OVERALL ACTIVATION ENERGY OF PROPANE-AIR COMBUSTION IN LAMINAR FLAMES

The overall activation energy of propane oxidation in laminar flames was evaluated from normal burning velocities characteristic for the flame propagation in preheated or diluted propane-air mixtures, using various correlations between the normal burning velocity and the average flame temperature. The burning velocities were obtained both from experimental measurements on spherically propagating flames and from detailed kinetic modeling of flame propagation. The experiments used a near-stoichiometric propane-air mixture ([C3H8] = 4.08 vol.%) and were made in a spherical closed vessel, at various initial temperatures (298-423 K). The modeling was made by means of INSFLA package, based on a comprehensive mechanism valid for gas-phase oxidation of C1-C4 hydrocarbons (53 chemical species and 592 elementary reactions).