INVESTIGATION OF SPECIES CONCENTRATION AND SOOT FORMATION IN A CO-FLOWING DIFFUSION FLAME OF ETHYLENE

A detailed kinetic mechanism is presented to model the combustion process and the formation of particulates in a co-flowing laminar ethylene-air diffusion flame. The model includes hydrocarbon oxidation and pyrolysis, particle inception and coagulation, and finally surface growth and oxidation. Good agreement between model predictions and measurements of the general shape and structure of the flame are obtained. The model reproduces with reasonable accuracy the main oxidation and pyrolysis products as well as the concentration of hydroxyl radical as a function of radius at several heights. Soot volume fraction and mean particle size are moderately well predicted.