Auto-ignition and upper explosion limit of rich propane-air mixtures at elevated pressures.
The auto-ignition limits of propane-air mixtures at elevated pressures up to 15 bar and for concentrations from 10 mol% up to 70 mol% are investigated. The experiments are performed in a closed spherical vessel with a volume of 8 dm3. The auto-ignition temperatures decrease from 300 degrees C to 250 degrees C when increasing the pressure from 1 bar to 14.5 bar. It is shown that the fuel concentration most sensitive to auto-ignition depends on initial pressure. A second series of experiments investigates the upper flammability limit of propane-air mixtures at initial temperatures up to 250 degrees C and pressures up to 30 bar near the auto-ignition area. Finally the propane auto-oxidation is modelled using several detailed kinetic reaction mechanisms and these numerical calculations are compared with the experimental results.
Norman
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K.U. Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 300A, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Frederik.Norman@mech.kuleuven.be
Van den Schoor
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Verplaetsen
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D000388:Air; D005107:Explosions; D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D011312:Pressure; D011407:Propane / Q000737:chemistry*
D053834:Explosive Agents; D011407:Propane