On the Estimation and Validation of Global Single-Step Kinetics Parameters of Ethanol-Air Oxidation Using Diffusion Flame Extinction Data

Abstract

In this study, based on the extinction characteristics of nonpremixed flames, global single-step kinetics parameters are estimated for ethanol oxidation in air. Using a quasi-steady heterogeneous experimental setup, the air velocity at which an envelope flame surrounding the sphere transits to a wake flame that burns in the rear region of the sphere, termed as the transition or the extinction velocity, were obtained in a previous study. These extinction velocities for different sphere sizes are employed to estimate the single-step kinetics parameters. The estimated global single-step kinetics has been employed in a numerical model and extinction characteristics of opposed-flow ethanol-air diffusion flames have been predicted and validated against the available experimental results in literature.

Keywords:

• Diffusion flame
• Ethanol
• Flame extinction
• Global single-step kinetics
• Porous-sphere experiments