Numerical modeling of catalytic ignition

Catalytic ignition of CH4, CO, and H2 oxidation on platinum and palladium at atmospheric pressure is studied numerically. Two simple configurations are simulated: the stagnation flow field over a catalytically active foil and a chemical reactor with a catalytically active wire inside. The simulation includes detailed reaction mechanisms for the gas phase and for the surface. The gas-phase transport and its coupling to the surface is described using a simplified multicomponent model. The catalyst is characterized by its temperature and its coverage by adsorbed species. The dependence of the ignition temperature on the fuel/oxygen ratio is calculated and compared with experimental results. The ignition temperature of CH4 oxidation decreases with increasing CH4/O2 ratio, whereas the ignition temperature for the oxidation of H2 and CO increases with increasing fuel/oxygen ratio. The kinetic data for adsorption and desorption are found to be critical for the ignition process. They determine the dependence of the ignition temperature on the fuel/oxygen ratio. A sensitivity analysis leads to the rate-determining steps of the surface reaction mechanism. The bistable ignition behavior observed experimentally for lean H2/O2 mixtures on palladium is reproduced numerically. The abrupt transition from a kinetically controlled system before ignition to one controlled by mass transport after ignition is described by the time-dependent codes applied.