Although gaseous fuels such as methane and propane are commonly referred to as flammable, their mixtures with oxygen or air will only burn if the fuel concentration lies within sharply defined limits, known as the lower (fuel-lean) and upper (fuel-rich) flammability limits. Outside of these limits ignition and flame propagation can not be initiated by the application of an external stimulus. Even should a reaction mixture lay within its flammability limits ignition requires the input of sufficient energy in a suitable form. (It should be noted that the phenomenon of flammability is distinct from, although related to, autoignition).
The aim of this work is to identify the flammability limits of simple chemical reaction schemes and to investigate how the geometry of the test method used to measure them changes their value. To this end we are working with simple idealised chemical schemes. It is then proposed to use the techniques developed to examine flammability limits in the hydrogen-oxygen reaction.
A goal of this work is to explore the use of continuously-stirred tank reactors in investigating the flammability of gases produced by the decomposition of polymers. A long-term goal is to investigate the interaction between heterogeneously catalysed and homogeneous combustion reactions.
Dr. G.N. Mercer | 1999-Present |
Dr. J. Sexton | 2000-Present |
Dr. H. Sidhu | 1999-Present |
Dr. R.O. Weber | 1999-Present. |