CONSTANT-VOLUME ADIABATIC COMBUSTION OF STOICHIOMETRIC HYDROGEN-OXYGEN MIXTURES

The paper evaluates and discusses the combustion characteristics of el ectrolytically produced stoichiometric hydrogen-oxygen mixtures under constant volume adiabatic conditions. The results will be used in the preliminary design of a combustion chamber of a hydrogen-oxygen fuelle d engine. Maximum combustion pressures are investigated and compared t o theoretical predictions based on the first law of thermodynamics, id eal gas laws and adiabatic flame temperature. High temperature dissoci ation is not taken into account. Experimental results are within 10% o f theoretical predictions. Ignition delay time and rate of pressure ri se are also investigated and discussed. The ignition delay time is a f unction of the initial mixture pressure and decreases exponentially fr om a maximum value of 6.6 ms towards zero as the initial pressure of t he mixture is increased.