Session: 04-41 Combustion Experiments V

Paper Number: 153425

Laminar Flame Speed Measurements of a NH3/H2/N2 Natural Gas Surrogate at Elevated Pressures 

Ammonia is a promising carbon-free fuel alternative, offering higher energy density and easier storage compared to liquid hydrogen. This study presents experimental measurements of the laminar flame speed for an H₂:NH₃:N₂ mixture with a 45:40:15 volume ratio at elevated pressures, contributing to the understanding of ammonia's potential for clean energy applications. The addition of hydrogen improves combustion characteristics and compensates for ammonia’s slow flame speed and narrow flammability limits. The Turbulent Flame Speed Vessel (TFSV) at Texas A&M University was used to obtain laminar flame speed measurements for the mixture with air as the oxidizer. High-speed schlieren photography was employed to capture spherical flame propagation, while flame stretch effects were accounted for to determine the unstretched laminar burning velocities across different equivalence ratios from 0.7 to 1.4. The experiments were conducted at pressures ranging from 1 to 4 atm, with a constant temperature of 298 K. Experiments were also performed using a Bunsen flame, with PLIF imaging of NH. The experimental results are compared with predictions from chemical kinetic models, revealing discrepancies and highlighting areas for model refinement. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing ammonia-hydrogen combustion systems under high-pressure conditions, supporting the advancement of ammonia as a viable, carbon-free fuel option in future energy systems. The results also contribute to improving the understanding of flame behavior, necessary for the design and implementation of more efficient combustion technologies.

Presenting Author: Upom Louise Costa Texas A&M University

Presenting Author Biography: Upom Louise Costa is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, specializing in laminar flame speed and flame thickness measurements. He holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Authors:

Upom Louise Costa Texas A&M University
Yousef Almarzooq Texas A&M University
Adi Hardaya Texas A&M University
Matthew Hay Texas A&M University
Waruna Kulatilaka Texas A&M University
Eric Petersen Texas A&M University