EFR, where the measured H₂O suggested a global equivalence ratio smaller than unity, K(g) is far below the predicted equilibrium values. This indicates that, in contrast to the organic compounds, potassium species rapidly undergo primary ash transformation reactions even if the fuel particles reside in an oxygen-deficient environment.

Optical and intrusive measurement techniques for temperature and soot concentration in hot reacting flows were tested on a small-scale burner in fuel-rich, oxygen-enriched atmospheric flat flames produced to simulate the environment inside an entrained flow reactor. The optical techniques comprised two-color pyrometry (2C-PYR), laser extinction (LE), and tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS), and the intrusive methods included fine-wire thermocouple thermometry (TC) and electrical low pressure impactor (ELPI) particle analysis. Vertical profiles of temperature and soot concentration were recorded in flames with different equivalence and O₂/N₂ ratios. The 2C-PYR and LE data were derived assuming mature soot. Gas temperatures up to 2200 K and soot concentrations up to 3 ppmv were measured. Close to the burner surface, the temperatures obtained with the pyrometer were up to 300 K higher than those measured by TDLAS. Further away from the burner, the difference was within 100 K. The TC-derived temperatures were within 100 K from the TDLAS results for most of the flames. At high signal-to-noise ratio and in flame regions with mature soot, the temperatures measured by 2C-PYR and TDLAS were similar. The soot concentrations determined with 2C-PYR were close to those obtained with LE but lower than the ELPI results. It is concluded that the three optical techniques have good potential for process control applications in combustion and gasification processes. 2C-PYR offers simpler installation and 2D imaging, whereas TDLAS and LE provide better accuracy and dynamic range without calibration procedures.

A numerical and experimental study on the conversion of a biomass particle is carried out to quantify the effect of homogeneous volatile combustion on the biomass pyrolysis. The numerical domain consists of a particle and its surrounding and the model considers detailed chemical kinetic mechanism for reaction of pyrolysis products. A detailed pyrolysis model is employed which provides the composition of pyrolysis products. The effect of gas phase reaction on the conversion time and temperature of the particle is analyzed and it was shown that the gas phase reactions results in shorter pyrolysis time. H₂O mole fraction and temperature above a biomass pellet from wheat straw (WS) and stem wood (SW) were experimentally measured using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) while recording the particle mass loss. The TDLAS data were used to validate the numerical model developed for biomass conversion. The results showed that by considering the gas phase reactions a good agreement between the measurement and the model prediction for mass loss and temperature can be achieved. For H₂O mole fraction on top of the particle, on the other hand, some discrepancy between the model prediction and the experimental data was observed. Nevertheless, the difference in H₂O mole fraction would be much larger by neglecting the gas phase reaction at the particle boundary.

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) was used to measure several important process parameters at two different locations inside the reactor of an atmospheric, air-blown 0.1 MW_th biomass gasifier. Direct TDLAS at 2298 nm was employed for carbon monoxide (CO) and water vapor (H₂O), calibration-free scanned wavelength modulation spectroscopy at 1398 nm for H₂O and gas temperature, and direct TDLAS at 770 nm for gaseous elemental potassium, K(g), under optically thick conditions. These constitute the first in situ measurements of K(g) and temperature in a reactor core and in biomass gasification, respectively. In addition, soot volume fractions were determined at all TDLAS wavelengths, and employing fixed-wavelength laser extinction at 639 nm. Issues concerning the determination of the actual optical path length, as well as temperature and species non-uniformities along the line-of-sight are addressed. During a 2-day measurement campaign, peat and stem wood powder were first combusted at an air equivalence ratio (lambda) of 1.2 and then gasified at lambdas of 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4 and 0.35. Compared to uncorrected thermocouple measurements in the gas stream, actual average temperatures in the reactor core were significantly higher. The CO concentrations at the lower optical access port were comparable to those obtained by gas chromatography at the exhaust. In gasification mode, similar H₂O values were obtained by the two different TDLAS instruments. The measured K(g) concentrations were compared to equilibrium calculations. Overall, the reaction time was found to be faster for peat than for stem wood. All sensors showed good performance even in the presence of high soot concentrations, and real-time detection was useful in resolving fast, transient behaviors, such as changes in stoichiometry. Practical implications of in-situ TDLAS monitoring on the understanding and control of gasification processes are discussed.

We measure broadband H₂O and OH spectra in a flame using near-infrared cavity-enhanced Fourier transform optical frequency comb spectroscopy, we retrieve temperature and OH concentration, and compare water spectra to an improved line list.

We measure broadband H₂O and OH spectra in a flame using near-infrared cavity-enhanced Fourier transform optical frequency comb spectroscopy, we retrieve temperature and OH concentration, and compare water spectra to an improved line list.