Influence of high ethane content on natural gas ignition

Abstract

The effect of ethane on combustion and natural gas autoignition was studied in the present paper. Two fuel mixture of natural gas with high ethane content were considered, 75% CH4 – 25% C2H6 (mixture 1), and 50% CH4 – 50% C2H6 (mixture 2). Natural gas combustion incidence was analyzed through the calculation of energy properties and the ignition delay time numerical calculations along with an ignition mode analysis. Specifically, the strong ignition limit was calculated to determine the effect of ethane on natural gas autoignition. According to the results, ignition delay time decreases for both mixtures in comparison with pure methane. The strong ignition limit shifts to lower temperatures when ethane is present in natural gas chemical composition.