An experimental study of partially premixed flame sound

The occurrence of oscillating combustion and combustion instability has led to resurgence of interest in the causes, mechanisms, suppression, and control of combustion noise. Noise generated by enclosed flames is of greater practical interest but is more complicated than that by open flames, which itself is not clearly understood. Studies have shown that different modes of combustion, premixed and non-premixed, differ in their sound generation characteristics. However, there is lack of understanding of the region bridging these two combustion modes. This study investigates sound generation by partially premixed flames. Starting from a non-premixed flame, air was gradually added to achieve partial premixing while maintaining the fuel flow rate constant. Methane, ethylene, and ethane partially premixed flames were studied with hydrogen added for flame stabilization. The sound pressure generated by methane partially premixed flames scales with M⁵ compared to M³ for turbulent non-premixed methane flames. Also, the sound pressure generated by partially premixed flames of ethane and ethylene scales as M^4.5. With progressive partial premixing, spectra level increases at all frequencies with a greater increase in the high-frequency region compared to the low-frequency region; flames develop a peak and later a constant level plateau in the low frequency region. The partially premixed flames of methane, ethylene, and ethane generate a similar SPL as a function of equivalence ratio when the fuel volume flow rate is matched. However, when fuel mass flow rate is matched, the ethane and ethylene flames produce a similar SPL, which is lower than that produced by the methane flame.     

Flame structure and stabilization of lean-premixed sprays in a counterflow with low-volatility fuel

An experimental study was performed on the combustion of lean-premixed spays in a counterflow. n-Decane was used as a liquid fuel with low volatility. The flame structure and stabilization were discussed based on the flame-spread mechanism of a droplet array with a low-volatility fuel. The spray flame consisted of a blue region and a yellow luminous region. The flame spread among droplets and group-flame formation through the droplet interaction were observed on the premixed spray side, while envelope flames were also observed on the opposing airflow side. The blue-flame region consisted of premixed flames propagating in the mixture layer around each droplet, the envelope diffusion flames around each droplet, the lower parts of the group diffusion flame surrounding each droplet cluster, and the envelope flame around droplets passing through the group flame. The flame was stabilized within a specific range of the mean droplet diameter via a balance between the droplet velocity and the flame-spread rate of the premixed spray.     

Reaction zone structures and mixing characteristics of partially premixed swirling CH4/air flames in a gas turbine model combustor

The mixing, reaction progress, and flame front structures of partially premixed flames have been investigated in a gas turbine model combustor using different laser techniques comprising laser Doppler velocimetry for the characterization of the flow field, Raman scattering for simultaneous multi-species and temperature measurements, and planar laser-induced fluorescence of CH for the visualization of the reaction zones. Swirling CH₄/air flames with Re numbers between 7500 and 60,000 have been studied to identify the influence of the turbulent flow field on the thermochemical state of the flames and the structures of the CH layers. Turbulence intensities and length scales, as well as the classification of these flames in regime diagrams of turbulent combustion, are addressed. The results indicate that the flames exhibit more characteristics of a diffusion flame (with connected flame zones) than of a uniformly premixed flame.     

壁面反应对微小通道内燃烧影响的数值模拟

对微小通道内氢气／空气预混火焰进行了数值模拟。通过对比考虑壁面反应和不考虑壁面反应的微通道内燃烧特性的差异,考察了壁面反应对微通道内燃烧状况的影响,揭示了壁面附近自由基行为和壁面反应、气相反应的相互关系,并探讨了不同尺度下壁面反应效应的程度。结果表明,壁面反应改变了微火焰结构,近壁面附近的自由基被吸附,在径向上出现了明...     

Three-dimensional direct simulations and structure of expanding turbulent methane flames

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are ideally suited to investigate in detail turbulent reacting flows in simple geometries. For an increasing number of applications, detailed models must be employed to describe the chemical processes with sufficient accuracy. Despite the huge cost of such simulations, recent progress has allowed the direct numerical simulation of turbulent premixed flames while employing complete reaction schemes. We briefly describe our own developments in this field and use the resulting DNS code to investigate more extensively the structure of premixed methane flames expanding in a three-dimensional turbulent velocity field, initially homogeneous and isotropic. This situation typifies, for example, the initial flame development after spark ignition in a gas turbine or an internal combustion engine. First investigation steps have been carried out at low turbulence levels on this same configuration in the past Symposium, and we build on top of these former results. Here, a considerably higher Reynolds number is considered, the simulation has been repeated twice in to limit the possibility of spurious, very specific results, and several complementary post-processing steps are carried out. Characteristic features concerning the observed combustion regime are presented. We then investigate in a quantitative manner the evolution of flame surface area, global stretch-rate, flame front curvature, flame thickness, and correlation between thickness and curvature. The possibility of obtaining reliable information on flame front curvature from two-dimensional slices is checked by comparison with the exact procedure.     

Experimental measurements of geometric properties of turbulent stratified flames

Combustion under stratified conditions is common in many systems. However, relatively little is known about the structure and dynamics of turbulent stratified flames. Two-dimensional imaging diagnostics are applied to premixed and stratified V-flames at a mean equivalence ratio of 0.77, and low turbulent intensity, within the corrugated flame range. The present results show that stratification affects the mean turbulent flame speed, structure and geometric properties. Stratification increases the flame surface density above the premixed flame levels in all cases, with a maximum reached at intermediate levels of stratification. The flame surface density (FSD) of stratified flames is higher than that of premixed flames at the same mean equivalence ratio. Under the present conditions, the FSD peaks at a stratification ratio around 3.0. The FSD curves for stratified flames are further skewed towards the product side. The distribution of flame curvature in stratified flames is broader and more symmetric relative to premixed flames, indicating an additional mechanism of curvature generation, which is not necessarily due to cusping. These experiments indicate that flame stratification affects the intrinsic behaviour of turbulent flames and suggest that models may need to be revised in the light of the current evidence.     

Combustion-formed nanoparticles

The processes by which carbonaceous nanoparticles are produced from combustion of liquid and gaseous fuels are reviewed. The focus of the paper is on the formation and properties of nanoparticles in laboratory laminar, premixed and diffusion flames and on the most popular methods of sampling and detection of these particles. Particle chemical nature is analyzed from data obtained by several measurement techniques. Measurements characterizing nanoparticles in the exhausts of practical combustion systems such as engines and commercial burners are also reported. Two classes of carbonaceous material are mainly formed in combustion: nanoparticles with sizes in the range 1-5 nm, and soot particles, with sizes from 10 to 100 nm. Nanoparticles show unique chemical composition and morphology; they maintain molecular characteristics in terms of chemical reactivity, but at the same time exhibit transport and surface related phenomena typical of particles. The emission of these particles contributes to atmospheric pollution and constitutes a serious health concern. A simplified modeling analysis is used to show how the growth of aromatics and the chemical nature of the particles depend on temperature and radical concentration distributions encountered in flames.     

The impact of dilatation,scrambling, and pressure transport in turbulent premixed flames

Premixed turbulent flames feature strong interactions between chemical reactions and turbulence that affect scalar and turbulence statistics. The focus of the present work is on clarifying the impact of pressure dilatation/flamelet scrambling effects with a comprehensive second-moment closure used for evaluation purposes. Model extensions that take into account flamelet orientation and molecular diffusion are derived. Isothermal pressure transport is included with an additional variable density contribution derived for the flamelet regime of combustion. Full closure is assessed by comparisons with Direct Numerical Simulations (DNSs) of statistically ‘steady’ fully developed premixed turbulent planar flames at different expansion ratios. Subsequently, the prediction of lean premixed turbulent methane–air flames featuring fractal grid generated turbulence in an opposed jet geometry is considered. The overall agreement shows that ‘dilatation’ effects contribute to counter-gradient transport and can also increase the turbulent kinetic energy significantly. Levels of anisotropy are broadly consistent with the DNS data and key aspects of opposed jet flames are well predicted. However, it is also shown that complications arise due to interactions between the imposed pressure gradient and combustion and that redistribution is affected along with the scalar flux at the leading edge. The latter is strongly affected by the reaction rate closure and, potentially, by pressure transport. Overall, the derived models offer significant improvements and can readily be applied to the modelling of premixed turbulent flames at practical rates of heat release.     

湍流分层燃烧的直接数值模拟和小火焰模型研究

湍流分层燃烧广泛应用于工业燃烧装置,但是目前还比较缺乏适用于湍流分层燃烧的高精度数值模型。本文利用直接数值模拟数据库,对高Karlovitz数分层射流火焰的小火焰模型表现进行了先验性评估。考虑了两种小火焰模型,一种是基于自由传播层流预混火焰的小火焰模型M1,另一种是基于分层对冲小火焰的小火焰模型M2。研究发现M1和M2在c-Z空间的结果与直接数值模拟在定性上是一致的。在物理空间,M2对过程变量反应速率脉动值的预测结果要优于M1.     

大加速度场中熄火试验的研究

处于由离心力和科里奥利力构成的大加速度场中的燃烧过程，其熄火极限会发生较大的变化。作者通过对液化石油气和空气的预混火焰和扩散火焰在不同的空燃比（ＡＦＲ）下，在气流喷射方向与燃烧器旋转切线方向垂直、相同或相反三种情形时分别作了试验，得出了离心力和科里奥利力对预混和扩散火焰的熄火的影响规律．     

Inhibition of hydrogen–oxygen flames by iron pentacarbonyl at atmospheric pressure

The chemistry of inhibition of laminar premixed hydrogen–oxygen flames by iron pentacarbonyl at atmospheric pressure was studied experimentally and by numerical simulation. Flame speed and chemical structure were analyzed. Flame burning velocities and inhibition effectiveness were measured and simulated for various equivalence ratios. The concentration profiles of a number of Fe-containing products of Fe(CO)₅ combustion, including Fe, FeO₂, FeOH, and Fe(OH)₂, were first measured using probing molecular beam mass spectrometry in an atmospheric-pressure H₂/O₂/N₂ flame. A comparison of the experimental and modeling results shows that they are in satisfactory agreement with each other, indicating that the reaction mechanism proposed previously for flame inhibition by iron pentacarbonyl is adequate for predicting the chemical structure of flames. The key recombination stages of active species catalyzed by Fe-containing species for flames of various stoichiometries can be determined by calculations of the production rates of H and O atoms and OH radicals as well as by analysis of the kinetic model.     

Behaviour of a confined fire located in an unventilated zone

The behaviour of a fire in an enclosure is studied for a configuration where the fuel source is located in the upper hot unventilated zone trapped by a soffit. The experimental study, undertaken in a laboratory-scale compartment with a fuel source above the level of a soffit, included the determination of the parameters (ventilation factor, rate of fuel supply) controlling the combustion or leading to extinction. Measurements (PIV, thermocouples, gas sampling and analysis) were performed to propose a hypothesis on the structure of the flame (flame stabilisation mechanisms, premixed or diffusion types). Video photography is used to determine the area covered by the flames. This information is used as a criterion to identify the combustion regimes. The results show that the gaseous fuel is diluted in the combustion products (CP) in the upper layer and that a recirculatory motion is formed, driven by buoyancy forces, which enhances the mixing of fuel and CP. These then travel horizontally towards the vent along the interface between the lower fresh air and upper zones, and are premixed with the convected air in the enclosure, before entering the reaction zone and being burnt. The flame stabilises at the interface between the upper hot and lower ventilated layers in the compartment. The observed “ghosting flame” is stabilised by a triple flame if the flame speed of the premixed flame is higher than the natural convection velocity induced in the compartment. The flame stability is quantified by a criterion based on the area of the horizontal flame. It has been observed that the combustion is controlled by the available mass fuel flux at the reaction zone if the ventilation is sufficient. This information is essential for the modelling of the phenomena involved in fires with such an underventilated fuel source.     

Partially premixed flamelet in LES of acetone spray flames

An effective partially premixed flamelet model for large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent spray combustion is formulated. Different flame regimes are identified with a flame index defined by budget terms in a 2-D multi-phase flamelet formulation, and the application in LES of partially pre-vaporized spray flames shows a favorable agreement with experiments. Simulations demonstrate that, compared to the conventional single-regime flamelets, the present partially premixed flamelet formulation shows its ability in capturing the subgrid regime transitions, yielding a well prediction of peak gas temperature and the downstream flame spreading. A propagating premixed flame front is found coupled with a trailing diffusion burning through the spray evaporation, and the spray effect on regime discrimination is manifested with transport budget analysis. A two-phase regime indicator is then proposed, by which the evaporation-dictated regime is properly described. Its intended use will rely on both gas and spray flamelet structures.     

Controlled detonation initiation in hypersonic flow

Experimental evidence of controlled detonation initiation and propagation in a hypersonic flow of premixed hydrogen-air is presented. This controlled detonation initiation is created in a hypersonic facility capable of producing a Mach 5 flow of hydrogen-air. Flow diagnostics such as high-speed schlieren and OH* chemiluminescence results show that a flame deflagration-to-detonation transition occurs as a combined result of turbulent flame acceleration and shock-focusing. The experimental results define three new distinct regimes in a Mach 5 premixed flow: deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT), unsteady compressible turbulent flames, and shock-induced combustion. A two-dimensional implicit-LES (ILES) simulation, which solves the compressible, reactive Navier-Stokes equations on an adapting grid is conducted to provide additional insight into the local physical mechanism of detonation transition and propagation.     

A conservative,thermodynamically consistent numerical approach for low Mach number combustion. Part I: Single-level integration

We present a numerical approach for low Mach number combustion that conserves both mass and energy while remaining on the equation of state to a desired tolerance. We present both unconfined and confined cases, where in the latter the ambient pressure changes over time. Our overall scheme is a projection method for the velocity coupled to a multi-implicit spectral deferred corrections (SDC) approach to integrate the mass and energy equations. The iterative nature of SDC methods allows us to incorporate a series of pressure discrepancy corrections naturally that lead to additional mass and energy influx/outflux in each finite volume cell in order to satisfy the equation of state. The method is second order, and satisfies the equation of state to a desired tolerance with increasing iterations. Motivated by experimental results, we test our algorithm on hydrogen flames with detailed kinetics. We examine the morphology of thermodiffusively unstable cylindrical premixed flames in high-pressure environments for confined and unconfined cases. We also demonstrate that our algorithm maintains the equation of state for premixed methane flames and non-premixed dimethyl ether jet flames.     

Experimental and numerical study of premixed, lean ethylene flames

Ethylene is a key intermediate in the combustion mechanisms of most practical fuels. It plays also an important role in the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons and soot particules. The latter has motivated many experimental and numerical studies carried out on rich ethylene-air mixtures. Less studies have been devoted to lean mixtures, and the development of strategies based on lean, premixed flames to reduce soot and NO_x production requires additional experimental data in lean conditions. In this work, the chemical structure of lean premixed ethylene-oxygen-nitrogen flames stabilized on a flat-flame burner at atmospheric pressure was determined experimentally. The species mole fraction profiles were also computed by the Premix code (Chemkin II version) and four detailed reaction mechanisms. A very good agreement was observed for the main flame properties: reactants consumption, final products (CO₂, H₂O) and the main intermediates: CO and H₂. Marked differences occurred in the prediction of active intermediate species present in small concentrations. Pathways analyses were performed to identify the origins of these discrepancies. It was shown that the same reactions were involved in the four mechanisms to describe the consumption of ethylene, but with marked differences in their relative importance. C₂H₃ and CH₂HCO are the main radicals formed in this first step and their consumption increases the differences between the mechanisms either by the use of different kinetic data for common reactions or by differences in the nature of the consumption reactions.     

An algorithm for LES of premixed compressible flows using the Conditional Moment Closure model

A novel numerical method has been developed to couple a recent high order accurate fully compressible upwind method with the Conditional Moment Closure combustion model. The governing equations, turbulence modelling and numerical methods are presented in full. The new numerical method is validated against direct numerical simulation (DNS) data for a lean premixed methane slot burner. Although the modelling approaches are based on non-premixed flames and hence not expected to be valid for a wide range of premixed flames, the predicted flame is just 10% longer than that in the DNS and excellent agreement of mean mass fractions, conditional mass fractions and temperature is demonstrated. This new numerical method provides a very useful framework for future application of CMC to premixed as well as non-premixed combustion.     

Minimum ignition energy and propagation dynamics of laminar premixed cool flames

Laminar premixed cool flames, induced by the coupling of low-temperature chemistry and convective-diffusive transport process, have recently attracted extensive interest in combustion and engine research. In this work, numerical simulations have been conducted using a recently developed open-source reacting flow platform reactingFOAM-SCT, to investigate the minimum ignition energy (MIE) and propagation dynamics of premixed cool flames in a 1D spherical coordinate. Results have shown that when ignition energy is below the MIE of regular hot flames, a class of cool flames could be initiated, which allow much wider flammability limits, both lean and rich, compared to hot flames. Furthermore, the overall cool flame propagation dynamics exhibit intrinsic similarity to those of hot flames, in that, they begin with an ignition kernel propagation regime, followed by two transition regimes, and eventually reach a normal flame propagation regime. However, a spherical expanding cool flame responds completely differently to stretch. Specifically, a regular outwardly propagating hot spherical flame accelerates with increasing stretch rate when the mixture Le < 1 and decelerates when Le > 1. However, it is found that a cool flame always tends to decelerate with increasing stretch rate regardless of mixture composition, exhibiting unique flame aerodynamic characteristic. This research discovers novel features of premixed cool flame initiation and propagation dynamics and sheds light on flame transition, spark-ignition system design, and advanced engine combustion control.