An investigation into the heat release and emissions from counterflow diffusion flames of methane/dimethyl ether/hydrogen blends in air

In the present work, the effects of blending dimethyl ether (DME) and hydrogen (H₂) with methane (CH₄) have been numerically studied in the context of counterflow diffusion flames. In order to do so, a reaction mechanism consisting of 974 reaction steps among 146 species with updated thermodynamic and transport properties has been developed. This mechanism has been validated against the experimental data on laminar burning velocity, ignition delay time and species profiles in counterflow diffusion flames. The present study suggests that the heat release pattern of the CH₄ counter flow diffusion flame shows major changes when DME and H₂ are present in the fuel stream. Furthermore, the results show that the presence of low volume fractions of DME in CH₄ increases the formation of benzene (C₆H₆) in the flame. This fact can be negated by the presence of H₂ together with CH₄ and DME in the fuel stream. Moreover, the present study suggests that H₂ mitigates the C₆H₆ formation in the CH₄ diffusion flame with greater effectiveness compared to DME. Contrary to the popular belief, the main reason behind such efficacy of H₂ has been found to be physical rather than chemical. On the other hand, the NO production routes are primarily dominated by the Zeldovich mechanism in the flames involving CH₄, DME and H₂ blends. In this regard, the present analysis suggests that the simultaneous presence of DME and H₂ in CH₄ effectively prevents the formation of NO in the flame.     

Numerical and experimental investigations on the influence of preheating and dilution on transition of laminar coflow diffusion flames to Mild combustion regime

A numerical and experimental study has been carried out to acquire knowledge about the structure and stabilization mechanism of coflow flames in their transition to the Mild combustion regime. In total, three CH₄/N₂/oxidizer coflow flames have been studied with a systematic dilution and preheating of the fuel and coflow streams. These flames comprise the non-preheated case (Case NP), preheated case (Case P) and Mild case (Case M), diluted and preheated from ambient temperature up to 1530 K. Radial profiles of temperature and species concentrations have been measured using spontaneous Raman scattering. Detailed computations have been performed by steady-state simulations of these cases using detailed chemistry with the GRI 3.0 mechanism, multi-component mixture-averaged transport and an optically thin approximation for radiative heat losses. An overall good agreement has been found between results of the detailed computations and experiments for Case NP, Case P and at lower axial distances for Case M. The importance of using multicomponent transport and radiative heat losses in the computations has been investigated by performing additional computations with more simplified models for Case NP. A comparison of computed temperature distributions indicates that the progressive preheating and dilution of the oxidizer and fuel leads to a reduction of the temperature rise in the reaction zone with respect to a non-reacting case; this rise in Case M is less than 200 K. Comparison of computed heat release and CH₂O distributions reveals that stabilization of Case NP and P occurs by an edge flame, while for Case M, it takes place by autoignition. Further investigations on the structure of Case M has been done by flamelet analyses in mixture fraction space. It is found that igniting flamelets, in contrast to steady flamelets, represent very well the structure of Case M at lower axial distances. This observation further emphasizes the stabilization of the Mild case by the autoignition phenomena.     

On the similitude between lifted and burner-stabilized triple flames: a numerical and experimental investigation

We have investigated lifted triple flames and addressed issues related to flame stabilization. The stabilization of nonpremixed flames has been argued to result due to the existence of a premixing zone of sufficient reactivity, which causes propagating premixed reaction zones to anchor a nonpremixed zone. We first validate our simulations with detailed measurements in more tractable methane–air burner-stabilized flames. Thereafter, we simulate lifted flames without significantly modifying the boundary conditions used for investigating the burner-stabilized flames. The similarities and differences between the structures of lifted and burner-stabilized flames are elucidated, and the role of the laminar flame speed in the stabilization of lifted triple flames is characterized. The reaction zone topography in the flame is as follows. The flame consists of an outer lean premixed reaction zone, an inner rich premixed reaction zone, and a nonpremixed reaction zone where partially oxidized fuel and oxidizer (from the rich and lean premixed reaction zones, respectively) mix in stoichiometric proportion and thereafter burn. The region with the highest temperatures lies between the inner premixed and the central nonpremixed reaction zone. The heat released in the reaction zones is transported both upstream (by diffusion) and downstream to other portions of the flame. Measured and simulated species concentration profiles of reactant (O₂, CH₄) consumption, intermediate (CO, H₂) formation followed by intermediate consumption and product (CO₂, H₂O) formation are presented. A lifted flame is simulated by conceptualizing a splitter wall of infinitesimal thickness. The flame liftoff increases the height of the inner premixed reaction zone due to the modification of the upstream flow field. However, both the lifted and burner-stabilized flames exhibit remarkable similarity with respect to the shapes and separation distances regarding the three reaction zones. The heat-release distribution and the scalar profiles are also virtually identical for the lifted and burner-stabilized flames in mixture fraction space and attest to the similitude between the burner-stabilized and lifted flames. In the lifted flame, the velocity field diverges upstream of the flame, causing the velocity to reach a minimum value at the triple point. The streamwise velocity at the triple point is ≈0.45 m s⁻¹ (in accord with the propagation speed for stoichiometric methane–air flame), whereas the velocity upstream of the triple point equals 0.7 m s⁻¹, which is in excess of the unstretched flame propagation speed. This is in agreement with measurements reported by other investigators. In future work we will address the behavior of this velocity as the equivalence ratio, the inlet velocity profile, and inlet mixture fraction are changed.     

A numerical study on the ability to predict the heat release rate using CH chemiluminescence in non-sooting counterflow diffusion flames

Numerical studies on 1-D, non-sooting counterflow diffusion flames were performed to determine the precision with which the total heat release rate can be calculated using light emission, namely, chemiluminescence, from the reaction zone. A detailed reaction mechanism, incorporating sub-reaction models for excited state radicals (CH^* and OH^*, where ^* denotes the excited state), was employed in this study. A set of 1-D, steady state conservation equations was solved under standard atmospheric conditions over a counterflow configuration utilizing the CHEMKIN-PRO package. A variety of fuels (CH₄ and C₃H₈), velocities (0.1 m/s − near the extinction condition), diluents (N₂, H₂O, CO₂, and Ar), detailed reaction mechanisms for C₁–C₃ hydrocarbons (GRI-Mech 3.0, Hai Wang’s-, and San Diego-mechanism), different sub-reaction models for excited radicals, and excited radical transport properties were examined for the current purpose. It was found that a one-to-one correlation between total chemiluminescence from CH^* and the total heat release rate cannot be sustained when the flame experiences a relatively high stretch and dilution, even though the condition is still far away from extinction. This trend is consistent with the different types of fuels, and it is understood that the reduction of the ethynyl radical (C₂H), a potential precursor of CH^*, is the main cause of the one-to-one correlation not being sustained. To this end, it was concluded that the observable light emission can only be used to predict the total heat release rate when non-sooting diffusion flames exist under velocity conditions from 0.1 m/s to 1.5 m/s. In other words, the chemiluminescence intensity does not always correlate with the total heat release rate of highly stretched flames found in practical combustors.     

An experimental comparative study of the stabilization mechanism of biogas-hydrogen diffusion flame

This work describes an experimental study of the effect of hydrogen addition on the stabilization characteristics of laminar biogas diffusion flame. The focus is to identify and compare various factors influencing the blowoff process. Three compositions of biogas, BG₄₀, BG₅₀ and BG₆₀ were considered and the amount of hydrogen added was varied from 5% to 25% of the biogas by volume.With increasing hydrogen addition, the critical flow velocity beyond which the flame blows off increases faster than the laminar burning velocity (LBV) does, indicating that flame stabilization is not solely dependent on laminar burning velocity. An exponential relationship is observed between LBV and flame propagation speed. Therefore, both flame propagation speed and LBV, together with other factors, contribute to flame stabilization. The reason for no stable lift for either biogas or H₂-biogas flame is analyze by Schmidt number calculation, and the results agree with the literature. Also found is that hydrogen added to biogas accelerates the fuel mass diffusion, which may play an important role for stabilization of the nozzle-attached flame.The CO₂-C₃H₈ and BG₆₀ flames were compared to exclude the possible dominant role played by insufficient heat release and/or excessive heat loss due to CO₂ present in biogas. Tested on varied-size burners show that flame stabilization depends on burner pore size, where larger diameter allows better flame stability. The universal equation for predicting blowout/blowoff velocity in the literature was found to be invalid for H₂-enriched biogas flame and a new scaling law was put forwards.     

Prediction of the liftoff,blowout and blowoff stability limits of pure hydrogen and hydrogen/hydrocarbon mixture jet flames

The paper presents experimental studies of the liftoff and blowout stability parameters of pure hydrogen, hydrogen/propane and hydrogen/methane jet flames using a 2 mm burner. Carbon dioxide and Argon gas were also used in the study for the comparison with hydrocarbon fuel. Comparisons of the stability of H₂/C₃H₈, H₂/CH₄ and H₂/CO₂ flames showed that H₂/C₃H₈ produced the highest liftoff height and H₂/CH₄ required highest liftoff, blowoff and blowout velocities. The non-dimensional analysis of liftoff height was used to correlate liftoff data of H₂, H₂/C₃H₈, H₂/CO₂, C₃H₈ and H₂/Ar jet flames tested in the 2 mm burner. The suitability of extending the empirical correlations based on hydrocarbon flames to both hydrogen and hydrogen/hydrocarbon flames was examined.     

Effect of hydrocarbon addition on tip opening of hydrogen-air bunsen flames

The effect of hydrocarbon addition on tip opening of lean and stoichiometric hydrogen-air flames is studied computationally by performing two-dimensional numerical simulations. The numerical study reveals that the flame tip of the H₂-air burner stabilized flame is open at lean and stoichiometric mixture conditions. The flame tip closes upon hydrocarbon addition. The tip closing is mainly affected by preferential diffusion of the multi-component mixture and the stretch effects. In the addition of light hydrocarbon (CH₄), the tip closing starts at a higher percentage of hydrocarbon addition in H₂-air flames. Whereas, upon the addition of heavy hydrocarbons such as propane and butane in H₂-air flames, tip closing starts with a lesser amount of hydrocarbon addition. Temperature, OH mole fraction and heat release rate have been investigated, focusing on the flame structure at the tip. The tip opening regime diagram for H₂–CH₄-air, H₂–C₃H₈-air and H₂–C₄H₁₀-air mixtures are presented.     

Effects of H2 and H preferential diffusion and unity Lewis number on superadiabatic flame temperatures in rich premixed methane flames

The structures of freely propagating rich CH₄/air and CH₄/O₂ flames were studied numerically using a relatively detailed reaction mechanism. Species diffusion was modeled using five different methods/assumptions to investigate the effects of species diffusion, in particular H₂ and H, on superadiabatic flame temperature. With the preferential diffusion of H₂ and H accounted for, significant amount of H₂ and H produced in the flame front diffuse from the reaction zone to the preheat zone. The preferential diffusion of H₂ from the reaction zone to the preheat zone has negligible effects on the phenomenon of superadiabatic flame temperature in both CH₄/air and CH₄/O₂ flames. It is therefore demonstrated that the superadiabatic flame temperature phenomenon in rich hydrocarbon flames is not due to the preferential diffusion of H₂ from the reaction zone to the preheat zone as recently suggested by Zamashchikov et al. [V.V. Zamashchikov, I.G. Namyatov, V.A. Bunev, V.S. Babkin, Combust. Explosion Shock Waves 40 (2004) 32]. The suppression of the preferential diffusion of H radicals from the reaction zone to the preheat zone drastically reduces the degree of superadiabaticity in rich CH₄/O₂ flames. The preferential diffusion of H radicals plays an important role in the occurrence of superadiabatic flame temperature. The assumption of unity Lewis number for all species leads to the suppression of H radical diffusion from the reaction zone to the preheat zone and significant diffusion of CO₂ from the postflame zone to the reaction zone. Consequently, the degree of superadiabaticity of flame temperature is also significantly reduced. Through reaction flux analyses and numerical experiments, the chemical nature of the superadiabatic flame temperature phenomenon in rich CH₄/air and CH₄/O₂ flames was identified to be the relative scarcity of H radical, which leads to overshoot of H₂O and CH₂CO in CH₄/air flames and overshoot of H₂O in CH₄/O₂ flames.     

Stratified jet flames in a heated (1390 K) air cross-flow with autoignition

Measurements are reported of the heat release profiles, the flame lengths, flame structure and other properties of a reacting jet-in-cross-flow (JICF) for two fuels. The air was heated to a static temperature of 1390 K, which is above the autoignition temperature, and the air velocity was 468 m/s, which is much larger than values that were considered previously. Aerodynamic strain rates are so large that the flame was expected to fall into either the “distributed reaction”, “thickened flamelet”, or “shredded flamelet” regimes. Fluorescence images of CH, OH and formaldehyde identified the flame structure. The jet-in-cross-flow is a unit physics problem that occurs in turbojets and scramjets. While scaling relations are known for the non-reacting case, more information about the reacting case is needed, especially when autoignition and strain rates become important. Three regions were identified. In the liftoff region autoignition reactions occur which create a strong formaldehyde PLIF signal. However, flames and heat release do not occur in the liftoff region since CH and CH¹ signals were negligible. The second region is the lifted flame base, which has the character of a premixed flame, as evidenced by a very rapid rise in the heat release rate as indicated by the CH¹ and OH¹ signals. The third region contains a turbulent non-premixed flame and the CH images indicate the presence of thickened and shredded flamelets. The 2–3 mm thickness of each CH layer is more than 10 times the laminar flamelet thickness. In the third region the heat release rate decays slowly downstream, which is typical of a non-premixed flame. Because both upstream autoignition and downstream thickened flamelets were observed, we classify this combustion to be an “autoignition-assisted flame”. Flame lengths increase linearly with fuel mass flow rate, indicating that mixing is controlled by the air velocity rather than the fuel velocity.     

Analysis of high-pressure hydrogen, methane, and heptane laminar diffusion flames: Thermal diffusion factor modeling

Direct numerical simulations are conducted for one-dimensional laminar diffusion flames over a large range of pressures (1?P₀?200 atm) employing a detailed multicomponent transport model applicable to dense fluids. Reaction kinetics mechanisms including pressure dependencies and prior validations at both low and high pressures were selected and include a detailed 24-step, 12-species hydrogen mechanism (H₂/O₂ and H₂/air), and reduced mechanisms for methane (CH₄/air: 11 steps, 15 species) and heptane (C₇H₁₆/air: 13 steps, 17 species), all including thermal NO_x chemistry. The governing equations are the fully compressible Navier-Stokes equations, coupled with the Peng-Robinson real fluid equation of state. A generalized multicomponent diffusion model derived from nonequilibrium thermodynamics and fluctuation theory is employed and includes both heat and mass transport in the presence of concentration, temperature, and pressure gradients (i.e., Dufour and Soret diffusion). Previously tested high-pressure mixture property models are employed for the viscosity, heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and mass diffusivities. Five models for high-pressure thermal diffusion coefficients related to Soret and Dufour cross-diffusion are first compared with experimental data over a wide range of pressures. Laminar flame simulations are then conducted for each of the four flames over a large range of pressures for all thermal diffusion coefficient models and results are compared with purely Fickian and Fourier diffusion simulations. The results reveal a considerable range in the influence of cross-diffusion predicted by the various models; however, the most plausible models show significant cross-diffusion effects, including reductions in the peak flame temperatures and minor species concentrations for all flames. These effects increase with pressure for both H₂ flames and for the C₇H₁₆ flames indicating the elevated importance of proper cross-diffusion modeling at large pressures. Cross-diffusion effects, while not negligible, were observed to be less significant in the CH₄ flames and to decrease with pressure. Deficiencies in the existing thermal diffusion coefficient models are discussed and future research directions suggested.     

Flame characteristics in H2/CO synthetic gas diffusion flames diluted with CO2: Effects of radiative heat loss and mixture composition

Numerical study is conducted to understand the impact of fuel composition and flame radiation in flame structure and their oxidation process in H₂/CO synthetic gas diffusion flame with and without CO₂ dilution. The models of Sun et al. and David et al., which have been well known to be best-fitted for H₂/CO synthetic mixture flames, are evaluated for H₂/CO synthetic mixture flames diluted with CO₂. Effects of radiative heat loss to flame characteristics are also examined in terms of syngas mixture composition. Importantly contributing reaction steps to heat release rate are compared for the synthetic gas mixture flames of high contents of H₂ and CO, individually, with and without CO₂ dilution. The modification of the oxidation pathways is also addressed.     

Preferential diffusion effects on flame characteristics in H2/CO syngas diffusion flames diluted with CO2

Numerical study is conducted to clarify preferential diffusion effects of H₂ and H on flame characteristics in synthetic diffusion flames of the compositions of 80% H₂/20% CO and 20% H₂/80% CO as representatively H₂-enriched and CO-enriched H₂/CO flames. Impacts of CO₂ addition to the flames are also examined through the variation of added CO₂ mole fraction from 0 to 0.5. A comparison was made by employing a mixture-averaged diffusivity and the suppression of the diffusivities of H and H₂. It is found that preferential diffusion effects on maximum flame temperature cannot be explained by the well-known behavior between maximum flame temperature and scalar dissipation rate but by chemical processes. The concrete evidence is also presented through the examination of the behavior of maximum H mole fraction and the behavior of importantly-contributing reaction steps to overall heat release rate.     

Stability characteristics of lifted turbulent partially premixed jet flames

The stability characteristics of partially premixed turbulent lifted methane flames have been investigated and discussed in the present work. Mixture fraction and reaction zone behavior have been measured using a combined 2-D technique of simultaneous Rayleigh scattering, Laser Induced Predissociation Fluorescence (LIPF) of OH and Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) of C₂H_x. The stability characteristics and simultaneous mixture fraction-LIPF-LIF measurements in three lifted flames with originally partially premixed jets at different mean equivalence ratio and Reynolds number are presented and discussed in this paper. Higher stability of partially premixed flames as compared to non-premixed flames has been observed. Lifted, attached, blow-out and blow-off regimes have been addressed and discussed in this work. The data show that the mixture fraction field on approaching the stabilization region is uniquely characterized by a certain level of mean and rms fluctuations. This suggests that the stabilization mechanism is likely to be controlled by premixed flame propagation at the stabilization region. Triple flame structure has been detected in the present flames, which is likely to be the appropriate model at the stabilization point.     

Transport budgets in turbulent lifted flames of methane autoigniting in a vitiated co-flow

Autoignition of hydrocarbon fuels is an outstanding research problem of significant practical relevance in engines and gas turbine applications. This paper presents a numerical study of the autoignition of methane, the simplest in the hydrocarbon family. The model burner used here produces a simple, yet representative lifted jet flame issuing in a vitiated surrounding. The calculations employ a composition probability density function (PDF) approach coupled to the commercial CFD package, FLUENT. The in situ adaptive tabulation (ISAT) method is used to implement detailed chemical kinetics. An analysis of species concentrations and transport budgets of convection, turbulent diffusion, and chemical reaction terms is performed with respect to selected species at the base of the lifted turbulent flames. This analysis provides a clearer understanding of the mechanism and the dominant species that control autoignition. Calculations are also performed for test cases that clearly distinguish autoignition from premixed flame propagation, as these are the two most plausible mechanisms for flame stabilization for the turbulent lifted flames under investigation. It is revealed that a radical pool of precursors containing minor species such as CH₃, CH₂O, C₂H₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, HO₂, and H₂O₂ builds up prior to autoignition. The transport budgets show a clear convective-reactive balance when autoignition occurs. This is in contrast to the reactive-diffusive balance that occurs in the reaction zone of premixed flames. The buildup of a pool of radical species and the convective-reactive balance of their transport budgets are deemed to be good indicators of the occurrence of autoignition.     

Direct numerical simulation of lean premixed CH4/air and H2/air flames at high Karlovitz numbers

Three-dimensional direct numerical simulation with detailed chemical kinetics of lean premixed CH₄/air and H₂/air flames at high Karlovitz numbers (Ka ∼ 1800) is carried out. It is found that the high intensity turbulence along with differential diffusion result in a much more rapid transport of H radicals from the reaction zone to the low temperature unburned mixtures (∼500 K) than that in laminar flamelets. The enhanced concentration of H radicals in the low temperature zone drastically increases the reaction rates of exothermic chain terminating reactions (e.g., H + O₂+M = HO₂ + M in lean H₂/air flames), which results in a significantly enhanced heat release rate at low temperatures. This effect is observed in both CH₄/air and H₂/air flames and locally, the heat release rate in the low temperature zone can exceed the peak heat release rate of a laminar flamelet. The effects of chemical kinetics and transport properties on the H₂/air flame are investigated, from which it is concluded that the enhanced heat release rate in the low temperature zone is a convection–diffusion-reaction phenomenon, and to obtain it, detailed chemistry is essential and detailed transport is important.     

Conversion of natural gas jet flame burners to hydrogen

In a study of conversion from CH₄ to H₂, jet flame characteristics of these gases and their blends are compared on a burner diameter scale of mm. Low velocity H₂ and CH₄ jets, burned on pipes of different diameters, indicate higher blow-off limits for H₂, but lower heat release rates, a consequence of its lower specific energy. Compensation for this might be obtained through increased H₂ flow velocity, or a small increase in pipe diameter. Blended CH₄/H₂ flames have lower heat release rates than CH₄ alone, yet small proportions of H_2, with CH₄ might still be burned, on a CH₄ burner. Throughout, fundamental understanding is enhanced through two dimensionless groups: laminar flame thickness normalised by burner diameter, δ_k/D, and the dimensionless flow number, U1. These suggest an optimal role for H₂ combustion, utilizing its high acoustic and blow-off velocities, in high intensity, subsonic, combustors, at low δ_k/D, and high U1.     

Spatially resolved heat release rate measurements in turbulent premixed flames

Heat release rate is a fundamental property of great importance for the theoretical and experimental elucidation of unsteady flame behaviors such as combustion noise, combustion instabilities, and pulsed combustion. Investigations of such thermoacoustic interactions require a reliable indicator of heat release rate capable of resolving spatial structures in turbulent flames. Traditionally, heat release rate has been estimated via OH or CH radical chemiluminescence; however, chemiluminescence suffers from being a line-of-sight technique with limited capability for resolving small-scale structures. In this paper, we report spatially resolved two-dimensional measurements of a quantity closely related to heat release rate. The diagnostic technique uses simultaneous OH and CH₂O planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), and the pixel-by-pixel product of the OH and CH₂O PLIF signals has previously been shown to correlate well with local heat release rates. Results from this diagnostic technique, which we refer to as heat release rate imaging (HR imaging), are compared with traditional OH chemiluminescence measurements in several flames. Studies were performed in lean premixed ethylene flames stabilized between opposed jets and with a bluff body. Correlations between bulk strain rates and local heat release rates were obtained and the effects of curvature on heat release rate were investigated. The results show that the heat release rate tends to increase with increasing negative curvature for the flames investigated for which Lewis numbers are greater than unity. This correlation becomes more pronounced as the flame gets closer to global extinction.     

Effect of hydrogen enrichment on flame broadening of turbulent premixed flames in thin reaction regime

An experimental study to identify the effect of hydrogen enrichment and differential diffusion on the flame broadening is conducted. Turbulent lean premixed flames in the Broadened Preheat–Thin Reaction (BP-TR) regime are obtained. The flames are stabilized on a Bunsen burner and CH₄/H₂/air mixtures are adopted with three hydrogen fractions of 0, 30% and 60%. The preheat zone and heat release zone are captured with the multi-species Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) of OH and CH₂O radicals. Flame thicknesses of the preheat and heat release layers are measured. Results show broadened preheat zone and thin heat release layers for the flames, as predicted by the BP-TR regime. The preheat zone thickness can be increased to about 3–6 times compared to the laminar preheat thickness. An apparently decreased preheat zone thickness with hydrogen addition is observed. The differential diffusion is anticipated to locally thicken the heat release zone along the flame front. The mean heat release thickness is nearly not affected by the turbulence or hydrogen addition.     

Different chemical effect of hydrogen addition on soot formation in laminar coflow methane and ethylene diffusion flames

Previous studies showed that adding hydrogen (H₂) can have an opposite chemical effect on soot formation: its chemical effect enhances and suppresses soot formation in methane (CH₄) and ethylene (C₂H₄) diffusion flames, respectively. Such opposite chemical effect of H₂ (CE-H₂) remains unresolved. The different CE-H₂ is studied numerically in the two laminar coflow diffusion flames. A detailed chemical mechanism with the addition of a chemically inert virtual species FH₂ is used to model the gas-phase combustion chemistry in this study. Particularly, a reaction pathway analysis was performed based on the numerical results to gain insights into how H₂ addition to fuel affects the pathways leading to the formation of benzene (A₁) in CH₄ and C₂H₄ flames. The numerical results show that the CE-H₂ in CH₄ diffusion flame to prompt soot formation is ascribed that the higher mole fraction of H atom promotes the formation of A₁ and Acetylene (C₂H₂) and leads to higher nucleation rate and eventually higher soot surface growth rate. In contrast, adding H₂ to C₂H₄ diffusion flames decreases soot nucleation and surface growth rate. The lower soot nucleation rate is due to the lower mole fractions of pyrene (A₄), while the lower soot surface growth rate is due to the lower mole fractions of H atom and C₂H₂, higher mole fraction of H₂ and lower soot nucleation rate. Furthermore, the CE-H₂ in C₂H₄ diffusion flames promotes the formation of A₁, but suppresses the formation of A₄.