Effect of hydrogen blending on the high temperature auto-ignition of ammonia at elevated pressure

To understand the effect of hydrogen addition on the auto-ignition of ammonia at high temperatures, ignition delay times of stoichiometric ammonia/hydrogen blends were measured in a shock tube at temperatures from 1020 to 1945 K, pressures of 1.2 and 10 atm, and hydrogen fractions from 0% to 70%. The measured ignition delay times were compared with seven available kinetic models. Chemical kinetic analyses were performed using both the Glarborg Model and Otomo Model to interpret the interactions between ammonia and hydrogen during the high temperature auto-ignition. Experimental results show that ammonia ignites slower than hydrogen, and hydrogen addition can reduce the ignition delay time nonlinearly. The numerical analysis identifies that 5% hydrogen addition does not significantly affect the reaction flux of ammonia at 20% fuel consumption, however, it makes the fuel H-atom abstraction reaction NH3 + H <=> NH2 + H2 proceed in the reversed way at the initial stage of ignition, therefore generate active H radical for further chain branching and promote the reactivity.