Ignition investigation of methane–air mixtures by multiple capacitor discharges

Multiple capacitor discharges with controlled parameters have been carried out. Methane–air mixtures of various compositions have been examined. Ignition tests were undertaken under conditions of continuous flow of the mixture. The charge transferred in a single discharge pulse and the voltage before each pulse were recorded. Based on the values as above, the energy has been estimated. The measurements of discharge courses and incendivity testing were carried out under different conditions, such as: time intervals between the successive pulses, methane concentration, capacity of the discharged capacitor and resistance of the decoupling resistor.