Numerical investigation of hydrogen addition effects on methanol-air mixtures combustion in premixed laminar flames under lean burn conditions

Abstract

Abstract Based on the methanol oxidation and NOX reaction mechanisms, we explored the effect of hydrogen addition on the methanol oxidation reaction mechanism. We used the PREMIX subroutine in Chemkin chemical reaction dynamics analysis software, and studied the effect of hydrogen addition numerically on the main intermediate and final products in methanol premixed laminar flames under lean burn and given initial conditions such as temperature and pressure. The combustion and emission parameters in the methanol engine were researched for the addition of hydrogen in different volume ratios. The simulation results show that hydrogen addition can accelerate the methanol oxidation reaction rate and that the reaction rate increased with increase in hydrogen addition in methanol premixed laminar flames. H, O, and OH radicals can accelerate the chemical reaction rate in the flame. The maximum mole fraction of CH2O decreases with increase in hydrogen addition, which shows that hydrogen addition can reduce CH2O and has a positive influence on the environment. Temperature has little effect on NO formation in the methanol–hydrogen premixed laminar flames; the mole fraction of NO decreases with increase in hydrogen addition.