Convective and Radiative Heat Transfer Analysis in a Three-Step Exothermic Chemical Reaction: Case Study—Methane Combustion

An analysis of a three-step combustion process, analogous to the three-step methane combustion, in a reactive stockpile modeled in a rectangular domain, is considered, assuming an exothermic chemical reaction process. Heat loss to the environment is assumed to take place by convective and radiative means in a steady-state combustion process. The nonlinear energy equation governing the problem is solved numerically by the coupled Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg with the Shooting technique method. Heat transfer analysis during methane combustion is investigated by manipulating parameters embedded within the governing equation and studying their influence on the temperature profiles during the process. The manipulation of parameters is done by varying their magnitudes to observe how the temperature profiles are affected. The results indicate that parameters such as radiation and activation energy, for example, slow down the exothermic chemical reaction to reduce heat release to the surrounding environment. In contrast, the kinetic type and reaction rate parameters enhance the combustion process by accelerating the exothermic chemical reaction to release more heat to the surrounding environment.