In
the present work, measured laminar burning velocities of methyl
formate (MF)–air mixtures at atmospheric pressure are presented
for high mixture temperatures (up to 500 K) using an externally heated
mesoscale diverging channel method. The experiments were performed
for equivalence ratios ranging from Φ = 0.6 to Φ = 1.4
with an unburnt mixture temperature range from 350 to 500 K. The results
reported in the literature and mechanism predictions of Aramco 2.0
(2016), Dievart (2013), and Dooley (2010) using PREMIX code are then
compared with the data obtained from the existing experimental setup.
The progressive change of temperature exponent and laminar burning
velocity with equivalence ratios is akin to the other gaseous and
liquid fuels outlined in the literature. The maxima and minima associated
with the laminar burning velocity and temperature exponent (α)
respectively is observed at Φ ≈ 1.1 or a slightly richer
side. The mechanism predictions of the Aramco 2.0 (2016) detailed
kinetic model is used for a detailed analysis of the mixture oxidation
to account for the sensitivity of the key reactions on the laminar
burning velocity. The overall effect of H-abstraction of methyl formate
enhances the laminar burning velocity at 500 K. From reaction pathway
analysis, it is observed that the global combustion rate rises when
the unburnt mixture temperature changes from 348 to 500 K.