- Author
-
Westbrook, C. K.
|
Pitz, W. J.
|
Urtiew, P. A.
- Title
- Propane Oxidation: Kinetic Mechanism and Applications.
- Coporate
- California Univ., Livermore
- Report
-
WSS/CI 83-22,
- Book or Conf
- Combustion Institute/Western States Section. Spring Meeting, 1983. April 11-12, 1983,
Pasadena, CA,
68 p.,
1983
- Keywords
-
propane
|
reaction kinetics
|
laminar flame propagation
- Abstract
- Development and validation of a detailed chemical kinetic reaction mechanism for the oxidation of propane and propylene is described. Comparisons between computed and experimental data for combustion in shock tubes and flow reactor are used to determine the set of reaction rate parameters. Theoretical models including this reaction mechanism for propane oxidation are then used to examine detonation properties for mixtures of propane/air, propane/oxygen, and propane/oxygen diluted with varying amounts of nitrogen. Computed induction lengths are compared with available experimental data for critical energy and critical tube diameter for initiation of unconfined spherical detonation, as well as detonation limits in linear tubes. The numerical model is also used to study laminar flame propagation in propane-air mixtures. The effects of variations in pressure and fuel-oxidizer equivalence ratio are examined. Propane-air flames are compared with methane-air, methanol-air, and ethylene-air laminar flames. Quenching of propane-air flames in thermal boundary layers is examined, and the results are compared with previous studies of flame wall quenching for methane-air and methanol-air mixtures. Finally, the addition of small fractions of propane to natural gas and its influence on combustion properties is studied.