The structure of three laminar premixed rich flames have been investigated: a pure methane flame and two methane flames doped by allene and propyne, respectively. The gases of the three flames contain 20.9% (molar) of methane and 33.4 % of oxygen corresponding to an equivalent ratio of 1.25 for the pure methane flame. In both doped flames, 2.49 % of C 3 H 4 was added, corresponding to a ratio C 3 H 4 / CH 4 of 12 % and an equivalent ratio of 1.55. The three flames have been stabilized on a burner at a pressure of 6.7 kPa using argon as dilutant, with a gas velocity at the burner of 36 cm/s at 333 K. The concentration profiles of stable species were measured by gas chromatography after sampling with a quartz microprobe. Quantified species included carbon monoxide and dioxide, methane, oxygen, hydrogen, ethane, ethylene, acetylene, propyne, allene, propene, propane, 1,2-butadiene, 1,3-butadiene, 1-butene, iso-butene, 1-butyne, vinylacetylene and benzene. The temperature was measured using a thermocouple in PtRh (6%)-PtRh (30%) settled inside the enclosure and ranged from 700K close to the burner up to 1850K. In order to model these new results, some improvements have been made to a mechanism previously developed in our laboratory for the reactions of C 3 -C 4 unsaturated hydrocarbons. The main reaction pathways of consumption of allene and propyne and of formation of C 6 aromatic species have been derived from flow rate analyses.Keywords : Premixed laminar flame, methane, allene, propyne, modeling.
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INTRODUCTIONSoots and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are present in the exhaust gas of diesel engine, represent a high part of the urban pollution. Many efforts have then been focused on reducing the emissions of these compounds. The formation of soot precursors and PAH in combustion involves small unsaturated hydrocarbons, the chemistry of which is still very uncertain. Different reaction pathways have been proposed for the formation and the oxidation of the first aromatic compounds, involving the reactions of C 2 (acetylene), C 3 or C 4 unsaturated species [1][2][3][4][5].As the determinant role of propargyl radicals in forming benzene, the first aromatic ring, is now well accepted, it is important to better understand their reactions. With that purpose, the oxidation of allene (propadiene) and propyne has been already studied in several oxidation conditions: shock tubes [6][7][8], flow reactor [9,10], jet-stirred reactor [7,11] and premixed flames [10,11]. Previous works in flames include studies of the influence of the addition of allene on The purpose of the present paper is to experimentally investigate the structures of two premixed laminar methane flames containing propadiene and propyne, respectively, and to compare them with that of a pure methane flame containing the same mole fractions of methane and oxygen. The use of a methane flame will allow us to have a reactive mixture rich in methyl radicals and to be more representative of combustion mixtures containing larger hydrocarbons than hydrogen or ...