Study of Ozone Effects on CH4/O2/N2 Detonation Waves

Plasma has the ability to generate radicals, ions, and, other excited species in a chemically reacting environment, as in a combustor, enhancing low temperature lean combustion. The current work presents preliminary studies of effect of ozone on the cellular structure of CH4/O-2/N-2 detonation. The premixed fuel-oxidizer mixture is combusted in a detonation tube of dimensions 1220-mm length, 146.33-mm inner diameter driver section and a 1220-mm length 152.4-mmx152.4-mm test section, 0.5-1 kPa starting pressure. A range of equivalence ratios (Phi = 0.4 to 1.2) of CH4/O-2 mixture where N-2 is added as diluent (10% to 50%) are considered as operating conditions for the current investigations. The propagation of the detonation wave in the tube is measured using ionization probes. In addition, soot foil is placed inside the square-shaped test section to study the 2-D cellular pattern of the detonation wave. A ZND detonation theory-based 1-D numerical model is developed to estimate the CJ Speed, cell size, and other thermo-physical properties of the ozone promoted detonation wave. The numerical results are compared with preliminary experimental data.