Thermal structure of methane hydrate fueled flames

The burning behavior of methane hydrate in an opposed-jet porous burner was studied particularly its axial temperature flame location and flame width using color-ratio thin filament pyrometry (TFP) from the radiative emission of a SiC fiber oriented across the flame. The hydrate flame temperatures were close to 1700 K. Chemical kinetic calculations with water vapor were introduced into the fuel stream and the opposed flame model and the GRI MECH 3.0 mechanism simulated the conditions of methane hydrate diffusion flames. Both computational and experimental results showed close agreement in temperature suggesting that water from the hydrate dilutes the fuel and reduces flame temperatures to approximately 1700 K. TFP captured the dynamic movement of the hydrate flame toward the air side as it burned robustly during a process where heat and mass transfer promoted a release in methane and water vapor entrainment into the reaction zone.