Radical kinetics simulation for transient plasma ignition for fuel-air mixtures

Summary form only given. The recent application of nanosecond transient plasma, or pulsed corona, discharges for combustion and detonation ignition has stimulated interest in the plasma chemistry of the role of radical kinetics for hydrocarbon fuel and dry air mixtures including CH/sub 4/ - air, C/sub 3/H/sub 8/ - air, and C/sub 2/H/sub 4/ - air mixtures. This simulation study seeks to elucidate reaction mechanisms and to thereby improve system designs for applications including transient plasma ignition and non-thermal plasma remediation for volatile organic compounds. Hydrocarbon - dry air plasma models were built to calculate the produced chemical kinetics for high voltage nanosecond pulsed discharges at room temperature atmosphere, using a zero-dimension plasma chemistry simulator, KINEMA. Nearly 200 reactions were considered in the CH/sub 4/ - dry air plasma model, including electron impact reactions, ion - molecule reactions, and radical reactions. CH/sub 4/ conversion rates and radical production rates were studied with respect to the applied reduced electric field. Hydrocarbon activation by O(/sup 3/P), O(/sup 1/D), and O/sub 2//sup +/ in the nanosecond transient plasmas are to be discussed.