Catalytic ignition of fuel/oxygen/nitrogen mixtures over platinum

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Combust. Flame; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-2180(86)90088-X· OSTI ID:7194391

Cho, P; Law, C K

Ignition of fuel/oxygen/nitrogen mixtures over platinum wire is experimentally studied by using microcalorimetry and by restricting the flow to the low Reynolds number range so that axisymmetry prevails. The fuels studied are propane, butane, propylene, ethylene, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen. Parameters investigated include flow velocity, fuel type and concentration, and oxygen concentration. The catalytic ignition temperatures of the various fuels are accurately determined over extensive ranges of fuel/oxygen/nitrogen concentrations. Results show two distinctly opposite ignition trends depending on the nature of the fuel. That is, the ignition temperature of lean propane/air and butane/air mixtures decreases as their fuel concentration is increased, while the reverse trend is observed for lean mixtures of propylene, ethylene, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen with air. Furthermore, the ignition of propane depends primarily on fuel concentration, while the ignition of carbon monoxide depends on fuel and oxygen concentrations to a comparable extent. These results are explained on the basis of hierarchical surface adsorption strengths of the different reactants in effecting catalytic ignition. Additional phenomena of interest are observed and discussed.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Univ. of California, Davis, CA 95616
• OSTI ID: 7194391
• Journal Information: Combust. Flame; (United States), Vol. 66:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
BUTANE
COMBUSTION KINETICS
IGNITION
CARBON MONOXIDE
ETHYLENE
HYDROGEN
PLATINUM
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
PROPANE
PROPYLENE
AXIAL SYMMETRY
CALORIMETRY
CATALYSTS
FLOW RATE
FUEL-AIR RATIO
MIXTURES
NITROGEN
OXYGEN
QUANTITY RATIO
REYNOLDS NUMBER
WIRES
ALKANES
ALKENES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
HYDROCARBONS
KINETICS
METALS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLATINUM METALS
REACTION KINETICS
SYMMETRY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
400800* - Combustion
Pyrolysis
& High-Temperature Chemistry