Experimental and Numerical Study of Laminar Burning Velocity of Ethane–Air Mixtures of Variable Initial Composition, Temperature and Pressure

Abstract

Pressure–time records of ethane–air centrally ignited explosions in a spherical closed vessel have been used to study the flame propagation in mixtures with various initial concentrations, pressures and temperatures ([C2H6] = 3.40–7.60 vol %, p0 = 30–130 kPa, T0 = 298–433 K). The normal burning velocities have been calculated from pressure–time records for an extended duration of spherical propagation by means of an improved equation for the burnt mass fraction, recently discussed. For the stoichiometric ethane–air mixture, Su,st = (43.5 ± 1.0) cm/s was obtained, within the range of reported literature data from the spherical bomb technique. The normal burning velocities were examined in correlation with the temperature and pressure reached during flame propagation, in single experiments. A power law has been used to describe the dependency of burning velocities on pressure and temperature. The thermal exponents of burning velocities range between 1.40 and 2.20, revealing the influence of the initial pres...