Large Eddy Simulations of a piloted lean premix jet flame using finite-rate chemistry

A Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model capable of accurately representing finite-rate chemistry effects in turbulent premixed combustion is presented. The LES computations use finite-rate chemistry and implicit LES combustion modelling to simulate an experimentally well-documented lean-premixed jet flame stabilized by a stoichiometric pilot. The validity of the implicit LES assumption is discussed and criteria are expressed in terms of subgrid scale Damköhler and Karlovitz numbers. Simulation results are compared to experimental data for velocity, temperature and species mass fractions of CH₄, CO and OH. The simulation results highlight the validity and capability of the present approach for the flame and in general the combustion regime examined. A sensitivity analysis to the choice of the finite-rate chemistry mechanism is reported, this analysis indicates that the one and two-step global reaction mechanisms evaluated fail to capture the reaction layer with sufficient accuracy, while a 20-species skeletal mechanism reproduces the experimental observations accurately including the key finite-rate chemistry indicators CO and OH. The LES results are shown to be grid insensitive and that the grid resolution within the bounds examined is far less important compared to the sensitivity of the finite-rate chemistry representation. The results are analyzed in terms of the flame dynamics and it is shown that intense small scale mixing (high Karlovitz number) between the pilot and the jet is an important mechanism for the stabilization of the flame.     

Experimental analysis of local flame extinction in a turbulent jet diffusion flame by high repetition 2-D laser techniques and multi-scalar measurements

In this paper, we present a detailed experimental study of turbulence chemistry interactions in the “DLR_B” turbulent jet diffusion flame. The flame operates on mixtures of CH₄, H₂, and N₂ in the fuel stream at Re = 22,800 and is a target flame within the TNF workshop. Extinction and re-ignition events can be tracked in real time and related to the underlying flow field phenomena and temperature fields. Time resolved measurements of OH radical concentration fields are performed in combination with temperature and velocity field measurements. For this purpose, we combined high repetition rate (33 kHz) PLIF imaging with stereoscopic PIV and double pulse Rayleigh imaging techniques. Comparisons are made with results from multi-scalar Raman/Rayleigh/LIF point measurements that reveal the thermochemical state of the flame. The large deviations from equilibrium observed on resulting OH/temperature joint pdfs could be related to strain rate and Damköhler number variations caused by turbulent flow structures leading to frequent extinctions. The 2D measurement series uniquely reveal the underlying mechanism that can lead to such events. Finally, comparisons are made to strained laminar flame calculations, which are generally found to be in good agreement with the measured data.     

Large eddy simulation of a turbulent nonpremixed piloted methane jet flame (Sandia Flame D)

Large eddy simulation (LES) is conducted of the Sandia Flame D [Proc. Combust. Inst. 27 (1998) 1087, Sandia National Laboratories (2004)], which is a turbulent piloted nonpremixed methane jet flame. The subgrid scale (SGS) closure is based on the scalar filtered mass density function (SFMDF) methodology [J. Fluid Mech. 401 (1999) 85]. The SFMDF is basically the mass weighted probability density function (PDF) of the SGS scalar quantities [Turbulent Flows (2000)]. For this flame (which exhibits little local extinction), a simple flamelet model is used to relate the instantaneous composition to the mixture fraction. The modelled SFMDF transport equation is solved by a hybrid finite-difference/Monte Carlo scheme. This is the first LES of a realistic turbulent flame using the transported PDF method as the SGS closure. The results via this method capture important features of the flame as observed experimentally.     

Raman-Rayleigh-LIF measurements of temperature and species concentrations in the Delft piloted turbulent jet diffusion flame

We report a series of Raman-Rayleigh-LIF measurements in two turbulent natural-gas jet diffusion flames produced by the Delft piloted jet diffusion flame burner. The main objective of the Raman-Rayleigh-LIF measurements was to obtain detailed information on the major species concentrations in the flames. The measurements provide simultaneous data on temperature, the concentrations of the major species and the radicals OH and NO and mixture fraction. The application of the Raman technique in the undiluted natural-gas flames proves to be very challenging because of the high fluorescence interference levels. The interference contributions to the recorded Raman signals are identified and subtracted using empirical correlations between the Raman signals and the signals on fluorescence interference monitor channels. The calibration and data reduction of the Raman-Rayleigh and LIF signals are discussed in detail. The resulting dataset compares excellently with data from previous experiments. Because the Raman-Rayleigh-LIF data provide quantitative concentrations and accordingly quantitative mixture fractions, they form a valuable and useful extension of the existing database for the Delft piloted jet diffusion flame burner. Received: 19 October 1999 / Revised version: 31 January 2000 / Published online: 7 June 2000     

Investigation of lengthscales, scalar dissipation, and flame orientation in a piloted diffusion flame by LES

This work investigates the structure of a diffusion flame in terms of lengthscales, scalar dissipation, and flame orientation by using large eddy simulation. This has been performed for a turbulent, non-premixed, piloted methane/air jet flame (Flame D) at a Reynolds-number of 22,400. A steady flamelet model, which was represented by artificial neural networks, yields species mass fractions, density, and viscosity as a function of the mixture fraction. This will be shown to suffice to simulate such flames. To allow to examine scalar dissipation, a grid of 1.97 × 10⁶ nodes was applied that resolves more than 75% of the turbulent kinetic energy. The accuracy of the results is assessed by varying the grid-resolution and by comparison to experimental data by Barlow, Frank, Karpetis, Schneider (Sandia, Darmstadt), and others. The numerical procedure solves the filtered, incompressible transport equations for mass, momentum, and mixture fraction. For subgrid closure, an eddy viscosity/diffusivity approach is applied, relying on the dynamic Germano model. Artificial turbulent inflow velocities were generated to feature proper one- and two-point statistics. The results obtained for both the one- and two-point statistics were found in good agreement to the experimental data. The PDF of the flame orientation shows the tilting of the flame fronts towards the centerline. Finally, the steady flamelet approach was found to be sufficient for this type of flame unless slowly reacting species are of interest.     

Modelling effects of subgrid-scale mixture fraction variance in LES of a piloted diffusion flame

A posteriori analysis of the statistics of two large-eddy simulation (LES) solutions describing a piloted methane–air (Sandia D) flame is performed on a series of grids with progressively increased resolution reaching about 10.5 million cells. Chemical compositions, density and temperature fields are modelled with a steady flamelet approach and parametrised by the mixture fraction. The difference between the LES solutions arises from a different numerical treatment of the subgrid scale (SGS) mixture fraction variance – an important quantity of interest in non-premixed combustion modelling. In the first case (model I), the variance transport equation is solved directly, while in the second (model II), an equation for the square of the mixture fraction is solved, and the variance is computed from its definition. The comparison of the LES solutions is based on the convergence properties of their statistics with respect to the turbulence resolution length scale. The dependence of the LES statistics is analysed for velocity and the mixture fraction fields, and tested for convergence. For the most part, the statistics converge for the finest grids, but the variance of the mixture fraction shows some residual grid dependence in the high-gradient regions of the jet near field. The SGS variance given by model I exhibits realisability everywhere, whereas in regions of the flame model II is non-realisable, predicting negative variances. Furthermore, the LES statistics of model I exhibit superior convergence behaviour.     

Autoignition-controlled flame initiation and flame stabilization in a reacting jet in crossflow

This paper describes an analysis of the mechanisms of autoignition-controlled flame initiation and flame stabilization in a nonpremixed jet in crossflows, using simultaneous high-speed (10 kHz) tomographic particle image velocimetry, OH-PLIF and line-of-sight flame emissions. Measurements are conducted on a turbulent, transverse, reacting propane jet issued into a crossflow generated by combustion of natural gas at an equivalence ratio of 0.4 with the crossflow velocity of 10 m/s, the crossflow temperature of 1350 K and the jet momentum flux ratio of 41. While several prior studies have analyzed the lifted character of the flame in similar configurations, we show that several dynamic processes precede the leading edge of the lifted diffusion flame, including formation and evolution of “autoignition kernels”, “flame kernels” and “flame fragments”. “Autoignition kernels”, i.e., discrete compact reaction zones with the peak hydroxyl (OH) fluorescence intensity below that of the diffusion flame, initiate preferably at bulges along the jet periphery where the strain rates and the scalar dissipation rates are lower. The autoignition kernel grows in both size and the OH-fluorescence intensity as it convects downstream. An autoignition kernel transitions into a propagating flame kernel, which quickly gets distorted and elongated in the direction of the principal expansion strain rate to form a flame fragment. Neighboring flame fragments merge with each other and with the downstream diffusion flame via edge-flame propagation. Merging of upstream flame fragments with the downstream diffusion flame results in an upstream advancement of the diffusion-flame front. The diffusion flame front is intrinsically unsteady because of the rather random formation and evolution of autoignition kernels, flame kernels and flame fragments, presumably due to the stochastic velocity, the strain rate and mixture-fraction oscillations.     

Self-oscillations in a jet flow and gaseous flame with strong swirl

Investigation results on unsteady flow dynamics in a gaseous jet flame with strong swirl, vortex breakdown, and precession of a vortex core obtained by panoramic optical methods are presented, as well as the results of theoretical analysis of the fastest growing modes of hydrodynamic instability. Characteristics of the most unstable self-oscillating mode in the initial region of the turbulent strongly swirling propane-air jet burning in the atmospheric air in the form of a lifted flame are determined. Analysis of data by principal component analysis and linear stability analysis revealed that evolution of the dominant self-oscillating mode corresponds to quasi-solid rotation with constant angular velocity of the spatial coherent structure consisting of a jet spiral vortex core and two spiral secondary vortices.     

Analysis of the flame thickness of turbulent flamelets in the thin reaction zones regime

The thickness of the instantaneous flamelets in a turbulent flame brush on a weak-swirl burner burning in the thin reaction zones regime has been analysed experimentally, theoretically, and numerically. The experimental flame thickness has been measured correlating two simultaneous Rayleigh images and one OH-image from two closely spaced cross sections in the flame. It appears that the low temperature edge of the flame is thickened by turbulent eddies but that these structures cannot penetrate far enough into the flame front to distort the inner layer for the moderate Karlovitz numbers used. The flame front based on the temperature gradient at the inner layer becomes thinner for lean flames and thicker for rich methane–air flames. This has been explained theoretically and numerically by studying the influence of flame stretch and preferential diffusion on the flame thickness. It appears that the flame front thickness at the inner layer (and mass burning rate) is not influenced by turbulent mixing processes, and it seems that eddies of the size of the inner layer have to be used to change this picture. Experiments closer to the boundary of the broken reaction zones regime have to confirm this in the future.     

Laser spark ignition of a jet diffusion flame

In this work we report preliminary results on the laser ignition of a jet diffusion flame with jet flow rates ranging from 35 (Re=1086) to 103 cm³/s (Re=3197). The laser spark energy of about 4 mJ was used for all the tests. The relative amounts of fuel and air concentrations at the laser focus have been estimated using a variant of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. The ignition and the flame blow out times were measured using the time-resolved OH emission. Ignition times in the range from 3 to about 10 ms were observed depending on the experimental conditions and they increased towards the rich as well as the lean sides. The early time and late-time OH emissions indicate that chemical reactions during the initial stage of the blast wave expansion are not immediately responsible for the ignition. The ultimate fate of an ignition depends on the reactions at later times which determines whether the gas could undergo a transition from hot plasma to a propagating flame.     

Evaluation of models for flame stretch due to curvature in the thin reaction zones regime

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) was used to study modelling assumptions for the curvature-propagation component of flame stretch in the thin reaction zones regime of turbulent premixed combustion, a regime in which small eddies can penetrate the preheat zone but not the thinner fuel breakdown zone. Simulations of lean hydrogen–air and methane–air flames were conducted, and statistics of flame stretch due to curvature, henceforth referred to simply as stretch, were extracted from a species mass fraction iso-surface taken to represent the flame. The study focussed on investigating the modelling assumptions of Peters [J. Fluid Mech. 384 (1999) 107]. It was found that the mean stretch is dominated by stretch due to correlations of flame speed with curvature, and specifically the effects of tangential diffusion. The modelling suggestions of Peters were found to provide an improvement over the assumptions of a constant flame speed or a flame speed governed by the linear relationship with stretch at small and steady stretch. However for the conditions considered here, diffusive-thermal effects remain well into the thin reaction zones regime, and the suggestions of Peters generally over-predict the mean compressive stretch. An effective diffusivity for flame stretch was suggested and evaluated for the methane simulations. It was found that the effective diffusivity was comparable to the mass diffusivity for flames with a high ratio of flame time to eddy turnover time. The length scales contributing to stretch were investigated, and it was found that while most flame area has a radius of curvature greater than the laminar flame thickness, most stretch occurs in more tightly curved flame elements.     

Analysis of a spray diffusion flame and its extinction in a shear layer

A new semi-analytical solution for a laminar spray diffusion flame in the shear layer between fuel and oxidant streams is developed. The Stokes number is identified as a small spray droplet-related parameter to be used in a perturbation analysis of the liquid phase governing equations. Appropriate specification of an additional parameter ensures that similarity is achieved so that the concentration field of the liquid in the spray can be readily found. The coupled gas-phase equations are treated using the usual inverse of the large Zeldovitch number for the asymptotic analysis. Numerical results demonstrate how the distribution of the liquid phase in the developing shear layer between two unidirectional gas streams flowing over one another with (the possibility of) dissimilar velocities in their respective free-streams influences the flame shape, location, fuel vapour and temperature fields. An extinction analysis enables a parametric mapping of conditions for extinguishment of the spray diffusion flames to be drawn.     

Large Eddy simulation of a pulverised coal jet flame

Large Eddy simulation (LES) has been applied to the pulverised coal jet flame studied at the Japanese Central Research Institute of Electric Power (CRIEPI). A working set of models to represent coal combustion, Lagrangian particle transport and radiative heat transfer in an LES framework has been implemented and tested. The simulation results of the flow field were compared to experimental data for both a reactive and non-reactive case, and an overall good agreement emerged. A simple method for replicating pyrometer measurements was developed for the LES and results obtained from the method were compared to the experimental data. Finally the species concentrations were compared to experimental results for CO₂, O₂ and N₂. The results show the potentials of using LES for pulverised coal combustion and open the way for further developments on the coal combustion models and the applications to more complex burners.     

Random walk in an inhomogeneous medium with local impurities

In spite of Sinai's result that the decay of the velocity autocorrelation function for a random walk on ^d (d=2) can drastically change if local impurities are present, it is shown that local impurities can not abolish weak convergence to the Brownian motion if d2.     

Simulation of flame lift-off on a diesel jet using a generalized flame surface density modeling approach

A generalized flame surface density modelling approach is presented to simulate the transient ignition and flame stabilization of a diesel jet flame, for which experimental data are available. The approach consists of four submodels: a mixing model, a generalized flame surface density model, a generalized progress variable model, and a chemistry model. A database containing the laminar model reaction rates per unit generalized flame surface density is generated by solving the unsteady flamelet equations. The RANS-CFD code solves for the mean flame surface density and mean progress variable. The coupling of the models is done via the progress variable and the scalar dissipation rate. The proposed approach is found to be adapted to simulate such a lifted flame and yields good trend agreement for ignition delay and flame lift-off vs. liquid penetration. These first promising results are encouraging to further explore and to apply this method to a more industrial configuration such as a diesel engine.     

CMC simulations of lifted turbulent jet flame in a vitiated coflow

Lifted turbulent jet diffusion flame is simulated using Conditional Moment Closure (CMC). Specifically, the burner configuration of Cabra et al. [R. Cabra, T. Myhrvold, J.Y. Chen, R.W. Dibble, A.N. Karpetis, R.S. Barlow, Proc. Combust. Inst. 29 (2002) 1881–1887] is chosen to investigate H₂/N₂ jet flame supported by a vitiated coflow of products of lean H₂/air combustion. A 2D, axisymmetric flow-model fully coupled with the scalar fields, is employed. A detailed chemical kinetic scheme is included, and first order CMC is applied. Simulations are carried out for different jet velocities and coflow temperatures (T_c). The predicted liftoff generally agrees with experimental data, as well as joint-PDF results. Profiles of mean scalar fluxes in the mixture fraction space, for T_c=1025 and 1080 K reveal that (1) Inside the flame zone, the chemical term balances the molecular diffusion term, and hence the structure is of a diffusion flamelet for both cases. (2) In the pre-flame zone, the structure depends on the coflow temperature: for the 1025 K case, the chemical term being small, the advective term balances the axial turbulent diffusion term. However, for the 1080 K case, the chemical term is large and balances the advective term, the axial turbulent diffusion term being small. It is concluded that, lift-off is controlled (a) by turbulent premixed flame propagation for low coflow temperature while (b) by autoignition for high coflow temperature.