Catalytic ignition of fuel/oxygen/nitrogen mixtures over platinum

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 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), Journal Name: Combust. Flame; (United States) Vol. 66:2; ISSN CBFMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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