Laminar Flame Characteristics of Premixed Methanol–Water–Air Mixture

Zhennan Zhu, Kun Liang, Xinwen Chen, Zhongwei Meng, Wenbin He and Hao Song
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Zhennan Zhu: Key Laboratory of Fluid and Power Machinery, Ministry of Education, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China
Kun Liang: Department of Engineering and Design, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QT, UK
Xinwen Chen: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225012, China
Zhongwei Meng: Key Laboratory of Fluid and Power Machinery, Ministry of Education, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China
Wenbin He: Key Laboratory of Fluid and Power Machinery, Ministry of Education, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China
Hao Song: Key Laboratory of Fluid and Power Machinery, Ministry of Education, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-13

Abstract: Methanol is hygroscopic in a gaseous state and is a promising alternative fuel for internal combustion engines. It is understood that adding water can improve the antiknock performance for spark ignition engines, but this will also affect the flame speed and stability. In this work, laminar flame characteristics of methanol/water/air mixtures were experimentally investigated at a temperature range of 380–450 K, a pressure range of 1–4 bar, and water fractions (vaporous water molar fraction in the water–methanol fuel gas) of 0–40%. The results show that laminar burning velocity increases with temperature but decreases with pressure. The burning velocity decreases linearly with water fraction at a stoichiometric ratio. For rich mixtures and high pressures, the laminar flames tend to be more sensitive to stretch and, thus, more prone to being unstable. Increasing the water fraction can slightly increase the Markstein length. Increasing the initial pressure enhances the general flame instability, while increasing the initial temperature suppresses the general flame instability. Increasing the water fraction can lead to a decreasing thermal expansion ratio and an elevated flame thickness, both of which can lead to a suppression of hydrodynamic instability. An increase in the water fraction decreases the Lewis number, resulting in preferential diffusion instability. There is no direct relationship between the onset of cellularity and general flame instability.

Keywords: methanol; water; combustion; laminar burning velocity; Markstein length; flame instability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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