Efficient Combustion of Low Calorific Industrial Gases: Opportunities and Challenges

It is becoming increasingly important to develop effective combustion technologies for low calorific industrial gases (LCIG) because of the rising energy demand and environmental issues caused by the extensive use of fossil fuels. In this review, the prospect of these opportunity fuels in China is discussed. Then, the recent fundamental and engineering studies of LCIG combustion are summarized. Specifically, the differences between LCIG and traditional fuels in the composition and fundamental combustion characteristics are described. The state-of-the-art combustion strategies for burning LCIG are reviewed, including porous media combustion, flameless combustion, oxy-fuel combustion, and dual-fuel combustion. The technical challenges and further development needs for efficient LCIG combustion are also discussed.