Calculating Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) for Gas Mixture

[rppearso]

Can the lower explosive limit (LEL) be calculated for a gas composition if you have each components LEL but not the mixtures LEL? Or does this need to be determined experementially?

 

[brewnog]

Good bloody question.

I don't know.

Easy answer would be to determine experimentally. I would imagine the difficult answer involves looking at the part pressures of each individual component gas in the mixture to give you an air/fuel ratio for each component, and assuming that the component with the lowest LEL will ignite the rest (though reaction kinetics being complicated as they are, I doubt this would be correct!).

I don't know. Perhaps asking a mod nicely to move this to the chemistry house would be more useful?

 

[chemisttree]

Section 2.3 of http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-13933Rev1.pdf" and references therein.