An experimental study of the oxidation of LPG/air mixtures on platinum

This paper describes the reactivity of premixed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)/air mixtures co-flowing around a flat, vertical, unconfined, rectangular, platinum plate. Measurements of temperature and species concentrations are performed in the vicinity of the plate to study the effects of varying the temperature of the incoming mixture (T_jet), its equivalence ratio (Φ) and the Reynolds number (Re). The main products of burning LPG/air over platinum are CO, CO₂ and H₂O. Hydrogen is also present in small quantities and species such as methane (CH₄), acetylene (C ₂H₂), ethane (C₂H₆), dimethyl ether (C₂H₆O), and propylene (C₃H₆) may appear. The streamwise profiles of species indicate the presence of two reacting zones along the plate which are described as: (i) the leading edge zone where high gradients of species mole fractions are observed and (ii) the trailing zone where the profiles are more flat and stable. The transverse profiles highlight the presence of two reactive layers: (i) the inner boundary where peaks of CO, CO₂, and H₂ occur, and (ii) the outer layer where the other hydrocarbons are formed.