Laminar Flame Speeds of Premixed Dimethoxymethane/Air Flames at Elevated Temperatures and Pressures

Abstract The world’s increasing energy demand combined with the continuous depletion of fossil fuel reserves and growing interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions has spurred research on new alternative fuels that can partially satisfy the energy demand while mitigating air pollution. In this regard, dimethoxymethane (DMM), an oxygenated fuel that can be produced from renewable sources, is a promising alternative fuel that can be used in diesel blends in combustion engines. This research presents DMM laminar flame speed measurements of outwardly propagating flames, which were carried out in an optically accessible constant-volume chamber at several temperatures (373, 423, and 473 K) and pressures (1, 3, and 5 bar), for equivalence ratios from 0.7 to 1.7. The experimental results were compared against one-dimensional laminar premixed flame simulations from Converge CFD using detailed kinetic mechanisms. At 1 bar, the maximum DMM laminar flame speeds were found to be 63.4, 77.5, and 91.8 cm/s at 373, 423, and 473 K, respectively, at an equivalence ratio of 1.2. At 373 K and 3 and 5 bar, the maximun flame speeds were 49.8 and 43.2 cm/s at equivalence ratios of 1.2 and 1.1, respectively.