Ignition of Lean Methane-Based Fuel Blends at Gas Turbine Pressures

Shock-tube experiments and chemical kinetics modeling were performed to further understand the ignition and oxidation kinetics of lean methane-based fuel blends at gas turbine pressures. Ignition delay times were obtained behind reflected shock waves for fuel mixtures consisting of CH₄, CH₄/H₂, CH₄/C₂H₆, and CH₄/C₃H₈ in ratios ranging from 90/10 to 60/40%. Lean fuel/air equivalence ratios (φ = 0.5) were utilized, and the test pressures ranged from 0.54 to 25.3 atm. A methane-oxidation kinetics mechanism based on GRI-Mech 3.0 was assembled to reproduce the methane/air mixtures. Additional reactions involving CH₃O and CH₃O₂ chemistry and modifications to a few of the pressure-dependent reaction rate coefficients were needed to achieve good agreement between data and model.