Ignition delay time measurements at practical conditions using a shock tube

Experiments are ongoing in our laboratory to study the ignition kinetics of hydrocarbon- and hydrogen-based mixtures behind reflected shock waves at conditions representative of those seen in gas turbine and other engine applications. Engine conditions herein imply elevated pressures (10 atm and higher) and undiluted fuel-air mixtures. Lower temperatures (less than 1100 K) are also of interest in recent years for several reasons, including the possibility of autoignition in premixed systems prior to entering the main combustor and in the validation of chemical kinetics models at low-to-intermediate temperatures. Several different blends of methane-hydrocarbon and hydrogen-carbon monoxide fuels have been studied in recent years, and provided herein are sample results as well as details on performing measurements at higher pressures and undiluted fuel-air mixtures.