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Title: Autoignition of hydrogen at high pressure

Journal Article · · Combustion and Flame
 [1]
  1. Defence Research Agency, Farnborough (United Kingdom)

The spontaneous ignition of hydrogen at pressures between 3.5 and 7 MPa has been investigated. A free piston compressor was used to rapidly increase the temperature and pressure of a mixture of hydrogen, oxygen, and helium. Explosion occurred during the stroke, and was detected by a piezoelectric pressure transducer. The temperature at ignition is found to be independent of pressure, and is calculated to be approximately 1,150 K. A chemical kinetic analysis was conducted, and the results are in good agreement with the experiments. The analysis indicates that the ignition is initiated by the breakdown of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to the highly reactive radical OH via the reaction H{sub 2}O{sub 2} + M {yields} 20H + M. A new analytical expression for the third limit is derived from the reaction mechanism by introducing the concept of a critical OH concentration; it is shown to be in agreement with the experimental data.

OSTI ID:
543503
Journal Information:
Combustion and Flame, Vol. 111, Issue 1-2; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English