Extinction of diffusion flames burning diluted methane and diluted propane in diluted air

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Combust. Flame; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-2180(86)90015-5· OSTI ID:5369569

Puri, I K; Seshadri, K

A theoretical and experimental investigation of the extinction limits of counterflow diffusion flames burning methane and propane is outlined. A diffusion flame is stabilized between counterflowing streams of a fuel diluted with nitrogen and air diluted with nitrogen. Extinction limits for such flames were measured over a wide parametric range. Results for methane and propane were found to be in appropriate agreement with previous measurements. The experimental results are interpreted by use of activation energy asymptotic theories developed previously. The gas-phase chemical reaction is approximated as a one step, irreversible process with a large value for the ratio of the activation energy characterizing the chemical reaction to the thermal energy in the flame. Equilibrium dissociation of products is neglected. The theoretical predictions are compared with experimental results, and the overall chemical kinetic rate parameters characterizing the gas-phase oxidation of methane and propane in a diffusion flame are deduced. The overall chemical kinetic rate parameters deduced by use of this procedure are valid only at flame temperatures where equilibrium dissociation is negligible. The scalar dissipation rate at extinction is predicted over a wide range.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences/Chemical Engineering, Univ. of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
• OSTI ID: 5369569
• Journal Information: Combust. Flame; (United States), Journal Name: Combust. Flame; (United States) Vol. 65:2; ISSN CBFMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
034000* -- Natural Gas-- Combustion
ACTIVATION ENERGY
AIR
ALKANES
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION KINETICS
COUNTERFLOW SYSTEMS
DATA ANALYSIS
DIFFUSION
DILUTION
DISSIPATION FACTOR
DISSOCIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
EQUILIBRIUM
FLAME PROPAGATION
FLAMES
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
KINETICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METHANE
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PROPANE
REACTION KINETICS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
STABILIZATION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE