Study of the Impact of LPG Composition on the Blowoff and Flashback Limits of a Premixed Flame in a Swirl Burner

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is considered one of the gases widely used in many industrial and residential sectors. Still, due to its different compositions, mainly propane (C۳H۸) and butane (C۴H۱۰), it can have other combustion characteristics. This paper aims to conduct an experimental analysis to study the impact of LPG composition on the stability map (limits of blowoff and flashback) of the premixed flame in a tangential swirl burner. Four LPG mixtures were used with different proportions of ethane (C۲H۶), propane (C۳H۸), butane (C۴H۱۰), and pentane (C۵H۱۲). Three burner nozzles at diameters of ۲۰, ۲۵, and ۳۰ mm have been used, which gave three swirl numbers of ۰.۹۱۸, ۱.۱۴۸, and ۱.۳۷۷, respectively. The results indicate that increasing the swirl number (S) from ۰.۹۱۸ to ۱.۳۷۷ for all LPG mixtures accelerated the flashback propensity (getting worse) while the blowoff resistance improved; thus, a rising S gave a better stability map. As for the effect of the LPG composition, it was found that the maximum flame temperature was for the LPG mixture containing high percentages of butane (C۴H۱۰), while the lowest was for the mixture containing fewer percentages of butane. Changing the LPG composition had an apparent effect on the flashback limits and a slight effect on the blowoff limits; it was found that mixtures containing high percentages of butane increased flame speeds and increased the flashback propensity. Compared to LPG mixtures, the flame stability map was widest for LPG mixtures containing lower percentages of butane. Therefore, LPG with propane (C۳H۸) proportions higher than butane (C۴H۱۰) reduces flame temperature, flame speeds, and flashback propensity, thus improving the stability map.

Keywords:

Flame stability , LPG , Swirl number , Flashback , Blowoff