Spark ignition and stable flame of premixed methanol-ammonia gaseous jet at atmospheric surrounding

Ammonia, regarded as a zero-carbon fuel, presents significant challenges due to its notable combustion and chemical inertness . To mitigate these challenges, blending liquid ammonia with carbon-neutral methanol offers a promising avenue for creating an innovative, stable, and large-scale producible carbon-neutral fuel. This study investigates the impacts of xCH 3 OH (methanol mole ratio in methanol-ammonia mixture) and v (mean jet velocity at nozzle outlet) on forming stable flames of a premixed methanol-ammonia argon-oxygen (MA-AO) gaseous jet in the atmospheric surrounding. Results indicate that the pure ammonia argon-oxygen (A-AO) mixture can be ignited by an electrical spark with the energy of about 52.1 mJ, but it cannot grow to be a stable jet flame although the fire nucleus can form. Blending methanol is very helpful in forming a stable jet flame of the MA-AO mixture. When xCH 3 OH is lower than 49% at λ = 1.0, only the fire nucleus could be formed without a stable jet flame. When xCH 3 OH is more than 49%, there is a certain mean jet velocity range for different xCH 3 OH to form a stable flame. At the low-velocity limit, the flame would be quenching. While the flame would be blown off at the high-velocity limit. The velocity limits of quenching and blow-off become higher with higher xCH 3 OH , and the blow-off velocity limit increases more evident. • The ammonia combustion could be triggered with spark energy of 52.1 mJ. • There is a threshold of methanol-ammonia ratio to form a stable methanol-ammonia flame. • The methanol-ammonia flame stability has a close relationship with mean jet velocity.