Combustion of hydrogen-air in micro combustors with catalytic Pt layer

Micro power generators have high power density. However, their key components micro combustors have low stability. In this experiment, catalyst is applied to improve the stability. The catalytic micro combustor is made from an alumina ceramic tube. It has inner diameter of 1 mm, outer diameter of 2.02 mm and length of 24.5 mm. It is prepared through impregnation of aqueous solution of H2PtCl6. The flammability limits and surface temperatures under different operation conditions are measured. The flow rates range from 0.08 to 0.4 L/min. According to the experimental results, catalyst is effective to inhibit extinction. For example, At 0.8 L/min, the stability limit is 0.193-14.9 in the non-catalytic combustor. After applying catalyst, the lean limit is near 0, and the rich limit is 29.3. But catalyst is less effective to inhibit blow out. Increasing flow rates also inhibits extinction. In the non-catalytic combustor, while the flow rates increase from 0.08 to 0.2 L/min, the lean stability limit decreases from 0.193 to 0.125. The experimental results indicate that catalyst induces shift downstream in the stoichiometric and rich cases. The numeric simulation verifies that the heterogeneous reaction weakens the homogeneous reaction through consuming fuels. Thus, the insufficient heat recirculation makes the reaction region shift downstream. However, lean mixture has intense reaction in the catalytic combustor. It is attributed to the high mass diffusion and low thermal diffusion of lean mixture. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.