Non-uniform velocity profile mechanism for flame stabilization in a porous radiant burner

Industrial processes where the heating of large surfaces is required lead to the possibility of using large surface porous radiant burners. This causes additional temperature uniformity problems, since it is increasingly difficult to evenly distribute the reactant mixture over a large burner surface while retaining its stability and keeping low pollutant emissions. In order to allow for larger surface area burners, a non-uniform velocity profile mechanism for flame stabilization in a porous radiant burner using a single large injection hole is proposed and analyzed for a double-layered burner operating in open and closed hot (laboratory-scale furnace, with temperature-controlled, isothermal walls) environments. In both environments, local mean temperatures within the porous medium have been measured. For lower reactant flow rate and ambient temperature the flame shape is conical and anchored at the rim of the injection hole. As the volumetric flow rate or furnace temperature is raised, the flame undergoes a transition to a plane flame stabilized near the external burner surface. However, the stability range envelope remains the same in both regimes.     

The stabilization mechanism of the lifted jet diffusion flame in the hysteresis region

Recent experimental efforts focused on near-field coherent vortex dynamics, and their impact on stabilization of a lifted jet diffusion flame in the hysteresis region are reported. Simultaneous jet flow and flame visualizations are conducted first to obtain a global feature of flow/flame interaction. The statistical liftoff heights are calculated by a DIP (digital image processing) method. The gas concentration and velocity distributions induced by the vortex evolution as well as the corresponding flame front motion are deduced from phase-averaged measurements of planar Mie-scattering gas concentration images, LDV and ion-signals, respectively. The planar gas concentration technique employed here extends our previous work (Chao et al. 1990, 1991 a) to include phase-averaging. Results of the experiments show that the most probable flame base locations in the hysteresis region are at the coherent vortex roll-up and pairing locations. The deeply entrained air lump caused by large-scale vortices during roll-up and pairing is the main obstruction to flame propagation back to the nozzle exit and causes the hysteresis phenomenon.     

On the stabilization of flames on multijet industrial burners

Measurements of velocity and temperature characteristics, together with the analysis of the process of flame extinction, are reported for a range of high-intensity flames stabilized on a model of an industrial oxyfuel burner installed in a divergent quarl. The burner consists of a central axisymmetric jet surrounded by 16 circular jets, simulating the injection of oxygen in practical burners. A laser-Doppler velocimeter was used to measure density-weighted velocity characteristics, and bare-wire thermocouples were used to measure near unweighted temperature characteristics. Experiments were carried out to improve knowledge of the flow in the near field of multijet burner heads, which is essential to design further modifications in their geometry and to predict their effects. Isothermal and combusting flows are studied; for the latter, the experiments quantify the effect of quarl geometry, fuel-to-air ratio, swirl number, and central-to-peripheral jet velocity ration on the flame characteristics.

The results show that flame stabilization occurs in the vicinity of the quarl and is affected by its geometry owing to changes in the rate of entrainment of cold air. Increasing the swirl level and decreasing the peripheral airflow improves flame stability by promoting the mixing of fuel and air along the annular stabilization region. Turbulence measurements show common features with and without combustion and suggest the absence of large-scale mixing in the present flames. Although the laminar flamelet concept may represent most of the features of the flames investigated, the local quenching of burning flamelets is shown to preclude the internal ignition of flame gases in a way that influences the process of flame stabilization.     

On bluff body flame stabilization

Summary Several aspects of bluff body flame stabilization are discussed in terms of a theory which focuses attention on the initial mixing region between cool combustible and hot combustion products. Some experiments by Broman and Zukoski on flame stabilization in a deflected jet are correlated in terms of the theory. The characteristic time of Zukoski and Marble is shown to arise as a special case of the theory. The extinction of the propagating flame as the initial event in the blowoff process is discussed qualitatively in terms of the theory. Finally, the results of experiments reported in the literature on injection of gas into the recirculation zone are rationalized in terms of the theory.Nomenclature Á global activation energy - C _p specific heat at constant pressure - D characteristic length - D _r recirculation zone length for bluff body - h combustion chamber height - H heat of combustion - K ₁, K ₂, K ₃, K ₄ constants - l combustion chamber length - l _r recirculation zone length for deflected jet - L a dimensional parameter (L=K ₁ DPrRe ^t+1 Nu ^–2) - m mass flow rate - n constant - Nu Nusselt number (D/) - Pr Prandtl number (C _p /) - q constant - R gas constant - Re Reynolds number (WD/ ₀) - t constant - T _b outlet temperature of localized control volume - T _f adiabatic flame temperature - T _i inlet temperature of localized control volume - T ₀ temperature of main stream - u _r average flow velocity in control volume - v ₀ blowoff speed for deflected jet (experimental) - W main stream velocity - x _i distance from separation point to initial temperature maximum - y _i depth from dividing streamline to initial temperature maximum - ()* quantities evaluated at blowoff - heat transfer coefficient - slot width - thermal conductivity - ₀ kinematic viscosity evaluated in free stream - density - characteristic time D _r /W* - _ch pre-exponential factor in chemical rate law - equivalence ratio of fresh combustible mixture - dynamic viscosity     

Combustion and stabilization characteristics of a branched flame under Helmholtz-type excitations

 The combustion and pollution characteristics of the newly rediscovered “branched flame” are experimentally investigated using a Helmholtz-type excitation. Under specific excitation conditions, high-amplitude Helmholtz excitation induces side jet ejection, which leads to a branched flame. Intense combustion and enhanced heat transfer due to strong oscillation of the flame and hot gases of the branched flame increase the heating effectiveness and fuel saving. Strong velocity oscillation results in accumulation of jet fluid ahead of the ring structure for generation of the side jet. In the side-jet evolution, the strong entrainment of the ring vortex in the initial stages followed by the early growth of the streamwise vortical structures greatly shortens the route to mixing transition of fuel and air in the upstream region of the flame. This enhanced premixing process of the side jet leading to high F probability, which is defined as the probability of the presence of a premixture of fuel and air with concentration within the flammability limits, and low strain rate has significant implications for the stabilization of the branched flame. NOx emission indices for the branched flames can be 30% higher and CO emission indices 50% lower than the unexcited case. Received: 5 June 2000 / Accepted: 21 March 2001     

Measurements of the stabilization zone of a lifted jet flame under acoustic excitation

The turbulence and concentration characteristics in the stabilization zone of a lifted jet flame with and without acoustic excitation are measured by a time-resolved Rayleigh scattering, a LDV, and a hot vire anemometry system together with other probes. Both amplification and suppression of the flow can be achieved by acoustic excitation. By careful comparison of the turbulence and concentration characteristics in the stabilization zone for the natural, amplification and suppression cases, it is found that the key parameters of lifted flame stabilization in the stabilization zone are the integral length scale, the F probability of the presence of a flammable premixture, and the G probability of the presence of a fluid with a temperature reaching the ignition temperature. Amplification excitation enhances the large-scale coherent vortices and the vortical entrainment, thus enhancing the length scale, theF probability, and the G probability of having a combustibltoe premixture in the stabilization zone. In this case, the flame shifts upstream to a higher gas speed location and restabilizes there. Suppression excitation shows the opposite results. Practical need calls for a new model capable of predicting the stabilization zone structure of excited lifted flames where the large length scale, theF andG probabilities are suggested to be important parameters.This research was kindly supported by the National Science Council, R.O.C., through contract NSC-82-0401-E006-193. This financial support is sincerely appreciated.     

An analogue study for flame flickering

An analogue experiment is proposed to simulate flame flickering comprising a free ascending column fed on its side with a light gas (helium) emerging from a vertical slot in ambient air. The convective motion of the helium jet is considered to represent the motion of burnt gases of buoyant jet flames. The helium jet is accelerated by buoyancy effects and the flow field is similar to that of burnt gases observed for real buoyant flames. The vertical velocity profile of the steady helium jet is measured at different vertical distances. The unsteady helium jet is also studied by measuring the instability frequency as a function of ambient pressure at different injection flow rates, and by analyzing the tomography images of the helium jet. The instability morphology is the same as that observed on real buoyant flames. We conclude that this type of instability can be approximately characterized by the maximum vertical velocityu _max, and the distance betweenu _max in the helium ascending column andu = o in the ambient air. For this type of instability the local vorticity is proportional to which can be influenced by gravity and ambient pressure. Theoretical prediction of the instability frequency as a function of gravity and ambient pressure has been obtained, and is in good agreement with the experimental results.List of symbols C ₁,C ₂ constants - F instability frequency - F _c critical frequency - F _m the most amplified frequency - F (K, ) function defined in (11) - g gravitational acceleration - g reduced gravity acceleration g(₀-^*)/^* - k real wave number of the disturbance - K reduced wave numberK=2k - K _c reduced wave number of the critical instability mode - K _m nondimensional wavenumber of the most amplified mode - L vertical characteristic length (in x direction) - P ambient pressure - u local vertical buoyant velocity (inx direction) - u _max local maximum vertical velocity - v local velocity component iny direction (horizontal) - V ₀ injection velocity of helium (iny direction) - x vertical distance measured from the leading edge of boundary layer - y horizontal distance measured from the exit plane of the vertical slot - Z(K, ) function defined in equation (11) Greek symbols distance betweenu _max in the helium ascending column andu = o in the ambient air - - wavelength of instability - _c critical wavelength - _m the most amplified wavelength - ^* helium density at slot exit - ₀ ambient air density - ^* helium dynamic viscosity at slot exit - v ^* helium kinematic viscosity at slot exit - complex number presented in disturbancee ^i(kx+t) - _i imaginary part of , representing the amplification rate of disturbance - _r real part of , where ( _r /k) represents the group velocity - reduced complex number of , defined      

Fractal analysis of turbulent premixed flame surface

The fractal-like character of the laminar flamelet surface in turbulent premixed combustion of lean methane/air mixtures was studied by using the laser tomography technique to visualize the instantaneous flame surface in the two-dimensional section cut by the laser sheet. The fractal analysis of the surface revealed that the surface actually exhibits a self-similarity behavior in a narrow range of scale, and the value of fractal dimension can be defined. The inner cutoff scale was the laminar flame thickness, while the outer cutoff scale was the flame size. The fractal dimension was found to depend on the orientation of the section, and to increase towards downstream. It is suggested that the observed fractal-like character is not directly connected to approach flow turbulence, but should represent certain aspects of the flamelet itself.     

Digital image analysis of a turbulent flame

Digital image analysis of cine pictures of an unconfined rich premixed turbulent flame has been used to determine structural characteristics of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface of the flame. The results, comprising various moments of the interface position, probability density functions and correlation functions, establish that the instantaneous flame-interface position is essentially a Gaussian random variable with a superimposed quasi-periodical component. The latter is ascribable to a pulsation caused by the convection and the stretching of ring vortices present within the flame. To a first approximation, the flame can be considered similar to a three-dimensional axisymmetric turbulent jet, with superimposed ring vortices, in which combustion occurs.     

岩爆岩石断裂的微观结构形貌分析及岩爆机理

利用扫描电镜(SEM)对岩爆岩石断口微观形貌特征进行研究分析,从微观角度探索岩爆产生的机理。通过对平顶山十二矿岩爆现场取样对其断口形貌特征与地应力和岩石成分之间关系进行研究。巷道围岩劈裂岩块断口形貌多呈台阶状,劈裂面与地应力最大主应力方向平行,岩石断口属拉张断裂,劈裂纹的产生主要是脆性断裂;岩爆抛射出的岩块断口形貌非常复杂,裂面与切应力(最大主应力)方向平行或相交,不同平面内的微裂纹通过与岩爆裂纹间的微裂纹或受撕裂作用形成台阶,表面不平整,属于拉张或剪切型断裂。岩石细观成分对岩爆的影响也较大,结晶程度高、结构致密的硬脆岩石更易发生岩爆。     

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。     

Development of a high-speed spectrophotometer for transient measurement of pulverized-coal flame radiation emission

A high-speed spectrophotometer system was developed for the transient measurement of pulverized-coal flame radiation. The system is a grating spectrograph with a single detector instead of a detector array. The position of the four-sided rotatable mirror determines the wavelength of the measured spectral radiation intensity, and the plane grating is mounted in a new arrangement. The system allows repeated measurement of radiation intensity spectra at wavelengths of 2.4–4.0 μm within a period of 1 or less. A desktop combustion system with the ability to vary parameters influencing the combustion of pulverized coal has been designed and assembled.

Experiments performed include steady-state measurement of radiation from a constant-intensity light source and transient measurement of radiation from a pulverized-coal flame.

Preliminary measurements showed that this spectrophotometer is capable of obtaining the desired measurements. Transient measurement of the flame radiation of pulverized coal performed on samples of Yugoslav pulverized coals produced data that comply well with results of other authors.     

Numerical analysis of entropy generation in a turbulent diffusion flame

Thermodynamic irreversibilities generated by the combustion process are evaluated and analyzed numerically. The numerical simulation is performed for a reference case study for which experimental data are available in the literature: diffusion flame properties in a common burner configuration are studied by the Fluent software with the standard k–ε turbulence model and two-step chemical reaction. The study quantifies the contribution of each mechanism to entropy generation, i.e., friction, heat conduction, species diffusion, and chemical reaction. The chemical reaction and heat conduction are found to be the major sources of entropy production. Preheating of air reduces thermodynamic irreversibilities within the combustor.     

基于红外辐射的爆炸火焰温度补偿测算技术

应用辐射测温法进行爆炸火焰温度测试时,火焰发射率取经验定值的方法与火焰燃烧机理存在较大的偏差,同时测点距离与环境温湿度也会导致不同程度的热辐射衰减,从而影响爆炸火焰温度的测量精度。本文针对上述两个问题,基于大气辐射理论与光学传播规律,提出了辐射路径衰减补偿模型,结合由红外热像仪和比色测温仪测量的爆炸火焰动态发射率,对爆炸场火焰真温进行联合反演,并将测算结果与比色测温仪测得的火焰表面温度进行对比,得到了反演温度误差范围。试验结果表明,利用本文所提出的补偿模型测算得到的爆炸火焰温度,误差由补偿前的55.699%～89.847%降低到11.292%～59.077%,有效提高了外场爆炸瞬态火焰温度的测算精度。     

Simultaneous measurements of OH,mixture fraction and velocity fields to investigate flame stabilization enhancement by electric field

Simultaneous stereoscopic PIV, OH and acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence measurements are performed to analyze the processes involved in the enhancement of flame stabilization by electric field. Instantaneous velocity and mixture fraction fields are measured simultaneously at the base of a lifted flame to analyze whether the flow properties in front of the flame when electric field is applied are compatible with a mechanism involving ionic wind. The measurements conditioned on the instantaneous flame bases with and without the electric field are compared. The velocity in front of the flame decreases with electric field what is in agreement with the assumption involving ionic wind. To analyze the mixture in front of the flame, a joined analysis of velocity and mixture fraction is required to show the mixture stays near stoichiometry when the electric field is applied. The need of a joined analysis illustrates the interest of performing the three laser diagnostics simultaneously.     

An analytical correlation of heat flux, nozzle diameter, and melting time, as applied to nozzle burners

Summary A semi-infinite, heat-conducting slab is heated by means of a nozzle-type burner. The heat in-flux is assumed to be localized in the area where the flame washes the surface; its value is zero at time t=0, and is a given constant for 0<t. The method of fictitious sources is applied to the transient three-dimensional problem thus defined, and a correlation is derived expressing the time required to reach the melting temperature at a point on the surface as a function of the heat flux and the nozzle diameter. The results are given in the form of non-dimensional plots; the reduced heat flux is plotted against the Fourier number.     

Measurements of ensemble averaged flame dynamics using spatially resolved analysis

When applying flame sheet models to predict the dynamics of turbulent flames, it is common to model turbulence using ensemble averaging of the velocity. Measurements of the flame dynamics were made to support use this type of methodology, by measuring the dynamic volume of the flame using phase averaged images of the CH^∗ chemiluminescence. The dynamics agreed with the common behavior described in the literature, namely frequency scaling according to Strouhal number based on flow convective timescales. However, slightly different timescales were observed for the response magnitude and phase, indicating the possibility of different scaling mechanisms at work between these phenomena. The flame heat release rate dynamics were found to be identical to the dynamic response of the flame volume to inlet velocity perturbations, suggesting a simple proportionality between heat release rate and the flame volume. This result supports the use of ensemble averaging for modeling of the turbulent velocity for predictions of flame dynamics.     

An eight noded composite plate element for the dynamic analysis of spatial mechanism systems

The development of a shear-deformable laminated plate element, based on the Mindlin plate theory, for use in large reference displacement analysis is presented. The element is sufficiently general to accept an arbitrary number of layers and an arbitrary number of orthotrophic material property sets. Coordinate mapping is utilized so that non-rectangular elements may be modeled. The Gauss quadrature method of numerical integration is utilized to evaluate volume integrals. A comparative study is done on the use of full Gauss quadrature, reduced Gauss quadrature, mixed Gauss quadrature, and closed form integration techniques for the element. Dynamic analysis is performed on the RSSR (Revolute-Spherical-Spherical-Revolute) mechanism, with the coupler modeled as a flexible plate. The results indicate the differences in the dynamic response of the transverse shear deformable eight-noded element as compared to a four-noded plate element. Dynamically induced stresses are examined, with the results indicating that the primary deformation mode of the eight-noded Mindlin plate model being bending.