Hydrogen Industrial Burner/Combustor
Industrial burners are devices that provide heat across various industrial applications. Hydrogen has been introduced as a fuel in industrial burners, providing a clean alternative to high-emission fossil fuels. Hydrogen is introduced through the fuel supply line and air is supplied through the air intake system. Once in the combustion chamber, a spark plug or pilot fuel is required to initiate combustion. No carbon dioxide is produced from this combustion, with the exhaust saturated with water vapours. They also exhibit a high efficiency and offer fuel flexibility (in the form of fuel blending) to allow for a realistic transition away from fossil fuels. Hydrogen burners can be utilised for various applications, from industrial heating to commercial and residential heating, they can be a vital tool in realising the Net Zero goal.
Industrial decarbonisation efforts have enabled hydrogen blending in industrial burners, increasing the market size to £280m in 2023, with a projected market share of £407m in 2033 (strategic market research). However, industrial heating has proved to be one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and hydrogen burners have a long way to go before they can be integrated within high heat requirement applications. Several challenges plague this transition, stemming from material compatibility issues with hydrogen, T&S network unavailability, high NOx emissions, and infrastructure deployment that is necessary for a smooth transition.
Challenges Revealed Through Literature Review
- High NOx emissions
- Hydrogen embrittlement
- Thermal stress in the combustor components
- Lifespan
- Safety enhancement
- Hydrogen has low ignition energy and combustion speed, which can lead to instability, flame flashback, or oscillation.
- Achieving precise fuel-air mixture ratios and uniform gas distribution is challenging due to poor mixing characteristics of hydrogen with air.
- Develop advanced ignition and flame stabilization techniques such as multiple electrode ignition or arc ignition.
- Design optimized mixers and burner structures to enhance hydrogen-air mixing efficiency and uniformity.
- Implement advanced control systems to monitor and adjust mixture ratios and combustion parameters in real-time for stable combustion.
- Hydrogen’s high combustion speed and flammability may increase flame temperatures within diffusion burners, requiring materials and cooling systems capable of handling higher temperatures.
- Diffusion burners need to adapt to varying loads and gas compositions, which can be difficult with hydrogen’s characteristics.
- Utilize high-temperature materials and advanced cooling techniques to enhance burner’s high-temperature resistance.
- Design adjustable burner structures and combustion chamber shapes to accommodate changes in load and gas composition.
- Employ advanced control systems for precise control of gas supply and combustion parameters to ensure stable combustion.
- Micro-mixed combustors require efficient gas mixing and combustion, but hydrogen’s poor mixing characteristics with other fuels may lead to uneven combustion and heat load distribution.
- Complex flow fields and chemical reaction processes within micro-mixed combustors present challenges in burner design and control.
- Adopt micro-structured designs to improve gas mixing efficiency and combustion uniformity within the combustor.
- Conduct numerical simulations and experimental studies to understand flow and reaction processes within micro-mixed combustors, optimizing burner structure and operating parameters.
- Develop intelligent control systems to precisely regulate and optimize micro-mixed combustors for stable and efficient combustion.
Academic Capability Mapping
Word cloud
The word-cloud of the primary and secondary keywords is presented for the Hydrogen Combustor/Industrial Burner technology. These keywords were used as the input to Scopus for the purpose of the Academic Capability Mapping. The analysis underscores key research areas like pre-mixing, flow optimisation, and combustion characteristics of hydrogen.
Documents by Country
The number of papers published worldwide pertaining to Hydrogen Combustor/Industrial Burner since the year 2000, divided into three decades. Only the top 10 countries are displayed. The UK is number 5 in Hydrogen Combustor/Industrial Burner research globally. The UK has had a historic dominance in combustion technologies, and furthering academic research will be key in establishing the UK as a global leader in hydrogen combustion.
Documents by Author (2000 – 2025)
Prominent UK academics and their affiliation is showcased. The y-axis represents the H-index of the authors, while the x-axis illustrates the number of papers published. It can be clearly seen that the UK’s top researchers are competitive against global researchers in the field of Hydrogen Combustor/Industrial Burner.
Documents by Affiliation
The number of papers published by affiliation in the UK since the year 2000 are showcased. The University of Oxford leads the way with the most publications, closely followed by Cardiff University. The figure specifically highlights the top 10 UK institutions in the field of Hydrogen Combustor/Industrial Burner, providing a definite ranking list of universities with excellent expertise in the Hydrogen Combustor/Industrial Burner technology.
Hydrogen Industrial Burner/Combustor – Delphi Survey Analysis
Participant Identifiers
Participant Industry Collaboration
Participant Confidence Level
Participant Country Affiliation
Key Performance Indicators
Key technical target predictions were provided by the participants, expected to be achieved by 2030.
Challenges
The participants were provided with several options and were asked to rank these options from 0 (least critical) to 6 (most critical). They were also provided with a text option to suggest additional challenges.
Potential Applications
Further Research
Combustion Characteristics
Industrial Burner System Integration
- Heat exchangers, crackers and economisers
- Power generation
- Combined heat and power with gas turbines
- Cement Industry
- Supply line operational flexibility
- Fuel flexibility
- Fuel conditioning
- On-site hydrogen production
- Exhaust gas treatment
- District heat distribution
- Waste heat utilisation
- Electricity grid behaviour