Article Number 200506, September 2005

Maintaining Burning Velocity of Exhaust-Diluted Methane/Air Flames by Partial Fuel Reformation

S. Ponnusamy, M.D. Checkel and B.A. Fleck*

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
University of Alberta
Edmonton
Alberta T6G 2G8
Canada

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ABSTRACT:

The burning velocities of stoichiometric methane/air, methane/air/exhaust and methane/air/exhaust/reformer gas mixtures have been measured using a constant volume cubical combustion chamber. The flame size and burning velocities were calculated from the chamber pressure record using a multi-zone thermodynamic equilibrium model. The investigation measured the decrease in burning velocity due to addition of EGR and the quantity of reformer gas/air (RG) required raising the burning velocity back to undiluted level. The burning velocity dropped from around 35 cm/s for stoichiometric methane/air mixture to about 13 cm/s if 20% EGR was added to the mix. At about 20% EGR fraction, 42% RG was required to bring back the burning velocity to the original undiluted level.

Keywords:

methane, reformer gas, burning velocity, fuel reformation

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