Combustion and reaction

Laminar Flame Structure-Dependent Exergy Destruction Behavior at Auto-Ignition Time Scale: A Case Study of Dimethyl Ether (DME)

  • WU Honghuan ,
  • HUANG Wenlin ,
  • ZHAO Hao ,
  • SUN Wuchuan ,
  • HUANG Zuohua ,
  • ZHANG Yingjia
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  • State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China

Online published: 2024-07-15

Supported by

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51888103 and U2141203) and the National Science and Technology Major Project (Grants No. J2019-III-0004-0047 and 2021-JCJQ-ZD- 062-12).

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024

Abstract

Hybrid deflagration/auto-ignition flame structures coexist in the combustion of advanced engines. Decoupling exergy destruction caused by different irreversible processes under varied flame regimes is thus important for understanding engine thermodynamics. In this study, the flame propagation modes for the premixed DME/air mixtures are numerically investigated under engine-relevant conditions. Local entropy generation and exergy destruction characteristics are compared under different flame structures. Results reveal that as the typical premixed flame transition towards auto-ignition front, the exergy destruction from heat conduction and species mass diffusion gradually vanish and are dominated by chemical reaction. The distributions of temperature and species mole fraction in the flame domain are analyzed to clarify the exergy destruction behaviors caused by heat conduction and mass diffusion. Furthermore, by dividing the DME oxidation process into four stages, the main reaction channels that contribute to the increase in exergy destruction from chemical reaction have been identified. It is found that the production and consumption of CH2O and HȮ2 radical dominate the exergy destruction behavior during DME oxidation. On this basis, the kinetic mechanism of low-temperature chemistry causing greater exergy destruction is elucidated. Specifically, low-temperature chemistry leads to significant exergy destruction due to (a) the large irreversibility of itself and (b) (mainly) the enhancement of H2O2 loop reactions by low-temperature reaction intermediates. Thus the reduction of combustion irreversibility is promising to be achieved by reasonably regulating the fuel oxidation path.

Cite this article

WU Honghuan , HUANG Wenlin , ZHAO Hao , SUN Wuchuan , HUANG Zuohua , ZHANG Yingjia . Laminar Flame Structure-Dependent Exergy Destruction Behavior at Auto-Ignition Time Scale: A Case Study of Dimethyl Ether (DME)[J]. Journal of Thermal Science, 2024 , 33(4) : 1257 -1271 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-024-1924-1

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