Soot Formation In Ethane Air Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames At Elevated Pressures

Ethane-air laminar coflow non-smoking diffusion flames have been studied at pressures up to 3.34 MPa to determine the effect of pressure on soot formation, flame temperatures and physical flame properties. The spectral soot emission (SSE) diagnostic was used to obtain spatially resolved (both radially and axially) soot volume fraction and soot temperature measurements at pressures of 0.20 to 3.34 MPa. In general, temperature profiles of a given height were found to decrease with increasing pressure. Pressure was found to enhance soot formation with decreased sensitivity as pressures were increased. A power law relation between maximum soot volume fraction and pressure was found to be fvmax & prop;P 2.39 for 0.20 & le; P & le; 1.52 MPa and fvmax & prop;P 1.10 for 1.52 & le; P & le; 3.34 MPa. The integrated line-of-sight soot volume fraction was found to vary as fvline, max & prop;P 2.32 for 0.20 & le; P & le; 0.51 MPa, fvline, max & prop;P 1.44 for 0.51 & le; P & le; 1.52 MPa and fvline, max & prop;P 0.95 for 1.52 & le; P & le; 3.34 MPa. The variation of maximum carbon conversion to soot, as a percentage of the fuel's carbon, was etas, max & prop; P2.23 for 0.20 & le; P & le; 1.13 MPa, etas, max & prop; P1.12 for 0.51 & le; P & le; 1.52 MPa and etas, max & prop; P0.41 for 1.52 & le; P & le; 3.34 MPa. The maximum value of carbon conversion was found to be eta s, max = 27.61% at P = 3.34 MPa.