The structure and extinction of nonpremixed methane/nitrous oxide and ethane/nitrous oxide flames

Knowledge of combustion of hydrocarbon fuels with nitrogen-containing oxidizers is a first step in understanding key aspects of combustion of hypergolic and gun propellants. Here an experimental and kinetic-modeling study is carried out to elucidate aspects of nonpremixed combustion of methane (CH4)...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 2013, Vol.34 (2), p.2147-2153
Main Authors: Newman-Lehman, Tei, Grana, Roberto, Seshadri, Kalyanasundaram, Williams, Forman
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Extinction
Flame structure
Kinetic-modeling
Nonpremixed flames
Propellant
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Knowledge of combustion of hydrocarbon fuels with nitrogen-containing oxidizers is a first step in understanding key aspects of combustion of hypergolic and gun propellants. Here an experimental and kinetic-modeling study is carried out to elucidate aspects of nonpremixed combustion of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), and ethane (C2H6) and N2O. Experiments are conducted, at a pressure of 1atm, on flames stabilized between two opposing streams. One stream is a mixture of oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and N2O, and the other a mixture of CH4 and N2 or C2H6 and N2. Critical conditions for extinction are measured. Kinetic-modeling studies are performed with the San Diego Mechanism. Experimental data and results of kinetic-modeling show that N2O inhibits the flame by promoting extinction. Analysis of the flame structure shows that H radicals are produced in the overall chain-branching step 3H2+O2⇌2H2O+2H, in which molecular hydrogen is consumed. Hydrogen is also consumed in the overall step N2O+H2⇌N2+H2O where stable products are formed. Inhibition of the flames by N2O is attributed to competition between these two overall steps.
ISSN:1540-7489
1873-2704
DOI:10.1016/j.proci.2012.05.102