An experimental and kinetic study of the ignition delay characteristics of cyclopropane in air

Abstract

As the smallest cycloalkane, cyclopropane is a highly strained three-membered ring hydrocarbon that exhibits high reactivity. In this work, the autoignition characteristics of cyclopropane have been investigated behind reflected shock waves. Experiments were conducted at pressures of 2, 5, and 10 atm, equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0, and temperatures ranging from approximately 1100 to 1500 K. The effects of temperature, pressure and equivalence ratio on ignition delay time have been investigated. Quantitative relationships have been yielded by the regression analysis of the experimental data. A high-temperature combustion mechanism of cyclopropane based on NUIGMech1.1 has been developed, and the predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Reaction pathway and sensitivity analyses have been carried to determine the significant reaction pathways in the ignition process and key reactions that affect the ignition delay time. Finally, comparisons between the ignition delay time of cyclopropane and that of propene, cyclopentane, and cyclohexane have been conducted, and kinetic analyses have been performed to interpret the ignition difference between cyclopropane and the above-mentioned fuels.