Venera Giurcan

Inert gas influence on the laminar burning velocity of methane-air mixtures

Flame propagation was studied in methane-air-inert (He, Ar, N2 or CO2) mixtures with various initial pressures and compositions using pressure-time records obtained in a spherical vessel with central ignition. The laminar burning velocities of CH4-air and CH4-air-inert mixtures obtained from experimental p(t) records of the early stage of combustion were compared with literature data and with those obtained from numerical modeling of 1D flames. The overall reaction orders of methane oxidation were determined from the baric coefficients of the laminar burning velocities determined from power-law equations. For all mixtures, the adiabatic flames temperatures were computed, assuming that the chemical equilibrium is reached in the flame front. The overall activation energy for the propagation stage of the combustion process was determined from the temperature dependence of the laminar burning velocity.

Numerical study of the laminar flame propagation in ethane-air mixtures

AbstractThe structure of premixed free one-dimensional laminar ethane-air flames was investigated by means of numerical simulations performed with a detailed mechanism (GRI-Mech version 3.0) by means of COSILAB package. The work provides data on ethane-air mixtures with a wide range of concentrations ([C2H6] = 3.0–9.5 vol.%) at initial temperatures between 300 and 550 K and initial pressures between 1 and 10 bar. The simulations deliver the laminar burning velocities and the profiles of temperature, chemical species concentrations and heat release rate across the flame front. The predicted burning velocities match well the burning velocities measured in various conditions, reported in literature. The influence of initial concentration, pressure and temperature of ethane-air mixtures on maximum flame temperature, heat release rate, flame thickness and peak concentrations of main reaction intermediates is examined and discussed.

Pressure evolution of ethylene-air explosions in enclosures

The peak explosion pressure and the maximum rate of pressure rise are important safety parameters for assessing the hazard of a process and for design of vessels able to withstand an explosion or of their vents used as relief devices. Using ethylene-air with various fuel concentrations (4-10 vol% C2H4) as test mixture, the propagation of explosion in four closed vessels (a spherical vessel with central ignition and three cylindrical vessels with various L/D ratios, centrally or side ignited) has been studied at various initial pressures between 0.3–2.0 bar. In all cases, the peak pressures and the maximum rates of pressure rise were found to be linear functions on the total initial pressure, at constant fuel concentration. Examining several enclosures, the maximum values of explosion pressures and rates of pressure rise have been found for the spherical vessel. For the same initial conditions, the peak explosion pressure and maximum rates of pressure rise determined in cylindrical vessels decrease with the increase of L/D ratio. Asymmetric ignition, at vessels bottom, induces important heat losses during flame propagation. This process is characterized by the lowest rates of pressure rise, as compared to propagation of flame ignited in the centre of the same vessel.