Hydrogen-assisted catalytic ignition characteristics of methane (CH4), n-butane (n-C4H10) and dimethyl ether (DME) were studied experimentally in a Pt-coated monolith catalytic reactor. It is concluded that DME has the lowest catalytic ignition temperature and the least required H-2 flow, while CH4 has the highest catalytic ignition temperature and the highest required H-2 flow among the three fuels. (C) 2010 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.