Abstract:To improve the efficiency of the micro-thermophotovoltaic system, the radiation energy output of micro-combustor has to be uniform and possibly in the short-wave photon energy range, which requires high and uniform temperature along the micro-combustor’s external wall. In order to further optimize the micro-combustor, different porous media combustors with the inner and external diameters of 2.4mm and 3.0mm were designed. After stable combustion of hydrogen and oxygen in the porous media combustors, experimental investigation was carried out against micro-combustor with different hydrogen-oxygen volume ratios, mixing gas flux and porosity, the combustion performance and external wall temperature distribution under different conditions were analyzed. The results indicated that the porosity, mixing gas flux and hydrogen-oxygen volume mixing ratio had significant effect on the mixture combustion in micro-combustor. When the porosity, mixing gas flux and hydrogen-oxygen volume mixing ratio were separately 0.50, 750cm3/min and 2∶1, the micro-combustor showed a better combustion performance, including high and uniform temperature distribution along the external wall of micro-combustor, which was suitable for application to micro-thermophotovoltaic system.
