Experiments on combustion regimes for hydrogen/air mixtures in a thin layer geometry

A series of experiments in a thin layer geometry performed at the HYKA test site of the KIT. Experiments on different combustion regimes for lean and stoichiometric H-2/air mixtures were performed in a rectangular chamber with dimensions of 200 x 900 x h mm(3), where h is the thickness of the layer (h = 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 mm). To model a gap between a fuel cell assembly and a metal housing, three different layer geometries were investigated: (1) a smooth channel without obstructions; (2) a channel with a metal grid filled 25% of chamber length and (3) a metal grid filled 100% of chamber length. The blockage ratio of metal grid has changed from 10 to 60% of cross-section. Detail measurements of H-2/air combustion behavior including flame acceleration (FA) and DDT in closed rectangular channel have been done. Five categories of flame propagation regimes were classified. Special attention was paid to analysis of critical condition for different regimes of flame propagation as function of layer thickness and roughness of the channel. It was found that thinner layer suppresses the detonation onset and even with a roughness, the flame may quench or, in thicker layer, is available to accelerate to speed of sound. The detonation may occur only in a channel thicker than 4 mm. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.