Study of combustion process with jet-ignition of propane-air mixtures

Abstract

The paper presents the study of combustion process of a homogenous lean propane-air mixture in the cylindrical combustion chamber ignited by a hot gas jet from the pre-ignition chamber. A rich propane-air mixture in the pre-chamber is ignited by the spark plug and the exhaust gasses flow from the chamber trough the holes in the wall. The mathematical model of gas exchange and energy balance in chambers with a laminar finite-rate model taking into account the two-step Arrhenius chemical kinetics is presented. The work presents results of thermodynamic parameters of the charge obtained in CFD simulations in Fluent and Kiva3v for three configurations: with one hole in the wall of the ignition chamber, with three holes and without an ignition chamber. Modelling and simulation have shown faster burning of the mixture for jet ignition with three holes of the pre-chamber. The results of simulations were verified by experimental studies in the combustion chamber of the same geometry by the Schlieren method. The work presents flame front propagation, pressure traces and pressure increment speed for two mixtures with a different equivalence fuel-air ratio. Experimental results proved the simulation observation of faster flame propagation in the main chamber with three holes.