Turbulence Statistics and Scalar Transport in Highly-Sheared Premixed Flames

This paper describes recent progress in the analysis of the nature of turbulent premixed flames stabilised behind an axisymmetric baffle which are of fundamental interest in the development of new and cleaner combustion systems. The work includes the use of laser-based diagnostics for velocity and temperature measurements, which are extended to the analysis of turbulence statistics, including the energy spectrum and typical length scales in a reacting shear layer. The results provided experimental evidence of the extension of the flamelet regime beyond the Klimov--Williams criterion. Arguments based on the shape of the weighted-joint-probability distributions of axial velocity and temperature fluctuations show that the counter-gradient nature of heat flux is associated with the preferential deceleration of products of combustion in relation to the cold reactants.