Turbulent flame propagation by large-scale wrinkling of a laminar flame front

1958 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 615-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.K. Richmond ◽  
J. Grumer ◽  
D.S. Burgess
2018 ◽  
Vol 850 ◽  
pp. 784-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Yang ◽  
Abhishek Saha ◽  
Zirui Liu ◽  
Chung K. Law

In this paper we study the essential role of Darrieus–Landau (DL), hydrodynamic, cellular flame-front instability in the propagation of expanding turbulent flames. First, we analyse and compare the characteristic time scales of flame wrinkling under the simultaneous actions of DL instability and turbulent eddies, based on which three turbulent flame propagation regimes are identified, namely, instability dominated, instability–turbulence interaction and turbulence dominated regimes. We then perform experiments over an extensive range of conditions, including high pressures, to promote and manipulate the DL instability. The results clearly demonstrate the increase in the acceleration exponent of the turbulent flame propagation as these three regimes are traversed from the weakest to the strongest, which are respectively similar to those of the laminar cellularly unstable flame and the turbulent flame without flame-front instability, and thus validating the scaling analysis. Finally, based on the scaling analysis and the experimental results, we propose a modification of the conventional turbulent flame regime diagram to account for the effects of DL instability.


Author(s):  
Holler Tadej ◽  
Ed M. J. Komen ◽  
Kljenak Ivo

The paper presents the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) combustion modeling approach based on two combustion models. This modeling approach was applied to a hydrogen deflagration experiment conducted in a large-scale confined experimental vessel. The used combustion models were Zimont's turbulent flame-speed closure (TFC) model and Lipatnikov's flame-speed closure (FSC) model. The conducted simulations are aimed to aid identifying and evaluating the potential hydrogen risks in nuclear power plant (NPP) containment. The simulation results show good agreement with experiment for axial flame propagation using the Lipatnikov combustion model. However, substantial overprediction in radial flame propagation is observed using both combustion models, which consequently results also in overprediction of the pressure increase rate and overall combustion energy output. As assumed for a large-scale experiment without any turbulence inducing structures, the combustion took place in low-turbulence regimes, where the Lipatnikov combustion model, due to its inclusion of quasi-laminar source term, has advantage over the Zimont model.


1953 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore von Kármán ◽  
Gregorio Millán

Author(s):  
Tadej Holler ◽  
Varun Jain ◽  
Ed M. J. Komen ◽  
Ivo Kljenak

The CFD combustion modeling approach based on two combustion models was applied to a hydrogen deflagration experiment conducted in a large-scale confined experimental vessel. The used combustion models were Zimont’s Turbulent Flames Speed Closure (TFC) model and Lipatnikov’s Flame Speed Closure (FSC) model. The conducted simulations are aimed to aid identifying and evaluating the potential hydrogen risks in Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) containment. The simulation results show good agreement with experiment for axial flame propagation using the Lipatnikov combustion model. However substantial overprediction in radial flame propagation is observed using both combustion models, which consequently results also in overprediction of the pressure increase rate and overall combustion energy output. As assumed for a large-scale experiment without any turbulence inducing structures, the combustion took place in low-turbulence regimes, where the Lipatnikov combustion model, due to its inclusion of quasi-laminar source term, has advantage over the Zimont model.


Author(s):  
Pradeep Parajuli ◽  
Tyler Paschal ◽  
Mattias A. Turner ◽  
Eric L. Petersen ◽  
Waruna D. Kulatilaka

Abstract Natural gas is a major fuel source for many industrial and power-generation applications. The primary constituent of natural gas is methane (CH4), while smaller quantities of higher order hydrocarbons such as ethane (C2H6) and propane (C3H8) can also be present. Detailed understanding of natural gas combustion is important to obtain the highest possible combustion efficiency with minimal environmental impact in devices such as gas turbines and industrial furnaces. For a better understanding the combustion performance of natural gas, several important parameters to study are the flame temperature, heat release zone, flame front evolution, and laminar flame speed as a function of flame equivalence ratio. Spectrally and temporally resolved, high-speed chemiluminescence imaging can provide direct measurements of some of these parameters under controlled laboratory conditions. A series of experiments were performed on premixed methane/ethane-air flames at different equivalence ratios inside a closed flame speed vessel that allows the direct observation of the spherically expanding flame front. The vessel was filled with the mixtures of CH4 and C2H6 along with respective partial pressures of O2 and N2, to obtain the desired equivalence ratios at 1 atm initial pressure. A high-speed camera coupled with an image intensifier system was used to capture the chemiluminescence emitted by the excited hydroxyl (OH*) and methylidyne (CH*) radicals, which are two of the most important species present in the natural gas flames. The calculated laminar flame speeds for an 80/20 methane/ethane blend based on high-speed chemiluminescence images agreed well with the previously conducted Z-type schlieren imaging-based measurements. A high-pressure test, conducted at 5 atm initial pressure, produced wrinkles in the flame and decreased flame propagation rate. In comparison to the spherically expanding laminar flames, subsequent turbulent flame studies showed the sporadic nature of the flame resulting from multiple flame fronts that were evolved discontinuously and independently with the time. This paper documents some of the first results of quantitative spherical flame speed experiments using high-speed chemiluminescence imaging.


1980 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 642-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. P. Lazarev ◽  
A. S. Pleshanov

Author(s):  
Alejandro M. Briones ◽  
Balu Sekar ◽  
Timothy Erdmann

The effect of centrifugal force on flame propagation velocity of stoichiometric propane–, kerosene–, and n-octane–air turbulent premixed flames was numerically examined. The quasi-turbulent numerical model was set in an unsteady two-dimensional (2D) geometry with finite length in the transverse and streamwise directions but with infinite length in the spanwise direction. There was relatively good comparison between literature-reported measurements and predictions of propane–air flame propagation velocity as a function of centrifugal force. It was found that for all mixtures the flame propagation velocity increases with centrifugal force. It reaches a maximum, then falls off rapidly with further increases in centrifugal force. The results of this numerical study suggest that there are no distinct differences among the three mixtures in terms of the trends seen of the effect of centrifugal force on the flame propagation velocity. There are, however, quantitative differences. The numerical model is set in a noninertial, rotating reference frame. This rotation imposes a radially outward (centrifugal) force. The ignited mixture at one end of the tube raises the temperature and its heat release tends to laminarize the flow. The attained density difference combined with the direction of the centrifugal force promotes Rayleigh–Taylor instability. This instability with thermal expansion and turbulent flame speed constitute the flame propagation mechanism towards the other tube end. A wave is also generated from the ignition zone but propagates faster than the flame. During propagation the flame interacts with eddies that wrinkle and/or corrugate the flame. The flame front wrinkles interact with streamtubes that enhance Landau–Darrieus (hydrodynamic) instability, giving rise to a corrugated flame. Under strong stretch conditions the stabilizing equidiffusive-curvature mechanism fails and the flame front breaks up, allowing inflow of unburned mixture into the flame. This phenomenon slows down the flame temporarily and then the flame speeds up faster than before. However, if corrugation is large and the inflow of unburned mixture into the flame is excessive, the latter locally quenches and slows down the flame. This occurs when the centrifugal force is large, tending to blowout the flame. The wave in the tube interacts continuously with the flame through baroclinic torques at the flame front that further enhances the above mentioned flame–eddy interactions. Only at low centrifugal forces, the wave intermingles several times with the flame before the averaged flame propagation velocity is determined. The centrifugal force does not substantially increase the turbulent flame speed as commented by previous experimental investigations. The results also suggest that an ultracompact combustor (UCC) with high-g cavity (HGC) will be limited to centrifugal force levels in the 2000–3000 g range.


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