Acetylene Concentration Research Articles

DYNAMIC SIMULATION BASED SAFETY CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES

Consequence analysis can timely predict the occurrence of potential chemical safety accidents, but is time-consuming and inaccurate when using a manual and qualitative mode. A safety con-sequence analysis method based on dynamic simulation is proposed for chemical processes in this paper. The dynamic simulation system of chemical process is composed of complete thermodynamic model and general unit model to quantitatively describe the dynamic change of chemical process parameters. Combined with fault tree analysis, the accident model is designed prior to forecasting safety consequences by computational fluid dynamics. This method was applied to acetylene production process. A dynamic simulation system was designed to calculate the pressure and concentration of acetylene leakage gas and analyze the parameters affecting the diffusion of acetylene gas. The results show that this method can obtain the quantitative change of acetylene concentration with time at different locations around acetylene generator, which is convenient for accurate and dynamic analysis of process safety consequence.

A compact integrated dual-spectroscopy gas detection structure based on QEPAS and QEPTS using a QTF

If the acetylene (C2H2) content in the oxygen production device exceeds the standard, it is highly susceptible to explosion. It is necessary to detect C2H2 gas and reach the detection limit of ppm. A novel single quartz tuning fork (QTF) compact integrated dual-spectroscopy gas detection structure based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) and quartz-enhanced photothermal spectroscopy (QEPTS) was designed for improving detection intensity and reducing sensor size. The detection structure (40 mm × 90 mm × 50 mm) includes gas buffer, gas detection structure, and preamplifier circuit. In the structure, an off-beam acoustic micro-resonator (AMR) was used to enhance the photoacoustic signal. After passing the AMR, the laser beam was turned back by the right-angle prism and incident on the side of the QTF fork again to generate the photothermal signal. The silver layer on the QTF surface was chemically etched to further enhance the photothermal signal. For the traditional off-beam photoacoustic excitation, the photothermal signal is excited by the way of laser retracting. The superposition of the dual-spectroscopy detection technology on a single QTF is realized. And the structure is finely integrated which is convenient to carry and measure. Under the same conditions, photoacoustic signal, photothermal signal and dual-spectroscopy signal were measured respectively. The measured dual-spectroscopy signal was approximately the superposition value of photoacoustic signal and photothermal signal, which showed the effective signal lifting effect. With C2H2 as the target gas, the experimental results showed that the signal value of the dual-spectroscopy structure was 1.94 times that of QEPAS structure, 2.18 times that of QEPTS structure. And the minimum detection limit at atmospheric pressure was 6.64 ppm. The integrated dual-spectroscopy structure was compact, and was suitable for small space measurement, mobile measurement, and other fields.

Sampling of Gas-Phase Intermediate Pyrolytic Species at Various Temperatures and Residence Times during Pyrolysis of Methane, Ethane, and Butane in a High-Temperature Flow Reactor

Air pollution in many major cities is endangering public health and is causing deterioration of the environment. Particulate emissions (PM) contribute to air pollution as they carry toxic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on their surface. Abatement of PM requires continuous strict emission regulation and, in parallel, the development of fuels with reduced formation of PM. Key processes in the formation of PM are the decomposition of hydrocarbon fuels and the synthesis of potential precursors that lead to the formation of benzene rings and thereafter growth to PAHs and eventually PM. Methane, ethane and butane are important components of natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, and are also widely used in transportation, industrial processes and power generation. This paper reports on a quantitative investigation of the intermediate gaseous species present during pyrolysis of methane, ethane and butane in a laminar flow reactor. The investigation aimed to further the understanding of the decomposition process of these fuels and the subsequent formation of aromatic rings. The pyrolysis of methane, ethane and butane were carried out in a tube reactor under laminar flow conditions and within a temperature range of 869–1213 °C. The fuels were premixed in nitrogen carrier gas at a fixed carbon atom concentration of 10,000 ppm, and were pyrolysed under oxygen-free conditions. Intermediate gaseous species were collected from within the tube reactor at different residence times using a specially designed high-temperature ceramic sampling probe with arrangements to quench and freeze the reactions at entry to the probe. Identification and quantification of intermediate species were carried out using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). During methane pyrolysis, it was observed that as the concentration of acetylene increased, the concentration of benzene also increased, suggesting that the benzene ring is formed via the cyclo trimerisation of acetylene. With all three fuels, all intermediate species disappeared at higher temperatures and residence times, suggesting that those species converted into species higher than benzene, for example naphthalene. It was observed that increasing carbon chain length lowered the temperature at which fuel breakdown occurred and also affected the relative abundance of intermediate species.

Effect of CO<sub>2</sub> Additives on the Non-Catalytic Conversion of Natural Gas into Syngas and Hydrogen

Abstract—A kinetic analysis of the non-catalytic carbon dioxide reforming of CH4 has been carried out in the temperature range of 1500–1800 K under conditions of variable temperature behind the reflected shock wave. The stages of conversion of methane into synthesis gas, the characteristic time intervals corresponding to these stages, and the most important elementary reactions have been established. At the first stage, as a result of thermal pyrolysis, methane molecules are sequentially converted into ethane, ethylene, and then acetylene, the most stable hydrocarbon in this temperature range. At the second stage, acetylene is normally converted into CO and H2, being accompanied by the formation soot particles in the case of rich mixtures. The conversion of CO2 proceeds at the second and third stages, when CH4 conversion is almost complete. It occurs as a result of the interaction of CO2 molecules with H● atoms arising in the reacting system and leads to the formation of CO molecules and OH● radicals. Acetylene is predominantly consumed in the reaction with OH radicals. A high concentration of acetylene during methane reforming promotes the intensive formation of soot nuclei, for which acetylene makes the highest contribution to the rate of their surface growth. At the same time, acetylene itself is not a precursor of soot particle nuclei, which are mainly formed from \({{{\text{C}}}_{{\text{3}}}}{\text{H}}_{3}^{\centerdot }\) radicals.

Effect of carbon content on the structural, mechanical and corrosion properties of TiC films deposited using a HiPIMS discharge

TiCx thin films have been deposited on steel substrates using High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) under Ar-C2H2 atmosphere. The effect of varying the acetylene content on the deposition process, and on the structural, mechanical and corrosion resistance properties was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nanoindentation, scratch testing, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance measurements (EIS), and salt spray. This study showed that an increase of the carbon ratio affected the deposited TiC coatings morphology and mechanical properties, with hardness values reaching up to 25 GPa. The near-stoichiometric coating exhibited the highest hardness while maintaining improved toughness, resistance to plastic deformation and resistance against crack propagation thanks to their nanocomposite structure. In contrast, corrosion tests showed that the understoichiometric coatings exhibited the best corrosion resistance in a 3.5 % wt NaCl medium. The drop of the corrosion performances of TiCx coatings deposited at higher acetylene flow rate was linked to a growth-related defects extending throughout the coating thickness, formed due to micro-droplet ejection from the target as evidenced by SEM analysis.

Experimental Study of the Impact of Trace Amounts of Acetylene and Methylacetylene on the Synthesis, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polypropylene.

During the production of polymer-grade propylene, different processes are used to purify this compound and ensure that it is of the highest quality. However, some impurities such as acetylene and methyl acetylene are difficult to remove, and some of these impurities may be present in the propylene used to obtain polypropylene, which may have repercussions on the process. This study evaluates the impact of these acetylene and methyl acetylene impurities on the productivity of the polypropylene synthesis process and on the mechanical and thermal properties of the material obtained through the synthesis of eight samples with different concentrations of acetylene and eight samples with different concentrations of acetylene. We discovered that for the first concentrations of both acetylene (2 and 3 ppm) and methyl acetylene (0.03 and 0.1), the MFI, thermal recording, and mechanical properties of the resin were unaffected by the variation of the fluidity index, thermal degradation by TGA, and mechanical properties such as resistance to tension, bending, and impact. However, when the concentration exceeded 14 ppm for methyl acetylene and 12 ppm for acetylene, the resistance of this resin began to decrease linearly. Regarding production, this was affected by the first traces of acetylene and methyl acetylene progressively decreasing.

Numerical Study of the Detonation Structure in Rich Acetylene-Air Mixtures

ABSTRACT A numerical simulation of the detonation propagation process of acetylene-air under fuel-rich conditions is carried out using a reduced acetylene reaction model. The loose coupling method is used to solve the conservation equations with source terms. The flow is solved explicitly using a gas kinetic scheme, and the chemical reactions are solved implicitly. The numerical results show that the oxidation reaction is the chain initiation in the self-sustained detonation propagation process in rich acetylene. The self-decomposition reaction of acetylene provides the energy to maintain the coupling between the shock wave and the chemical reaction zone. The results show that the initial induced reaction is still an oxidation reaction due to the low activation energy of the oxidation reaction under the condition of low oxygen content. The intensity of the transverse wave is affected by the acetylene concentration. The post-detonation disturbance of temperature is mainly affected by the strength of the tail of transverse wave and the area of the unreacted pocket. With the increase of acetylene concentration, the self-decomposition process of acetylene increases the intensity of the transverse wave tail and improves the degree of temperature homogenization. This creates a formation-fragmentation-regeneration cycle of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This process changed the branching ratio of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with different structures and delayed the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. When the acetylene concentration is low, the region where the dominant temperature after detonation is 1500 ~ 2500 K provides a favorable environment for the growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Numerical investigation of n-dodecane ECN spray and combustion characteristics using the one-way coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian approach

This work investigated the spray and combustion characteristics of the Engine Combustion Network (ECN) n-dodecane injections using a one-way coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian approach. The actual X-ray measured injector geometries from the Argonne National Laboratory were adopted for Eulerian simulations. The multi-phase flow was modeled using the Volume-of-Fluid (VoF) method with the high-resolution interface capturing scheme to track the fluid-gas interface. The generated parcel data from the Eulerian simulations were mapped and utilized in the Lagrangian simulations to ensure fidelity. The simulation results agree well with the experimental data in terms of the projected density, mass flow rates, spray penetrations, mixture distributions, and ignition delays. The diverging nozzle channel in the Spray C injector resulted in cavitation and air entrainment, which reduced the mass flow rate. Because of the low oxygen concentration, the low-temperature combustion (LTC) reactions made a significant contribution to the heat release process. In comparison, similar jet-flame structures were observed for the Spray A, C, and D cases, consisting of the upstream LTC region, midstream intermediate-temperature combustion region, downstream fuel-rich high-temperature combustion (HTC) region, and downstream premixed HTC region. The higher ambient temperature led to a more advanced combustion phasing but shorter lift-off length. As a result, the mixing time was reduced to result in a higher concentration of acetylene. In addition, upon increasing the injection pressure, no significant difference was observed in the jet flame structure. On the other hand, the higher injection velocity resulted in a higher flame tip and broader HTC region.

Measurement of acetylene concentration in laminar flat flames by diode laser cavity ring-down spectroscopy

Measurement of acetylene concentration in laminar flat flames by diode laser cavity ring-down spectroscopy

Critical Role of the Acetylene Content and Fe/C Ratio on the Thickness and Density of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Grown at Low Temperature by a One-Step Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition Process.

The present work explores the role of the carbon source content and the Fe/C ratio on the synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) by one-step aerosol-assisted CCVD operated at a medium temperature (615 °C) on aluminum substrates. The main objective was to overcome the limitations of VACNT growth, constituting a drawback for applications requiring thick VACNTs. By using acetylene as carbon feedstock and ferrocene as a catalyst precursor, we demonstrate that when acetylene content is reduced to 1.5 vol%, it is possible to grow VACNT carpets up to 700 µm thick while maintaining constant VACNT growth for a long duration (up to 160 min). The carbon conversion yield is significantly improved when the acetylene content reaches 1.5 vol%. The Al surface roughness also influences VACNT growth. An optimum Fe/C ratio of 0.8 wt.% coupled with a low acetylene content gives the highest growth rate (5.4 µm/min) ever reported for a thermal aerosol-assisted CCVD process operated at such a low temperature. The CNT number density can be controlled by varying the Fe/C ratio, enabling high density growth (e.g., 1.3 × 1011 CNT/cm2).

Numerical Simulation of Gaseous Detonation Performance and Wall Reflection Effect of Acetylene-Rich Fuel

The efficient utilization of energy in rich fuel detonation processes and the effective control method of soot are important topics in combustion research. In this paper, we numerically study the detonation wave behavior of acetylene–air systems in rich fuel condition by using a reduced reaction mechanism. The non-stiff terms of the governing equations are solved explicitly using the gas kinetic scheme, and the stiff terms are solved implicitly. Our results show that the acetylene pyrolysis is the dominant reaction process. The oxidation reaction is exploited to initiate the reaction induction process, providing the required energy to overcome the potential energy barrier. The secondary detonation structure is due to the stable interaction of the transverse waves and the combined action of the vinyl reaction system, thus effectively improve the energy release rate and providing a powerful solution for the fuel-rich high-energy release of advanced heat engines. The area of the unreacted pocket increases with the acetylene concentration, resulting in an irregular wave-front and detonation cell. The reflected shock wave impacting on the wall induces the secondary reaction of the detonation products. The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons decreases significantly and regenerates near the wall. Our approach provides an effective tool for controlling detonation soot and the preparation of carbon particles.

Analysis and Research on the Reasons for the Increase of Com ponents in 500kV Transformer Oil

This paper analyzes the cause of the defect of component growth in a 500kV transformer oil. First, the historical operation of the main transformer is analyzed, and then the oil chromatography data is studied. The A-phase online chromatography shows that the acetylene content is in good agreement with the offline chromatography detection, showing an increasing trend. The disintegration inspection of the main phase A phase found that there were two obvious discharge breakdown points in the inner paper tube of the low-voltage coil. According to the analysis results, the A-phase transformer should be managed and controlled, especially the oil chromatography tracking period (once every two weeks) should be shortened, and the load should be controlled if necessary.

Time evolution of neutral and charged species in Ar/C2H2 capacitively-coupled RF discharges

The first stages of polymerization in plasmas of Ar/C2H2 have been studied both experimentally and using a kinetic model, by following the time evolution of the main neutral and ionic species in the discharge. The abundances of the different neutrals and ions have been measured by quadrupole mass spectrometry in conditions specifically chosen to avoid dust formation in the plasma. Maxima occurring at different times from the ignition of the discharge were detected for the density of the neutral species sampled, generally consistent with a stepwise polymerization mechanism. Ions were found to fundamentally follow the trend of their neutral counterparts, with the time evolution for negative ions stressing the difference in the chemical mechanisms responsible for the formation of the two primitive anions, C2H− and H2CC−. Positive and negative ion distributions were measured in the steady state of the discharge. Detection of anions with up to 22 carbon atoms was possible in mixtures with high acetylene content. A volume averaged kinetic model with a simple description of the Ar/C2H2 chemistry was used to identify the main reaction pathways and was able to satisfactory reproduce the experimental results.

Liquid-Phase Non-Thermal Plasma Discharge for Fuel Oil Processing

The non-thermal plasma pyrolysis of fuel oil, under the action of low-voltage electric discharges in the liquid phase, has made it possible to develop a new process to obtain valuable petrochemical products. In this study, the main parameters, including pulse energy and the time of impact on the non-thermal plasma pyrolysis process, are studied. The main components of the obtained gaseous products are hydrogen (27.6–49.6 mol%), acetylene (33.6–49.1 mol%), ethylene (6.9–12.1 mol%), methane (3.9–9.1 mol%), and hydrocarbons C3-C5 (3.8–9.3 mol%). Increasing the capacity of electric discharges leads to an increase in the content of acetylene in the gas phase to 49.1 mol% and a decrease in energy costs for the production of gaseous products.

Spatial characteristics of VOCs and their ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials in autumn and winter in the Guanzhong Plain, China

As critical precursors of tropospheric ozone (O3) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) largely influence air quality in urban environments. In this study, measurements of 102 VOCs at all five major cities in the Guanzhong Plain (GZP) were conducted during Sep.09-Oct. 13, 2017 (autumn) and Nov. 14, 2017–Jan. 19, 2018 (winter) to investigate the characteristics of VOCs and their roles in O3 and SOA formation. The average concentrations of total VOCs (TVOCs) at Xi'an (XA), Weinan (WN), Xianyang (XY), Tongchuan (TC), and Baoji (BJ) sites were in the range of 55.2–110.2 ppbv in autumn and 42.4–74.3 ppbv in winter. TVOCs concentrations were reduced by 22.4%–43.5% from autumn to winter at XA, WN and BJ. Comparatively low concentrations of TVOCs were observed in XY and TC, ranging from 53.5 to 62.7 ppbv across the sampling period. Alkanes were the major components at all sites, accounting for 26.4%–48.9% of the TVOCs during the sampling campaign, followed by aromatics (4.2%–26.4%). The average concentration of acetylene increased by a factor of up to 4.8 from autumn to winter, indicating the fuel combustion in winter heating period significantly impacted on VOCs composition in the GZP. The OH radical loss rate and maximum incremental reactivity method were employed to determine photochemical reactivities and ozone formation potentials (OFPs) of VOCs, respectively. The VOCs in XA and WN exhibited the highest reactivities in O3 formation, with the OFP of 168–273 ppbv and the OH loss rates of 19.3–40.8 s−1. Alkenes and aromatics primarily related to on-road and industrial emissions contributed 57.8%–76.3% to the total OFP. The contribution of aromatics to the SOA formation at all sites reached 94.1%–98.6%. Considering the potential source-area of VOCs, regional transport of VOCs occurred within the GZP cities.

Molecular growth paths and dust‐particles nucleation precursors in Ar/C2H2 low pressure discharges

AbstractA numerical model was used to investigate the effect of acetylene concentration in the feed gas on molecular growth and solid particle nucleation in argon‐acetylene CCRF discharges. Results showed that for large acetylene conversion yields and small acetylene concentrations in the discharge, the ionization kinetic is driven by the Penning process and the molecular growth is governed by neutral polyynes. The cluster size distribution predicted shows that nucleation is unlikely in this situation. On the contrary, for limited conversion yields and significant acetylene concentrations in the discharge, the ionization kinetic is driven by the electron‐impact process; the molecular growth is governed by positive ions and leads to significant concentrations of neutral polyynes and enhanced nucleation rate.

Cyclotrimerization of Acetylene on Clusters Con+/Fen+/Nin+(n = 1-16).

Cyclotrimerization of acetylene to benzene has attracted significant interest, but the role of geometric and electronic effects on catalytic chemistry remains unclear. To fully elucidate the mechanism of catalytic acetylene-to-benzene conversion, we have performed a gas-phase reaction study of the Fen+, Con+, and Nin+ (n = 1-16) clusters with acetylene utilizing a customized mass spectrometer. It is found that their reactions with acetylene are initiated by C2H2 molecular adsorption and allow for dominant dehydrogenation with the relatively low partial pressure of the acetylene gas. However, at high acetylene concentrations, the cyclotrimerization in Mn+ + 3C2H2 (M = Fe, Co, Ni) becomes the dominant reaction channel. We demonstrate theoretically the favorable thermodynamics and reaction dynamics leading to the formation of the M+(C6H6) products. The results are discussed in terms of a cluster-catalyzed multimolecule synergistic effect and the cation-π interactions.

Results of calculations of soot formation in a tractor diesel engine running on biofuel

When burning fuel in a diesel internal combustion engine, soot is an undesirable product. To reduce the soot content in the exhaust gases, it is necessary to know the physical and chemical bases of the process of soot formation and soot burnout. Due to the determining role of acetylene in the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rich mixtures in the low-temperature zone and the key role of acetylene in the surface growth of a particle in the high-temperature zone, it is concluded that the rate of surface growth of a particle is proportional to the concentration of acetylene in the reaction zone, which can be determined by the gas-kinetic method, numerically solving a system of differential equations for the components of the gas mixture under consideration.

Research on 500kV Transformer on-load Tap Changer Fault Treatment and Physical Properties Testing

This article introduces the intermittent increase of acetylene content in the oil during the operation of a 500kV start-up substation of a power generation company. It is preliminarily judged that there is spark discharge in the oil chromatographic analysis and on-site partial discharge test. After returning to the factory for maintenance and internal inspection, it was found that the movable contact and the fixed contact of the selected part of the on-load tap-changer were not connected in place, which caused intermittent spark discharge and continued to increase acetylene. The problem is solved by adjusting the number of turns of the gear when the tap switch is switched forward and backward, and the transformer resumes normal operation.

Characterizing a sensitive compact mid-infrared photoacoustic sensor for methane, ethane and acetylene detection considering changing ambient parameters and bulk composition (N2, O2 and H2O)

We present a sensitive and compact interband cascade laser (ICL) based photoacoustic setup for the detection of gaseous hydrocarbons and discuss its applicability towards trace gas analysis. We investigated the performance of the sensor for trace concentrations of methane, ethane and acetylene diluted in nitrogen. The excitation of methane and ethane was accomplished using one tunable diode laser, covering a range from 3360 to 3372 nm, which was replaced by a separate ICL at 3025 nm for acetylene detection. The influence of ambient parameters such as temperature, flow rate and pressure as well as potential cross-sensitivities towards O2 and H2O have been examined in terms of methane and acetylene detection. A series of simulations proved several of these influences to be attributed to relaxation effects. With a 3σ limit of detection (LoD) of 6.8 parts per billion (ppbV) in case of methane, 2.3 ppbV regarding ethane and 3.6 ppbV in terms of acetylene, the sensor demonstrates a great potential for applications in the field of trace gas analysis.