湍流加速火焰的三维数值模拟

火焰在设有障碍物的管内传播时会自身加速，并可能导致爆炸。本文基于湍流κ-ε模型和改进的EBU—Arrhenius反应模型，对该现象进行了三维空间的数值模拟。计算结果反映了障碍物、湍流和火焰之间相互作用的正反馈机理，描绘了火焰在管内加速传播的三维图像。     

煤气火焰传播规律及其加速机理研究

研究了煤气/空气预混气在两端封闭管道中的火焰传播加速现象和管道中有无障碍物时火焰的加速机理,认为火焰加速是由于火焰前未燃气体被前驱压缩波加热和障碍物诱导的湍流区对燃烧过程的正反馈造成的。实验结果表明,障碍物存在时,最大爆炸压力可提高20%,与理论计算一致;火焰传播特性随煤气浓度的变化而改变;障碍物阻塞比对火焰的速度和压力都有一定影响。     

燃烧室中悬跨圆柱的火焰绕流

利用高速阴影照相系统,对方形管道内火焰流经悬吊圆柱时所产生的变化及其诱导的流场进行了实验研究,并利用高精度PPM格式对上述现象进行了数值模拟,其中,湍流采用大涡模拟(LES)方法,燃烧采用旋涡破碎(EBU)模型,圆柱边界采用沉浸边界法(IBM).实验结果与计算结果比较吻合,在一定程度上揭示了火焰阵面变形和加速的规律. 根据研究结果,对火焰与悬吊圆柱相互作用过程中火焰的三维形状、流场中涡量和湍流强度的分布、火焰与流场的相互影响以及火焰传播轨迹等进行了讨论.      

波纹管道阻火器内火焰传播的实验与数值模拟研究

对乙烯-空气预混火焰在波纹管道阻火器中的传播与淬熄过程进行了实验和数值模拟研究,实验结果显示:当乙烯接近当量浓度时,预混气体爆炸压力变化过程可分为4个阶段,等压燃烧阶段、缓慢上升阶段、快速上升阶段和压力振荡阶段;在爆炸过程中,由于反射压力波和火焰相互作用的影响,超压值出现多次振荡,压力振荡阶段一般可以持续数十毫秒;乙烯-空气火焰传播速度随管径增加、阻火单元波纹高度减小呈递增趋势,而且随着阻火单元厚度的增加,阻火器的阻火能力明显提高,可以更有效地使火焰淬熄。数值模拟结果显示:在管道封闭端点火后,火焰面呈半球形并以层流扩散的方式向四周传播;当火焰传播到管道壁面时,在管道壁面的约束作用下,火焰面发生变形,壁面附近的火焰逐渐超过了管道轴线附近的火焰,最后形成了“郁金香”状的火焰结构;当爆燃火焰经过阻火单元时,高温已燃气体被其吸收大量热量,同时在反应区产生的稀疏波作用下,气体温度逐渐降低、化学反应速率迅速减小,最终导致火焰被熄灭。通过模拟计算结果可以看出,在整个爆炸过程中,火焰传播速度与爆炸压力波动均较为明显。并提出了孔隙率和阻火单元厚度对火焰传播的影响机制。基于传热学理论模型,并结合实验数据,得出了爆燃火焰速度与爆炸压力之间的关系,为工业装置阻火器的设计和选型提供更为准确的参考依据。     

多孔障碍物对预混火焰传播的影响

以甲烷为代表性气体，研究了半封闭管道中设置多孔障碍物对可燃气体爆炸火焰传播的影响，基于大涡模拟对实验进行了重现，对比了实验与模拟中火焰传播过程的形状、位置及速度，分析了模拟结果中火焰穿过障碍物前后的流场和表面积变化，给出了衡量火焰褶皱程度的指标及算法。结果表明:大涡模拟结果与实验结果有较好的一致性；火焰在存在障碍物的管道内传播，经历层流快速膨胀、受阻回流、湍流快速发展和脉动减速4个阶段，各阶段火焰依次分别呈现加速、减速、二次加速、二次减速的波动变化；当可燃气体在开口与点火位置同端的管道内爆炸，火焰在接近障碍物时，受管道封闭端和障碍物约束显著，而出现脉动回流现象；火焰穿过多孔障碍物后，传播速度骤升至峰值，较未穿过障碍物前的最大速度可增加58.7%；障碍物是导致火焰面破碎以及面积褶皱率增大的直接原因，火焰褶皱率最大可达44.8%，比未穿过障碍物前的最大褶皱率增大39.27%。     

铝粉湍流火焰诱导激波现象的实验研究

粉尘湍流火焰诱导激波问题是工业灾害研究中的重要课题．本文在自行设计的大型卧式燃烧管内，对铝粉火焰诱导激波现象进行了实验研究，测试了湍流火焰阵面前压缩波到激波的转捩过程，并将实验结果与数值模拟结果进行了比较．     

微重力下密闭腔体内火焰传播过程的数值模拟

建立了微重力条件下火焰沿固体可燃物表面蔓延的数学模型．在考虑固相传热和热解过程的基础上，研究气相的燃烧动力学过程，并且给出了体现微重力燃烧两相耦合作用的相界面处理方法．首次用数值模拟的方法研究了密闭腔体内火焰传播的三维非稳态过程，对于微重力大小分别为１０－４ｇ和１０－２ｇ时的计算结果进行了分析对比．数值模拟的结果基本合理．     

障碍物对丙烷-空气爆炸火焰加速的影响

研究了障碍物阻塞率、障碍物间距、障碍物空间位置对丙烷-空气爆炸过程及火焰加速效应的影响。采用雷诺平均（RANS）方程和湍流火焰封闭燃烧模型计算非稳态燃烧过程,主要分析障碍物周围复杂流场特性以及湍流涡与火焰面作用的详细机理。结果表明:阻塞率在0.5~0.7时,障碍物间距对火焰加速效果的影响较大,其中障碍物间距为一倍管径时火焰加速效应最大;而障碍物的空间位置对火焰传播的影响更为显著,当障碍物位于管道单侧时,湍流涡强度最大,火焰褶皱最明显,火焰传播速度最快。     

柱形容器开口泄爆过程中的火焰传播特性

泄爆过程中流动与燃烧的相互作用机制是研究开口泄爆问题的关键。对柱形容器泄爆过程中压力与火焰发展传播过程的观测与分析表明,不同泄爆条件下压力与火焰的发展传播具有明显特点。泄爆诱导流动通过加速火焰传播、加剧火焰变形、增大火焰面积对容器内燃烧产生增强作用,泄爆流动大小主要由泄爆面积决定。小口中低压泄爆过程压力与火焰的发展过程与封闭燃烧中类似;小口高压以及大口泄爆过程中,火焰变形剧烈,传播速度明显上升,并导致压力的回升。     

障碍物对预混火焰特性影响的大涡数值模拟

障碍物在预混气体火焰传播过程中对其结构及传播特性造成较大影响,对火焰的加速和爆燃转爆轰过程(deflagration-to-detonation transition, DDT)起到直接的促进作用。通过障碍物条件下可视管道中甲烷/空气预混火焰传播实验,捕获其火焰微观结构变化。采用三维物理模型,采用壁面自适应局部涡黏模型(wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity, WALE)的大涡模拟(large eddy simulation, LES),并用火焰增厚化学反应模型(thickened flame model, TFM)对实验过程进行重现。分析开口管道中预混火焰翻越障碍物后的复杂流场变化,并分析层流向湍流转变过程的特点。揭示了在障碍物影响下预混火焰扰动失稳现象的直接原因,是由障碍物引发的3个气流涡团同时作用而形成Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定及Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定现象耦合作用所导致。     

Experimental investigation of flame/solid interactions in turbulent premixed combustion

An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the interaction between propagating turbulent premixed flames and solid obstacles. The experimental rig was configured specifically to allow detailed measurements with laser-based optical diagnostics. A wall-type solid obstacle was mounted inside a laboratory-scale combustion chamber with rectangular cross-section. The flame was initiated, by igniting a combustible mixture of methane in air at the center of the closed end of the combustion chamber. The flame front development was visualized by a high-speed (9000 frame/s) digital video camera and flame images were synchronized with ignition timing and chamber pressure data. The tests were carried out with lean, stoichiometric and rich mixtures of methane in air. The images were used to calculate highly resolved temporal and spatial data for the changes in flame shape, speed, and the length of the flame front. The results are discussed in terms of the influence of mixture equivalence ratio on the flame structure and resulting overpressure. The reported data revealed significant changes in flame structure as a result of the interaction between the propagating flame front and the transient recirculating flow formed behind the solid obstacle. Combustion images show that the flame accelerates and decelerates as it impinges on the obstacle wall boundaries. It is also found that the mixture concentrations have a significant influence on the nature of the flame/solid interactions and the resulting overpressure. The highest flame speed of 40 m/s was obtained with the unity fuel–air equivalence ratio. Burning of trapped mixture behind the solid obstruction was found to be highly correlated with the flame front length and the rate of pressure rise.     

Flame Surface Density in Turbulent Premixed V-Flame with Buoyancy

A fractional step numerical model is established for turbulent premixed combustion with buoyancy. The flame front propagation is described by the level-set method. Simulated results without buoyancy have been previously validated with available experimental data on a premixed V-flame. A new formula is presented to fit the flame surface density with respect to the reaction progress variable in a turbulent premixed V-flame. By numerical simulations, dynamical behaviour of the flame under the interaction of turbulence, exothermicity and buoyancy are investigated.     

Large Eddy Simulation and PIV Measurements of Unsteady Premixed Flames Accelerated by Obstacles

In gas explosions, the unsteady coupling of the propagating flame and the flow field induced by the presence of blockages along the flame path produces vortices of different scales ahead of the flame front. The resulting flame–vortex interaction intensifies the rate of flame propagation and the pressure rise. In this paper, a joint numerical and experimental study of unsteady premixed flame propagation around three sequential obstacles in a small-scale vented explosion chamber is presented. The modeling work is carried out utilizing large eddy simulation (LES). In the experimental work, previous results (Patel et al., Proc Combust Inst 29:1849–1854, 2002) are extended to include simultaneous flame and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the flow field within the wake of each obstacle. Comparisons between LES predictions and experimental data show a satisfactory agreement in terms of shape of the propagating flame, flame arrival times, spatial profile of the flame speed, pressure time history, and velocity vector fields. Computations through the validated model are also performed to evaluate the effects of both large-scale and sub-grid scale (SGS) vortices on the flame propagation. The results obtained demonstrate that the large vortical structures dictate the evolution of the flame in qualitative terms (shape and structure of the flame, succession of the combustion regimes along the path, acceleration-deceleration step around each obstacle, and pressure time trend). Conversely, the SGS vortices do not affect the qualitative trends. However, it is essential to model their effects on the combustion rate to achieve quantitative predictions for the flame speed and the pressure peak.     

Microgravity experiments and numerical studies on ethanol/air spray flames

Spray flames are known to exhibit amazing features in comparison with single-phase flames. The weightless situation offers the conditions in which the spray characteristics can be well controlled before and during combustion. The article reports on a joint experimental/numerical work that concerns ethanol/air spray flames observed in a spherical chamber using the condensation technique of expansion cooling (based on the Wilson cloud chamber principle), under microgravity.We describe the experimental set-up and give details on the creation of a homogeneous and nearly monosized aerosol. Different optical diagnostics are employed successfully to measure the relevant parameters of two-phase combustion. A classical shadowgraphy system is used to track the flame speed propagation and allow us to observe the flame front instability. The complete characterization of the aerosol is performed with a laser diffraction particle size analyser by measuring the droplet diameter and the droplet density number, just before ignition. A laser tomography device allows us to measure the temporal evolution of the droplet displacement during flame propagation, as well as to identify the presence of droplets in the burnt gases. The numerical modelling is briefly recalled. In particular, spray-flame propagation is schematized by the combustion spread in a 2-D lattice of fuel droplets surrounded by an initial gaseous mixture of fuel vapour and air.In its spherical expansion, the spray flame presents a corrugated front pattern, while the equivalent single-phase flame does not. From a numerical point of view, the same phenomena of wrinkles are also observed in the simulations. The front pattern pointed out by the numerical approach is identified as of Darrieus–Landau (DL) type. The droplets are found to trigger the instability. Then, we quantitatively compare experimental data with numerical predictions on spray-flame speed. The experimental results show that the spray-flame speed is of the same order of magnitude as that of the single-phase premixed flame. On the other hand, the numerical results exhibit the role played by the droplet radius in spray-flame propagation, and retrieve the experiments only when the droplets are small enough and when the Darrieus–Landau instability is triggered. A final discussion is developed to interpret the various patterns experimentally observed for the spray-flame front.     

煤粉尘爆炸过程中火焰的传播特性

为了揭示煤粉尘爆炸过程中火焰传播特征,采用2种不同质量分数挥发分的煤粉在半封闭竖直燃烧管中进行实验。分别使用高速摄影装置和红外热成像装置记录火焰传播过程和空间的温度分布情况,并分析2种煤粉尘云的火焰传播速度和温度曲线。结果表明:在同等条件下,火焰在挥发分质量分数高的煤粉尘云中的传播速度和火焰温度要高于其在挥发分质量分数较低的煤粉尘云中的。煤粉尘云的体积质量和点火能量也影响着火焰的传播过程,随着煤粉尘云体积质量的增大,火焰的传播速度和火焰温度整体上呈现先增大后减小的趋势,在传播的后半段火焰速度出现震荡现象;随着点火能量的增大,火焰在煤粉尘云中的传播速度和最高温度也相应升高。通过大量的实验数据计算得到特定条件下火焰传播速度和温度的经验公式。     

Study of a Filtered Flamelet Formulation for Large Eddy Simulation of Premixed Turbulent Flames

Despite significant advances in the understanding and modelling of turbulent combustion, no general model has been proposed for simulating flames in industrial combustion devices. Recently, the increase in computational possibilities has raised the hope of directly solving the large turbulent scales using large eddy simulation (LES) and capturing the important time-dependant phenomena. However, the chemical reactions involved in combustion occur at very small scales and the modelling of turbulent combustion processes is still required within the LES framework. In the present paper, a recently presented model for the LES of turbulent premixed flames is presented, analysed and discussed. The flamelet hypothesis is used to derive a filtered source term for the filtered progress variable equation. The model ensures proper flame propagation. The effect of subgrid scale (SGS) turbulence on the flame is modelled through the flame-wrinkling factor. The present modelling of the source term is successfully tested against filtered direct numerical simulation (DNS) data of a V-shape flame. Further, a premixed turbulent flame, stabilised behind an expansion, is simulated. The predictions agree well with the available experimental data, showing the capabilities of the model for performing accurate simulations of unsteady premixed flames.