Hydrogen synthesis via combustion of fuel rich methane/air mixtures at elevated pressure

Experiments were performed in high pressure flow tube reactor facility. The parameter space explored hydrogen production as a function of pressure, equivalence ratio, and flow rate under similar conditions to those explored in the modeling efforts. Product composition via MS and temperature measurements were taken along the flow direction. Incomplete methane conversion, considerable hydrogen production (although lower than that was predicted by the modeling), and a peak temperature well over 200 K above the adiabatic flame temperature were observed. Pressure variation studies indicated that methane conversion increased as pressure increased. Equivalence ratio studies indicated operating conditions near 3. Another important result from the experimental study was the formation of appreciable soot during the combustion process. The modeling did not consider soot or soot precursors in the calculations and thus modeling results are of limited use. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 30th International Symposium on Combustion (Chicago, IL 7/25-30/2004).