A Global Kinetic Model for the Formation and Destruction of the Products of Incomplete Combustion Produced from the Combustion of o-Dichlorobenzene

Abstract

Data on combustion samples obtained from burning o-dichlorobenzene, taken earlier (Van Dell and Mahle, 1992), were used to develop a three step semi-empirical global kinetic model to describe the formation and destruction of various Products of Incomplete Combustion (PICs). This model assumes that the reactions occur consecutively in the post flame temperature range and that the reverse reaction rates are negligible. Using this model, in conjunction with selected activation energies, concentration vs. temperature profiles for the various PICs were constructed that match the experimental data. Activation energies selected were generally taken from the literature to represent both the homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Important processes considered in this model include chlorination, dechlorination, adsorption, coupling, decoupling and cyclization reactions. Measured temperature vs. distance profiles were utilized along with the kinetic concentration/temperature profiles to construct concentration vs. distance profiles for various PICs.The model was used to predict emission levels at the final quench temperature; predictions compared well with experimental values. Also, the concentration vs. distance profiles helped elucidate the dominant global reaction pathways. Once developed and tested, this global mechanism can be integrated into a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model.The resulting CFD based kinetic model will enhance our ability to predict the formation potential for various PIC's occurring during the combustion of chlorinated organic wastes in industrial scale incineration devices.