Explosion parameters of methanol-air mixtures

The evaluation of methanol as an alternative fuel requires, among other things, information and the systematic investigation of explosion parameters of methanol in air in various conditions. An experimental study of the explosive combustion of methanol-air mixtures at various initial conditions (temperatures, pressures and fuel/air ratios within the explosion limits) was performed in a closed vessel with central ignition. The explosion pressures and the rate of pressure rise were determined as a function of the fuel/air ratio at different initial temperatures and pressures. Based on these experimental data, the maximum explosion pressure and the maximum rate of pressure rise were determined as a function of pressure and temperatures. The deflagration index and also the laminar burning velocity were calculated from these data too. It was shown that the known temperature and pressure dependence of the maximum explosion pressure can also be assigned to the explosion pressures over more or less the whole fuel/air ratios investigated. Furthermore the same pressure dependence is valid for the rate of pressure rise, whereas within the temperature range investigated, a temperature dependence could not be found. The temperature influence on the burning velocity proposed in the literature holds for the received data of the current investigations.