The Extinction Characteristics of Interacting SNG-Air Lean Premixed Asymmetric Flames

Experimental and numerical studies were conducted to clarify the extinction mechanism in mutually interacting SNG (synthetic natural gas) air premixed asymmetric counter-flow flames. The detailed kinetic mechanism of UC San Diego with which the priority of predicting measured extinction boundaries was validated was adopted to analyze various aspects via up and downstream interactions on extinction boundaries in the flame stability map. The flame stability map was presented with a functional dependency on methane mole fractions in the cold stream ejecting from upper and lower nozzles by varying the global strain rate. Increasing global strain rate lead gradually slanted and configuring of island flammable region and finally only one flammable condition at 740 s -1 through the shrinkage of flammable region. The interacting lean-lean asymmetric flames of extinction boundaries have flame speed of positive (negative) depending on the deviation of methane mole fraction for two reactants. The extinction mechanism of those flames was explained and discussed by emphasizing important role of downstream chemical interaction (via H and CO) and upstream thermal interaction (via conductive heat loss from stronger flame to unburned mixture).