Kinetic analysis of the chemical effects of hydrogen addition on dimethyl ether flames

The chemical effects of hydrogen addition on premixed laminar low-pressure dimethyl ether flames were studied by kinetic analysis. The chemical effects of hydrogen addition on flame structures and mole fractions of major species, intermediate species and free radicals have been distinguished clearly from the dilution and thermal effects. The results show that the chemical effects of hydrogen addition cause the DME profile to move toward the upstream side and can suppress the production of acetylene and ethylene. The production of formaldehyde is promoted by the chemical effects of hydrogen addition but the dilution and thermal effects are more dominant which decrease the mole fraction of formaldehyde so that the overall effects make formaldehyde mole fraction decrease. The dominant effects of hydrogen addition on H, OH and O radicals are the chemical effects that make mole fractions of these radicals increase.