Modelling of soot formation in flames

Modelling of soot formation in flames

Amir MZE AHMED

The project
The main objective of this work is to improve the knowledge on the hydrocarbon oxidation at high temperature.
The first step of the numerical investigation proposed in this work is focused on the gas phase. It is proposed a numerical investigation of the effect of four parameters:
(i) the equivalence ratio
(ii) the pressure
(iii) the nature of the fuel
(iv) the hydrogen as the additive

At PC2A laboratory, we have experimental data which cover the 3 previous points. These data were obtained using several techniques analysis associated with a microprobe sampling system, in particular gas chromatography (GC) and the Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF). The pressure and the equivalence ratio effect (points i and ii) was examined in the case of the laminar premixed methane flames. The point iii) was the subject of many experimental studies at PC2A: in addition to methane fuel, various fuels were studied, in particular n-butane and alkane mixtures representative of natural gas oxidation. The last point (iv) was examined in the case of the rich atmospheric laminar premixed methane flames.
The first step of this work consists in a fine study of the literature to supplement the available experimental data base, in particular in terms of studies targeting the formation of the heavy PAHs. A numerical study will then be carried out to validate a single mechanism able to predict the oxidation of the whole fuels. The modeling work will be carried out on the basis of our previous mechanism developed for rich methane combustion (Energy 43 (2012) 73-84 El Bakali et al.). This mechanism is currently the subject of the extension to the rich n-butane combustion.
The second part of this work relates to the modeling of the soot formation in the previous flames.

Laboratory
PC2A

Period
start: January 2014
end: June 2015

Financing
Labex CaPPA