Experimental investigation and numerical analysis on the confined deflagration behavior of methane-air mixtures within the suppression of typical haloalkanes.

To investigate the mechanisms of haloalkanes in promoting and inhibiting explosions in methane-air mixtures, the halon alternatives of CHF 3 , C 3 HF 7 , and C 3 H 2 F 6 were selected as inhibitors. Experimental research was conducted in a 20-liter spherical explosion vessel to examine the promotional and inhibitory effects of these haloalkanes on methane-air mixtures. The adiabatic flame temperature, heat release rate, and concentrations of the key radicals were calculated. The results showed that C 3 H 2 F 6 , C 3 HF 7 , and CHF 3 all exhibited a dual effect, initially promoting and subsequently inhibiting explosions in fuel-lean methane-air mixtures. The critical explosion suppression volume fractions of C 3 HF 7 and CHF 3 were 1.5 times and 2.25 times that of C 3 H 2 F 6 , respectively, for the suppression of methane explosion at Φ = 1.2. Furthermore, C 3 HF 7 demonstrated a dual impact on the explosion of stoichiometric methane-air mixtures. From the perspective of reaction kinetics, for fuel-lean methane-air mixture (Φ = 0.8), a small volume of halogenated hydrocarbons led to an increase in the adiabatic flame temperature due to the heat release from critical fluorine-containing elementary reactions, thereby promoting the explosion. Under fuel-lean conditions, the introduction of a small volume of halogenated hydrocarbons led to an increase in the adiabatic flame temperature due to the heat release from critical fluorine-containing elementary reactions, thereby promoting the explosion. Simultaneously, these fluorine-containing reactions scavenged the key free radicals of H, O, and OH inhibiting the explosion process. These two effects competed with each other, ultimately determining the direction of the explosion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]