Numerical study of the effect of CO2/H2O dilution on the laminar burning velocity of methane/air flames under elevated initial temperature and pressure.

Diluents have an essential effect during combustion. Discovering the influence of CO2 and H2O as diluents on laminar burning velocity (LBV) is helpful for combustion control and optimization. In this study, CH4/air/CO2/H2O mixtures were investigated and validated using the FFCM‐Mech 1.0 over extensive boundary conditions. The chemical effects of the diluents CO2 and H2O were separated using a decoupling method. It was found that an increase in initial temperature promotes the chemical effects, while an increase in initial pressure does the opposite. In addition, the inhibiting effect of CO2 on LBV is stronger than that of H2O. Sensitivity, mole fraction, and rate of production (ROP) analyses were used to reveal that the sum of the chemical effects of adding CO2 and H2O separately was greater than the chemical effects of adding equal amounts of CO2 and H2O simultaneously. This paper not only investigates the effect of CO2 and H2O on the LBV under wide boundary conditions, but also offers a valuable guide for studying the operating conditions and intensity settings of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and theoretical guidance for further research on the combination of EGR and in‐cylinder water injection technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]