Imperial College has modelled and designed from first principles a counter-flow thermal oxygen reactor using CuO (MnO) based particles as an oxygen carrier, for replacing the burner in conventional coal fire power plant. The length of the reactor depends on the required falling distance for CuO particles to heat up and complete the decomposition. Initial calculations indicated that this was higher than hoped (500 mm). The design is being optimised. A prototype burner has been built and tested according to the design. After intense tests and some modifications on the prototype, we managed to show some encouraging results as a proof of concept. It is demonstrated that under the current design, there is strong evidence that the particles exhibited sufficiently fast kinetics to release the required oxygen to support complete combustion of propane fuel in an initially sub-stoichiometric flame. The results have led to the construction of a second version of the burner, with improved designed, and a more powerful surface mixed burner capable of much higher heat duty than the current one. The new version of the burner will be tested during the next few months. Part II of the report is restricted and not available for download.
