Performance of a Homogeneous Combustor for a Rankine Cycle Steam Engine

A compact gasoline-fired homogeneous combustor has been developed for use in a Rankine cycle steam generator. The combustor takes advantage of staged cooling of the combustion products to limit the formation of nitric oxide while promoting the oxidation of carbon monoxide. The principles of operation and some of the design details of the burner are described. Steady-state emissions measurements are presented, and the performance of the staged quenching is compared with its predicted performance.