Combustion characteristics of Ammonia/Air mixture ignited by flame jet with and without hydrogen injection in Pre-Chamber

Ammonia is one of the important fuels that can promote the achievement of carbon neutrality, but its combustion characteristics are not conducive to its application in engines. Injecting hydrogen in the pre-chamber to form a flame jet to ignite the ammonia/air mixture is a method to improve the combustion of ammonia. This ignition method was investigated with the constant volume combustion chamber, high-speed video camera observation and the main-chamber pressure analysis. The flame behavior and combustion characteristics were compared with those ignited by the ammonia flame jet. Hydrogen flame jet significantly enhanced the combustion of the mixture and extended the lean flammability limit. Under conditions of hydrogen injection, the pressure rise delay and combustion duration became shorter, the average heat release rate became higher, and the combustion process was more stable. The hydrogen flame jet rapidly penetrated the main-chamber and impinged on the lower surface, generating intense turbulence. As a result, the combustion pressure took less time to rise from 10% to 50% than it did to go from 50% to 90%. This was different from the situation without hydrogen injection, where time required for both was similar. The hydrogen flame jet was shuttle-shaped when touching the lower surface owing to the rapid combustion speed of hydrogen, while the ammonia flame jet was spindle-shaped with the flame kernel in the center. The combustion process of the flame jet igniting the mixture exhibited two peaks in the heat release rate, reflecting two combustion stages dominated by the flame jet and flame propagation.