Numerical study on the effect of real syngas compositions on ignition delay times and laminar flame speeds at gas turbine conditions

Depending on the feedstock and the production method, the composition of syngas can include (in addition to H₂ and CO) small hydrocarbons, diluents (CO₂, water, and N₂), and impurities (H ₂S, NH₃, NOx, etc.). Despite this fact, most of the studies on syngas combustion do not include hydrocarbons or impurities and in some cases not even diluents in the fuel mixture composition. Hence, studies with realistic syngas composition are necessary to help designing gas turbines. The aim of this work was to investigate numerically the effect of the variation in the syngas composition on some fundamental combustion properties of premixed systems such as laminar flame speed and ignition delay time at realistic engine operating conditions. Several pressures, temperatures, and equivalence ratios were investigated. To perform this parametric study, a state-of-the-art C0-C5 detailed kinetics mechanism was used. Results of this study showed that the addition of hydrocarbons generally reduces the reactivity of the mixture (longer ignition delay time, slower flame speed) due to chemical kinetic effects. The amplitude of this effect is however dependent on the nature and concentration of the hydrocarbon as well as the initial condition (pressure, temperature, and equivalence ratio).