Institution: | a Department of Chemical and Fuels Engineering, University of Utah, 1495 E 100 S, Room 109, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA b Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, P. Le Tecchio, 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy |
Abstract: | The microstructures of atmospheric pressure, counter-flow, sooting, flat, laminar ethylene diffusion flames have been studied numerically by using a new kinetic model developed for hydrocarbon oxidation and pyrolysis. Modeling results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data in terms of concentration profiles of stable species and gas-phase aromatic compounds. Modeling results are used to analyze the controlling steps of aromatic formation and soot growth in counter-flow configurations. The formation of high molecular mass aromatics in diffusion controlled conditions is restricted to a narrow area close to the flame front where these species reach a molecular weight of about 1000 u. Depending on the flame configuration, soot formation is controlled by the coagulation of nanoparticles or by the addition of PAH to soot nuclei. |