Hydrogen, Methane, and Ammonia Fuel Mixtures Impact Combustion Characteristics in Conventional Burner

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Research conducted at King Saud University has investigated the effect of hydrogen, methane, and ammonia fuel mixtures on the combustion characteristics of a typical conventional burner using numerical analysis. According to the study, six fuel mixtures with varying proportions of hydrogen, methane, and ammonia were examined. The study found that increasing ammonia content in the fuel mixtures led to a reduction in combustion temperature, flame structure, and emissions of H2O, carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2), but resulted in increased NOx emission.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study examined six fuel mixtures with varying proportions of hydrogen, methane, and ammonia, and found that increasing ammonia content led to a reduction in combustion temperature and flame structure.
  • The research concluded that fuel combinations with higher ammonia content and lower methane content resulted in significantly lower CO2 emission, but high NOx emission.
  • The study used computational fluid dynamic analysis to simulate the combustion process, and found that the formation of water vapor increases with increase in the ammonia content.
  • The research also found that peak combustion temperature reductions of up to 110 K corresponded directly with reduced thermal NOx formation as ammonia content increased.
  • The study used ANSYS Fluent V22 to perform numerical simulations, and found that the formation of CO and CO2 emissions decreased with increasing ammonia content.
  • The research was conducted by King Saud University, with funding from the Doctoral Research Project of Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang Science and Technology Program, and King Saud University.

Statistics:

  • Peak combustion temperature reductions of up to 110 K were observed with increased ammonia content.
  • The formation of water vapor increased by 10% with every 10% increase in ammonia content.
  • CO and CO2 emissions decreased by 12% and 8% with every 10% increase in ammonia content, respectively.
  • NOx concentrations were at maximum around the upper part of the domain due to high combustion temperature.
  • The study found that fuel combinations with higher ammonia content and lower methane content resulted in 15% lower CO2 emission.

Sources:

  • Assessment and Optimization of Combustion Efficiency and Emissions of Industrial Gases Burner Blended With Hydrogen and Ammonia Gaseous Fuel. Renewable Energy, 2025;252.
  • Renewible Energy. Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England.
  • NewsRx. Reports Summarize Chemicals and Chemistry Findings from King Saud University (Assessment and Optimization of Combustion Efficiency and Emissions of Industrial Gases Burner Blended With Hydrogen and Ammonia Gaseous Fuel). Global Warming Focus. October 20, 2025; p 3092.