An Experimental and Kinetic Modeling Study of Biodisel Combustion in Laminar Counterflow Premixed Flames

Abstract

Biodiesel is a mixture of long chain fatty acid methyl esters used mainly in compression ignition engines. In order to improve engine performance, an understanding of its fundamental properties and the combustion pathways is required. This study presents new data for biodiesel (rapeseed methyl ester, RME) combustion in a laminar counterflow premixed flame configuration (spray biodiesel/air against methane/air) at atmospheric pressure. The visible and ultraviolet (UV) chemiluminescence of the excited radicals CH* and OH*, as well as Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) of OH are employed experimentally. A new biodiesel surrogate model was developed by combining two skeletal kinetic schemes. CH* and OH* reactions were added to the model. The counterflow flame is simulated, the typical flame structure is presented and a comparison between experimental and numerical OH radical profiles is realized. CH* and OH* experimental and numerical results comparison is also carried out. The numerical predictions of the CH* and OH* mole fraction are very close to the experimental profiles along the central axis.