Mathematical Modeling and Dynamic Simulation of Temperature Distribution in a Chamber Furnace

Mathematical Modeling and Dynamic Simulation of Temperature Distribution in a Chamber Furnace.

ABSTRACT  

Chamber furnaces are widely used in heat treatment. The correct prediction of the temperature variation and distribution within the chamber is of high significance to ensure good quality of the products being fired and reduce energy consumption. A software by trade name COMSOL was used to model and simulate the temperature distribution in a chamber furnace at different positions using finite element method (FEM) together with adaptive meshing and error control.

An experimental chamber furnace was employed with five thermocouples to measure temperature values at different positions. In the chamber furnace, heat was transferred by both conduction and radiation. The results of the modeling were compared with the experimental values and it was found that there were disparities. The result of the simulated temperature at position (-0.125, -0.15,0) after 10mins was 525K whereas the measured temperature at the same position was 353K.

Also the results of the simulated temperature at position (0,-0.15,0) after 10mins was 360K whereas the measured temperature at the same position was 358K. The average temperature distribution of the simulated result was 442K whereas the measured temperature was 355.2K. The disparity was due to contamination and degradation of furnace refractory lining which result from the reduction and re-oxidation of silica found in the refractory after lengthen in duration of heating of the chamber furnace. 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page – – – – – – – – – – ii
Declaration – – – – – – – – – – – iii
Certification – – – – – – – – – – – iv
Dedication – – – – – – – – – – — v
Acknowledgement – – – – – – – – – – vi
Abstract — – – – – – – – – – – viii
Table of contents — – – – – – — – – – .ix
List of Figures- – – – – – – – – – – xiii
List of Tables– – – – – – – – – xiv
List of Appendices – – – – – – – – xvi
List of Symbols and Abbreviations- – – — – – – – – xvii

1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 Problem statement- – – – – – – – – 1
1.3 Aim and objectives – – – – – – – 2
1.4 Justification – – – – – – – – 2
1.5 Scope of study – – – – – – – – 2

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Industrial furnace – – – – – – – – – 3
2.1.1 Radiant Section – – – – – – 5

2.1.2 Convention section – – – – – – – – 6
2. 1.3 Furnace Burner – – – – – – – – 6
2.1.4 Soot blower – – – – – – – – – 7
2.1.5 Insulation – – – – – – – – – 8
2.2 Electrical arc furnace – – – – – – – 8
2.2.1 Advantages of electric arc Furnace – – – – – – 8
2.3 Blast furnace – – – – – – 9
2.3.1 Modern process of blast furnace – – – – — 10
2.4 Chamber furnace – – – – – 11
2.4.1 Operation of chamber furnace – – – – – – 12
2.4.2 Application of chamber furnace – – – – — 13
2.5 Simulation of energy balances in a heat treatment furnace with MATLAB – – 14
2.5.1 Heat transfer through insulation – – – – – – 14
2.5.2 Combution chamber – – – – – – 14
2.6 Modeling and simulation of heat transfer in loaded continous heat treatment furnace- 15
2.6.1 Mathematical Model – — – – – – 16
2.7 Estimation of furnace temperature distribution using digital photographical image – 17
2.7.1 Source image acquisition – – – – – – 18
2.8 Thermocouple – – – – – – 18
2.8.1 Principle of Operation of thermocouple – – – – – – 19
2.8.2 Practical use of thermocouple – – – – – – 19
2.8.3 Type of thermocouple – – – 19

3.0 MATERIALS AND METHOD
3.1 Equipment – – – – – – – – – 22
3.2 Model setting – – – – – – – – – – 22
3.2.1 The heat equation – – – – – — – – 22
3.3 Model parameters – – – – – – – – – 23
3.4 Sub-domain setting – – – – – – – – – 24
3.5 Boundary condition – – – – – – – – – 26
3.5.1 Interior and external boundary – – – – – – – 28
3.6 Creating meshes – – – – – – – – 29
3.7 Processing and visualization mode – – – – – – – 29
3.7.1 Selecting a plot type – – – – – – – – 29
3.7.2 Selecting a solution – – – – – – – – – 30
3.8 Procedures for developing the model – – – – – – – 30
3.9 Experimental work – – – – — – – – 33
3.9.1 3D -Cross section slice plot – – – – – – – 33

4.0 RESULTS & DISCUSSION
4.1 Results- – – – – – – – – – 35
4.1.1 Graphical representation of the simulation results of the temperature distribution
in chamber furnace – – – – – – – 35
4.1.2 Simulation and Experimental temperature distribution in a chamber furnace – 37
4.2 Discussion of Results – – – – – – – – – 41
4.2.1 Temperature distribution for plane Y(-0.15) – – – – – 41
4.2.2 Temperature distribution for plane Y(0.00) – – – – – 41
4.2.3 Temperature distribution for plane Y(0.15) – – – – 42

5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusions – – – – – – – – 44
5.2 Recommendations – – – – – – – – 44

REFERENCES – – – – – – – — – 45

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INTRODUCTION  

A furnace is a device used for heating. In American English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating system based on a central furnace (known as either a boiler or a heater in British English), and sometimes as a synonymy for kiln, a device used to fire clay to produce ceramics.

The temperature distribution inside a chamber furnace is not sometime known and as result there is no prediction of the extent of uniform firing of article using such furnace. It is necessary to be able to predict the extent to which article will be uniformly fired in a furnace.

One of the state of the art effort in process engineering is the computer simulation of chemical processes, COMSOL software is used to predict the temperature distribution in the chamber furnace and analyze the energy flows in the chamber. 

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REFERENCES

Douglas, J.M (1988), Conceptual Design of Chemical Processes, McGraw-Hill,
New York

Chew, J. & Hogg, S.I. (1997) Mathematical Modeling of Temperature
Distribution Control in a Reactor pp.345-400, McGraw-Hill, New York

Himmelblau, D.M (1999) Basic Principles and Calculations in Chemical
Engineering, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall New Delhi

Fiveland, W.A. &,Crosbie, A. L. (1993),Fundermentals of Radiation Heat
Transfer, American Society of Engineers pp.450-460

Davies, Clive (1980) Calculations in Furnace Technology, McGraw-Hill, New
York pp.40-56

Preston, R (1993) American Steel, Avon Book, New York pp.41-59

Hougen, O.A., Watson, T.A. (1997), Chemical Process Principles: Part 111
Kinetics and Catalysis. Wiley, New York.

StudentsandScholarship Team.