Characteristics of n-heptane/air N2 diluted counterflow flames

Our purpose is to investgate extinction and stability of n-heptane N2 diluted counterflow flames. The counterflow geometry has been selected for its simplicity and applicability to more complex configurations. We conduct a parametric study to characterize the flame structure in terms of temperature for different levels of nitrogen dilution of the fuel stream and to characterize extinction. The experimental results are compared with numerical simulations obtained with a detailed reaction mechanism that is able to model oxidation of up to C8 hydrocarbons and which includes pyrolysis reactions leading to the formation of soot precursors up to C20 species. © 2003 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.