Measurements of Laminar Flame Speeds of Alternative Gaseous Fuel Mixtures

Abstract

Global warming and the ever increasing emission levels of combustion engines have forced the engine manufacturers to look for alternative fuels for high engine performance and low emissions. Gaseous fuel mixtures such as biogas, syngas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are new alternative fuels that have great potential to be used with combustion engines. In the present work, laminar flame speeds (SL) of alternative fuel mixtures, mainly LPG (60% butane, 20% isobutane, and 20% propane) and methane have been studies using the tube method at ambient conditions. In addition, the effect of adding other fuels and gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen on SL has also been investigated. The results show that any change in the fuel mixture composition directly affects SL. Measurements of SL of CH4/LPG–air mixtures have found to be about 56 cm/s at ø = 1.1 with 60% LPG in the mixture, which is higher than SL of both pure fuels at the same ø. Moreover, the addition of H2 and O2 to the fuel mixtures increases SL notably, while the addition of CO2/N2 mixture to the fuel mixture, to simulate the EGR effect, decreases SL of CH4/LPG–air mixtures.