ABSTRACT
Physical modeling has been widely used in industry from geological studies to aerospace engineering to study complex —uid dynamics where engineering calculations or computational —uid dynamics (CFD) are deemed either unreliable (the former) or uneconomical (the latter).1 In the ˜eld of combustion, physical modeling is employed in studying —ow distribution involving combustion air, over-˜re air (OFA), and —ue gas recirculation (FGR) as well as isothermal —ows in combustion chambers of furnaces, boilers, heat recovery and steam
generators (HRSG), etc. Physical modeling is often used to study —ow patterns prior to the commissioning of new furnaces and boilers to gain a better understanding of the —ow characteristics and the interactions between various —ow streams inside the combustion chamber and then to ˜ne tune operating strategies and parameter settings. For burners with a common windbox or furnaces with a large number of burners (e.g., 520 burners) connected with extensive ductwork, physical modeling is routinely used to identify —ow maldistributions and to engineer —ow solutions through the use of internals such as turning vanes, baf—es, splitters, kickers, etc., to ensure desired —ow distribution and —ow patterns.
