Comparative Effect of Ammonia Addition on the Laminar Burning Velocities of Methane, n-Heptane, and Iso-octane

Adiabatic laminar burning velocities for methane, n-heptane, and iso-octane blended with ammonia were experimentally determined using the heat flux method. The flames were stabilized at atmospheric pressure and at an initial temperature of 338 K, over equivalence ratios ranging from 0.7 to 1.4 and ammonia blending fractions in the binary fuel mixtures from 0 to 90%. These experiments are essential for the development, validation, and optimization of chemical kinetic models, e.g., for the combustion of gasoline-ammonia fuel mixtures. It was observed that the addition of ammonia to methane, n-heptane, and isooctane leads to a decrease in the laminar burning velocity that is not proportional to the ammonia mole fraction. In addition, ammonia has the same impact on the burning velocities of n-heptane and iso-octane but a slightly higher effect on those of methane. Such a burning velocity reduction is due to synergistic thermal, kinetic, and indirect transport effects. New experimental results were compared to predictions of the POLIMI detailed chemical kinetic mechanism. An overall good agreement between the measurements and simulated results was observed for the laminar burning velocities over the equivalence ratio and ammonia fraction ranges investigated.

Automated summary

Experimental results showed that adding ammonia to methane, n-heptane, and iso-octane decreases the laminar burning velocity, and this reduction is not proportional to the ammonia mole fraction. Ammonia has a similar impact on the burning velocities of n-heptane and iso-octane, but slightly higher effect on methane. The reduction in burning velocity is due to synergistic thermal, kinetic, and indirect transport effects.