Detailed modeling of planar transcritical H₂–O₂–N₂ flames

Abstract

We first investigate a detailed high pressure flame model. Our model is based on the thermodynamics of irreversible processes, statistical mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, and the kinetic theory of dense gases. We study thermodynamic properties, chemical production rates, transport fluxes, and establish that entropy production is non-negative. We next investigate the structure of planar transcritical H₂–O₂–N₂ flames and perform a sensitivity analysis with respect to the model. Non-idealities in the equation of state and in the transport fluxes have a dramatic influence on the cold zone of the flame. Non-idealities in the chemical production rates – consistent with thermodynamics and important to insure positivity of entropy production – may also strongly influence flame structures at very high pressures. At sufficiently low temperatures, fresh mixtures of H₂–O₂–N₂ flames are found to be thermodynamically unstable, in agreement with experimental results. We finally study the influence of various parameters associated with the initial reactants on the structure of transcritical planar H₂–O₂–N₂ flames as well as lean and rich extinction limits.

Keywords:

• supercritical fluids
• high pressure combustion
• non-idealities
• planar premixed flames
• cryogenic combustion