One of the alkanes found within gaseous fuel blends of interest to gas turbine applications is butane. There are two structural isomers of butane, normal butane and isobutane, and the combustion characteristics of either isomer are not well known. Of particular interest to this work are mixtures of -butane and isobutane. A shock-tube experiment was performed to produce important ignition-delay-time data for these binary butane isomer mixtures, which are not currently well studied, with emphasis on 50-50 blends of the two isomers. These data represent the most extensive shock-tube results to date for mixtures of -butane and isobutane. Ignition within the shock tube was determined from the sharp pressure rise measured at the end wall, which is characteristic of such exothermic reactions. Both experimental and kinetics modeling results are presented for a wide range of stoichiometries , temperatures (1056–1598 K), and pressures (1–21 atm). The results of this work serve as a validation for the current chemical kinetics model. Correlations in the form of Arrhenius-type expressions are presented, which agree well with both the experimental results and the kinetics modeling. The results of an ignition-delay-time sensitivity analysis are provided, and key reactions are identified. The data from this study are compared with the modeling results of 100% normal butane and 100% isobutane. The 50/50 mixture of -butane and isobutane was shown to be more readily ignitable than 100% isobutane but reacts slower than 100% -butane only for the richer mixtures. There was little difference in ignition time between the lean mixtures.
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Ignition and Oxidation of 50/50 Butane Isomer Blends
Nicole Donato,
Nicole Donato
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University
, College Station, TX 77843
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Christopher Aul,
Christopher Aul
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University
, College Station, TX 77843
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Eric Petersen,
Eric Petersen
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University
, College Station, TX 77843
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Christopher Zinner,
Christopher Zinner
Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering,
University of Central Florida
, Orlando, FL 32816
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Henry Curran,
Henry Curran
School of Chemistry,
National University of Ireland Galway
, Galway, Ireland
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Gilles Bourque
Gilles Bourque
Rolls-Royce Canada
, Montreal, Canada H8T 1A2
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Nicole Donato
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University
, College Station, TX 77843
Christopher Aul
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University
, College Station, TX 77843
Eric Petersen
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Texas A&M University
, College Station, TX 77843
Christopher Zinner
Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering,
University of Central Florida
, Orlando, FL 32816
Henry Curran
School of Chemistry,
National University of Ireland Galway
, Galway, Ireland
Gilles Bourque
Rolls-Royce Canada
, Montreal, Canada H8T 1A2J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. May 2010, 132(5): 051502 (9 pages)
Published Online: March 4, 2010
Article history
Received:
March 26, 2009
Revised:
April 7, 2009
Online:
March 4, 2010
Published:
March 4, 2010
Citation
Donato, N., Aul, C., Petersen, E., Zinner, C., Curran, H., and Bourque, G. (March 4, 2010). "Ignition and Oxidation of 50/50 Butane Isomer Blends." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. May 2010; 132(5): 051502. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3204654
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