Experimental determination of laminar burning velocities and Markstein lengths for 75% hydrous-ethanol, hydrogen and air gaseous mixtures

Hydrogen-rich mixtures generated by the on-board reforming of biomass-derived hydrous-ethanol can be used as a potential alternative fuel (i.e., reformed ethanol fuel, RE fuel). In this paper, outwardly propagating spherical flames were employed to observe the laminar flame characteristics of the gaseous mixtures composed of simulated RE fuel (mixture of 75% hydrous-ethanol and hydrogen) and air in a constant-volume combustion vessel at an initial temperature of 383 K, a pressure of 0.1 MPa, a hydrogen fraction from 0% to 80%, and an equivalence ratio from 0.6 to 1.6. The results show that the unstretched flame propagation speeds and burning velocities increase with increasing hydrogen fraction, especially when the fraction is above 40%. When the hydrogen fraction is less than 40%, the Markstein length and flame instability decrease and increase with the equivalence ratio, respectively, while the reverse holds when the hydrogen fraction is greater than 40%. At an equivalence ratio below 1.4, the Markstein length decreases with increasing hydrogen fraction, indicating a positive correlation between the flame instability and hydrogen fraction. At an equivalence ratio above 1.4, a negative relationship is observed. Finally, it is concluded that a hydrogen fraction of approximately 40% in simulated RE fuel is feasible for spark ignition engines by comparing the laminar burning characteristics of ethanol–air mixtures.

► Reformed Ethanol (RE) fuel as a potential alternative fuel.
► Laminar flame characteristics of Simulated RE Fuel–air mixtures in combustion bomb.
► Optimum hydrogen fraction of Simulated RE fuel is suggested to be 40%.