Hydrogen-Enriched and Plasma-Assisted Flames for Lean Blow-Out Control in a Swirl-Stabilized Burner
Maria Grazia DE GIORGI, Pasquale DI GLORIA, Sara BONUSO, Ekin Can KARASU
Abstract. Hydrogen enrichment increases the reactivity of methane flames but can reduce stability under lean conditions, limiting operability. This work investigates the enhancement of lean blowout (LBO) limits in methane-hydrogen blends through plasma-assisted combustion in a swirl-stabilized combustor at fixed thermal power. Experiments were performed with fuel mixtures containing 0%, 30%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% H₂ by volume. While higher hydrogen content enhances flame reactivity, it also progressively reduces stability under lean operation. The application of non-thermal plasma was found to significantly extend the LBO limits across all tested blends by ΔϕLBO ≈ 0.04, effectively stabilizing hydrogen-enriched flames. These results highlight the potential of plasma-assisted combustion to improve flame operability and enable low-emission performance in lean hydrogen-containing fuel mixtures.
Keywords
Hydrogen Enrichment, Plasma-Assisted Combustion, Lean Blowout, Flame Stability, Methane-Hydrogen Flames
Published online 7/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Maria Grazia DE GIORGI, Pasquale DI GLORIA, Sara BONUSO, Ekin Can KARASU, Hydrogen-Enriched and Plasma-Assisted Flames for Lean Blow-Out Control in a Swirl-Stabilized Burner, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 695-700, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-123
The article was published as article 123 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] Amin M, Shah HH, Iqbal MA. Barriers to sustainable hydrogen production through renewable energy processes and their environmental impacts. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 72 (2024) 104075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2024.104075
[2] Pan H, Geng S, Yang H, Zhang G, Bian H, Liu Y. Influence of H2 blending on NOx production in natural gas combustion: Mechanism comparison and reaction routes. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 48 (2023) 784–797, ISSN 0360-3199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.09.251
[3] Liu Y, Zhang Y, Liu X, Liu Z, and Che D, Experimental and numerical investigation on premixed H2/air combustion, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2016;41(24): 10496-10506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.01.049
[4] Marragou S, Magnes H, Poinsot T, Selle L, Schuller T. Stabilization regimes and pollutant emissions from a dual fuel CH4/H2 and dual swirl low NOx burner. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2022; 47:19275–19288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.04.033
[5] Patel V, Shah R. Effect of hydrogen enrichment on combustion characteristics of methane swirling and non-swirling inverse diffusion flame. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2019; 44, 28316-28329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.09.076
[6] Kwak S, Choi J, Ahn M, Yoon Y. Effects of hydrogen addition on the forced response of H2/CH4 flames in a dual-nozzle swirl-stabilized combustor. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2022;47, 28139-28151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.06.117
[7] Li D, Wang R, Yang G, Wan J. Effect of hydrogen addition on the structure and stabilization of a micro-jet methane diffusion flame. International journal of Hydrogen Energy 2021; 46:5790-5798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.11.034
[8] An Q. et al., Flame stabilization mechanisms and shape transitions in a 3D printed, hydrogen enriched, methane/air low-swirl burner, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2021;46:14764-14779, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.01.112
[9] Guo S, Wang J, Zhang W, Zhang M, Huang Z. Effect of hydrogen enrichment on swirl/bluff-body lean premixed flame stabilization International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2020;45:10906-10919, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.02.020
[10] Starikovskiy, A., & Aleksandrov, N. (2013). Plasma-assisted ignition and combustion. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 39(1), 61–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecs.2012.05.003
[11] Mehdi, G., Fontanarosa, D., Bonuso, S., De Giorgi, M.G. Ignition thresholds and flame propagation of methane–air mixture: detailed kinetic study coupled with electrical measurements of the nanosecond repetitively pulsed plasma discharges. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 55, 315202 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ac6f2c
[12] Mehdi, G., De Giorgi, M.G., Bonuso, S., Shah, Z.A., Cinieri, G., Ficarella, A. Comparative analysis of flame propagation and flammability limits of CH₄/H₂/air mixtures with or without nanosecond plasma discharges. Aerospace 10, 224 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10030224
[13] De Giorgi, M. G., Di Gloria, P., & Ficarella, Advanced multiscale modal and frequency analysis of swirling spray flame near to lean blowout. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, (2024) 60, 104651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2024.104651
[14] Kasabov P, Zarzalis N, Habisreuther P. Experimental Study on Lifted Flames Operated with Liquid Kerosene at Elevated Pressure and Stabilized by Outer Recirculation, Flow Turbulence and Combustion 2013; 90(3):605-619, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10494-013-9444-1
