CFD model for hydrogen combustion effects on the heat-up characteristics of steel samples

This CFD model simulates hydrogen and natural gas combustion in a semi-industrial furnace using a low-swirl burner and their impact on the transient heat-up of steel samples. The model captures detailed flame structures, temperature distributions, and convective heat transfer, allowing direct comparison of H₂ and NG effects on steel heating rates. It includes both a full-domain RANS approach and a numerically efficient localized turbulence model, reducing computation time by 90%. The model can be used to study fuel substitution strategies, emission reduction, and process optimization in high-temperature industrial furnaces. The heating process with H2 caused an enhanced convective heat transfer, which led to a 13% faster heating process compared to CH4. Overall, the combustion of H2 can both reduce emissions and increase efficiency through lower fuel input and faster heat-up times.

HOW TO USE THE ANSYS FLUENT MODEL

1) Read .cas file in FLUENT 19R2 (or higher)

2) Read the examplary pre-tabulated chemistry data or create your own data using a reaction mechanism like GRI3.0 and change boundary conditions accordingly

3) Run the calculation to obtain the solution data