Premixed lean methane/air combustion in a catalytic porous foam burner supported with perovskite LaMn0.4Co0.6O3 catalyst with different support materials and pore densities

• Combustion stability limits are expanded by depositing perovskites.
• Combustion stability limits are reduced by increasing foam pore density.
• Catalytic ZrO2 offers better thermal and combustion stabilities than Al2O3.
• Pollutant emissions are reduced by catalysis combustion reaction effects.
• Increasing pore density decreases HC and CO but increases NOx emission.

Methane combustion in two-zone foam burners supported with LaMn0.4Co0.6O3 catalysts is studied. The combustion stability limits are expanded by heterogeneous catalytic reactions. The upper combustion stability limits of catalytic ZrO2 burners are 75 and 65 cm/s compared with those in catalytic Al2O3 burners of 65 and 60 cm/s as pore density increases from 10 to 20 PPI. The central temperatures and uniformities of catalytic foams are improved compared with inert counterparts. The maximum central temperatures are improved while the pore density increases. The maximum central temperatures of catalytic Al2O3 foams are reduced when the flow velocity is higher than 50 cm/s. Hydrocarbon (HC) emissions of catalytic burners (less than 450  ppm) are lower than those of inert burners (560–1130 ppm). The HC emissions of ZrO2 burners are higher than those of Al2O3 burners. The carbon monoxide (CO) emissions of catalytic burners (less than 18  ppm) are lower than those of inert burners (10–34 ppm) when the flow velocity is higher than 20 cm/s. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are formed by thermal pathways, and the NOx emissions of catalytic burners remain low levels of less than 2  ppm, which are lower than those of inert counterparts (3–6 ppm).