H2/air autoignition: The nature and interaction of the developing explosive modes

Abstract

Appropriate algorithmic tools are employed for the analysis of the explosive modes developing during the autoignition of homogeneous mixtures. The ability of these tools to provide significant physical understanding is demonstrated in the case of the homogeneous ignition of a stoichiometric H2/air mixture, modelled by two different chemical kinetics mechanisms. It is shown that the ignition process evolves in two stages. The first stage is characterised by the development of two explosive timescales (one fast and one slow), that lead the system away from equilibrium. As the end of the first stage is approached, the two explosive timescales converge, they merge and then they disappear. In the second stage only dissipative timescales develop, which drive the system all the way to equilibrium. It is shown that throughout the first stage the fast explosive timescale is generated by chain reactions. The slow explosive timescale is initially generated by an initiation reaction that produces the radicals required for the start-up of the fast mode, while later on it is generated by reactions that are responsible for the heat released. These findings are validated with sensitivity analysis results for the ignition delay time and are employed in order to clarify the discrepancies in the solution provided by the two different chemical kinetics mechanisms considered.