Super-adiabatic combustion in Al2O3 and SiC coated porous media for thermoelectric power conversion

The combustion of ultra-lean fuel/air mixtures provides an efficient way to convert the chemical energy of hydrocarbons and low-calorific fuels into useful power. Matrix-stabilized porous medium combustion is an advanced technique in which a solid porous medium within the combustion chamber conducts heat from the hot gaseous products in the upstream direction to preheat incoming reactants. This heat recirculation extends the standard flammability limits, allowing the burning of ultra-lean and low-calorific fuel mixtures and resulting a combustion temperature higher than the thermodynamic equilibrium temperature of the mixture (i.e., super-adiabatic combustion). The heat generated by this combustion process can be converted into electricity with thermoelectric generators, which is the goal of this study.