Development of Natural Gas Chemical Kinetic Mechanisms and Application in Engines: A Review.

In this paper, the brief development of chemical kinetic modeling of natural gas is discussed, with emphasis on the development of chemical kinetic mechanisms describing fuel oxidation. The addition of ethane and/or propane to natural gas not only decreases the ignition delay times but also increases flame speeds. Thus, the mixture of methane, ethane, and propane rather than bare methane obtains more accurate predictions for the combustion and emission characteristics of natural gas. This paper also evaluates different comprehensive mechanisms employed for natural gas engines and pointed out their advantages and disadvantages, giving guidance for the selection of mechanisms during the development of natural gas engines.