scholarly journals A computational study of soot formation and flame structure of coflow laminar methane/air diffusion flames under microgravity and normal gravity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armin Veshkini ◽  
Seth B. Dworkin
Keyword(s):  
Normal Gravity ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Chemical Kinetic ◽  
Surface Growth ◽  
Rate Of Increase

A numerical study is conducted of methane-air coflow diffusion flames at microgravity (μg) and normal gravity (lg), and comparisons are made with experimental data in the literature. The model employed uses a detailed gas phase chemical kinetic mechanism that includes PAH formation and growth, and is coupled to a sectional soot particle dynamics model. The model is able to accurately predict the trends observed experimentally with reduction of gravity without any tuning of the model for different flames. The microgravity sooting flames were found to have lower temperatures and higher volume fraction than their normal gravity counterparts. In the absence of gravity, the flame radii increase due to elimination of buoyance forces and reduction of flow velocity, which is consistent with experimental observations. Soot formation along the wings is seen to be surface growth dominated, while PAH condensation plays a more major role on centerline soot formation. Surface growth and PAH growth increase in microgravity primarily due to increases in the residence time inside the flame. The rate of increase of surface growth is more significant compared to PAH growth, which causes soot distribution to shift from the centerline of the flame to the wings in microgravity. Keywords: laminar diffusion flame,methane-air,microgravity, soot formation, numerical modelling

A computational study of soot formation and flame structure of coflow laminar methane/air diffusion flames under microgravity and normal gravity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armin Veshkini ◽  
Seth B. Dworkin
Keyword(s):  
Normal Gravity ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Chemical Kinetic ◽  
Surface Growth ◽  
Rate Of Increase

A numerical study is conducted of methane-air coflow diffusion flames at microgravity (μg) and normal gravity (lg), and comparisons are made with experimental data in the literature. The model employed uses a detailed gas phase chemical kinetic mechanism that includes PAH formation and growth, and is coupled to a sectional soot particle dynamics model. The model is able to accurately predict the trends observed experimentally with reduction of gravity without any tuning of the model for different flames. The microgravity sooting flames were found to have lower temperatures and higher volume fraction than their normal gravity counterparts. In the absence of gravity, the flame radii increase due to elimination of buoyance forces and reduction of flow velocity, which is consistent with experimental observations. Soot formation along the wings is seen to be surface growth dominated, while PAH condensation plays a more major role on centerline soot formation. Surface growth and PAH growth increase in microgravity primarily due to increases in the residence time inside the flame. The rate of increase of surface growth is more significant compared to PAH growth, which causes soot distribution to shift from the centerline of the flame to the wings in microgravity. Keywords: laminar diffusion flame,methane-air,microgravity, soot formation, numerical modelling

scholarly journals A computational study of soot formation and flame structure of coflow laminar methane/air diffusion flames under microgravity and normal gravity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armin Veshkini ◽  
Seth B. Dworkin
Keyword(s):  
Normal Gravity ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Chemical Kinetic ◽  
Surface Growth ◽  
Rate Of Increase

A numerical study is conducted of methane-air coflow diffusion flames at microgravity (μg) and normal gravity (lg), and comparisons are made with experimental data in the literature. The model employed uses a detailed gas phase chemical kinetic mechanism that includes PAH formation and growth, and is coupled to a sectional soot particle dynamics model. The model is able to accurately predict the trends observed experimentally with reduction of gravity without any tuning of the model for different flames. The microgravity sooting flames were found to have lower temperatures and higher volume fraction than their normal gravity counterparts. In the absence of gravity, the flame radii increase due to elimination of buoyance forces and reduction of flow velocity, which is consistent with experimental observations. Soot formation along the wings is seen to be surface growth dominated, while PAH condensation plays a more major role on centerline soot formation. Surface growth and PAH growth increase in microgravity primarily due to increases in the residence time inside the flame. The rate of increase of surface growth is more significant compared to PAH growth, which causes soot distribution to shift from the centerline of the flame to the wings in microgravity. Keywords: laminar diffusion flame,methane-air,microgravity, soot formation, numerical modelling

scholarly journals Effect of the Preheated Oxidizer Temperature on Soot Formation and Flame Structure in Turbulent Methane-Air Diffusion Flames at 1 and 3 atm: A CFD Investigation

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3671
Author(s):  
Subrat Garnayak ◽  
Subhankar Mohapatra ◽  
Sukanta K. Dash ◽  
Bok Jik Lee ◽  
V. Mahendra Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Mole Fraction ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Reaction Rate ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Soot Volume Fraction ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Pressure Elevation

This article presents the results of computations on pilot-based turbulent methane/air co-flow diffusion flames under the influence of the preheated oxidizer temperature ranging from 293 to 723 K at two operating pressures of 1 and 3 atm. The focus is on investigating the soot formation and flame structure under the influence of both the preheated air and combustor pressure. The computations were conducted in a 2D axisymmetric computational domain by solving the Favre averaged governing equation using the finite volume-based CFD code Ansys Fluent 19.2. A steady laminar flamelet model in combination with GRI Mech 3.0 was considered for combustion modeling. A semi-empirical acetylene-based soot model proposed by Brookes and Moss was adopted to predict soot. A careful validation was initially carried out with the measurements by Brookes and Moss at 1 and 3 atm with the temperature of both fuel and air at 290 K before carrying out further simulation using preheated air. The results by the present computation demonstrated that the flame peak temperature increased with air temperature for both 1 and 3 atm, while it reduced with pressure elevation. The OH mole fraction, signifying reaction rate, increased with a rise in the oxidizer temperature at the two operating pressures of 1 and 3 atm. However, a reduced value of OH mole fraction was observed at 3 atm when compared with 1 atm. The soot volume fraction increased with air temperature as well as pressure. The reaction rate by soot surface growth, soot mass-nucleation, and soot-oxidation rate increased with an increase in both air temperature and pressure. Finally, the fuel consumption rate showed a decreasing trend with air temperature and an increasing trend with pressure elevation.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Soot Emissions in Oxygenated Ethylene Diffusion Flames at Elevated Pressures

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna C. Kalvakala ◽  
Suresh K. Aggarwal
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Elevated Pressures ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Soot Emissions

We report herein a computational study to characterize the effect of oxygenation on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot emissions in ethylene diffusion flames at pressures 1–8 atm. Laminar oxygenated flames are established in a counterflow configuration by using N2 diluted fuel stream along with O2-enriched oxidizer stream such that the stoichiometric mixture fraction (ζst) is varied, but the adiabatic flame temperature is not materially changed. Simulations are performed using a validated fuel chemistry model and a detailed soot model. The primary objective is to enhance the fundamental understanding of PAHs and soot formation in oxygenated flames at elevated pressures. At a given pressure, as the level of oxygenation (ζst) is increased, we observe a significant reduction in PAHs (benzene and pyrene) and consequently in soot formation. On the other hand, at a fixed ζst, as pressure is increased, it leads to increased PAHs formation and thus higher soot emission. Both soot number density and soot volume fraction increase with pressure. The reaction path analysis indicates that at higher pressures, the C2/C4 path becomes more significant for benzene formation compared to the propargyl recombination path. Results further indicate that the effectiveness of oxygenation in reducing the formation of pyrene and soot becomes less pronounced at higher pressures. In contrast, the effect of pressure on pyrene and soot formation becomes more pronounced at higher oxygenation levels. The behavior can be explained by examining the flame structure and hydrodynamics effects at different pressure and oxygenation levels.

scholarly journals Numerical Study of Hydrogen Addition Fuel on Soot Formation in Axisymmetric Laminar Methane/Air Diffusion Flames

2020 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
pp. 04054
Author(s):  
Bencheng Zhu ◽  
Yuhan Zhu ◽  
Jiajia Wu ◽  
Kun Lu ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Surface Growth ◽  
Chemical Effect ◽  
Oh Radicals ◽  
Phase Reaction ◽  
Hydrogen Addition ◽  
Air Diffusion

This article employs the CoFlame Code to investigate the effects of hydrogen addition to fuel on soot formation characteristics in laminar coflow methane/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure. Numerical calculations were carried out using a detailed C1-C2 gas phase reaction mechanism and a soot model consisting of two pyrene molecules colliding into a dimer as soot nucleation, hydrogen abstraction acetylene addition (HACA) and pyrene condensation as surface growth, and soot oxidation by O2, O and OH radicals. Calculations were conducted for five levels of hydrogen addition on volume basis. To quantify the chemical effect of hydrogen, additional calculations are performed for addition of inert pseudo-hydrogen (FH2). The addition of H2 or FH2 does not have a strong influence on flame temperature. The results confirm that hydrogen addition can inhibit soot formation in the methane/air diffusion flame by reducing both the nucleation and surface growth steps of soot formation process. The effect of FH2 addition on soot formation suppression is more remarkable than H2, indicating that the chemical effect of hydrogen added to methane prompts soot formation. The dilution effect of hydrogen addition on soot formation suppression is stronger than its chemical effect on soot formation enhancement the present findings are consistent with those of previous numerical studies.

scholarly journals Experimental and Numerical Study on the Sooting Behaviors of Furanic Biofuels in Laminar Counterflow Diffusion Flames

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (18) ◽  
pp. 5995
Author(s):  
Qianqian Mu ◽  
Fuwu Yan ◽  
Jizhou Zhang ◽  
Lei Xu ◽  
Yu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Soot Volume Fraction ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Counterflow Diffusion Flames ◽  
C3 Species ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Counterflow Flames

Furanic biofuels have received increasing research interest over recent years, due to their potential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the production of harmful pollutants. Nevertheless, the heterocyclic structure in furans make them readily to produce soot, which requires an in-depth understanding. In this study, the sooting characteristic of several typical furanic biofuels, i.e., furan, 2-methylfuran (MF), and 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), were investigated in laminar counterflow flames. Combined laser-based soot measurements with numerical analysis were performed. Special focus was put on understanding how the fuel structure of furans could affect soot formation. The results show that furan has the lowest soot volume fraction, followed by DMF, while MF has the largest value. Kinetic analyses revealed that the decomposition of MF produces high amounts of C3 species, which are efficient benzene precursors. This may be the reason for the enhanced formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot in MF flames, as compared to DMF and furan flames. The major objectives of this work are to: (1) understand the sooting behavior of furanic fuels in counterflow flames, (2) elucidate the fuel structure effects of furans on soot formation, and (3) provide database of quantitative soot concentration for model validation and refinements.

Soot Formation With Light Extinction and Grayscale Extraction Methods Applied to Ethanol-Gasoline Blends Laminar Flame

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengli Wei ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Rui Xu ◽  
Tongyuan Ding ◽  
Xiqian Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Laminar Flame ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
Light Extinction ◽  
Flame Height ◽  
Laminar Diffusion Flames ◽  
Mass Flowrate

Abstract In this paper, the two-dimensional parallel light extinction method was carried out to study the soot formation in laminar diffusion flames of four different ethanol-gasoline blends, of which ethanol volume fractions ranging from 0% up to 100% (E0, E20, E80, and E100). The flame images were processed synthetically via matlab to accurately calculate the flame height. In addition, the flame structure was redefined as three zones to observe the soot formation. The results indicate that the flame height changes with the variation of gas volume flowrate and fuel mass flowrate during the experiment. In terms of soot formation, as the volume fraction of ethanol increases, the proportion of soot forming zone decreases, while the area of blue flame zone grows. Simultaneously, the transition zone accounts for about 21% of the total flame area, which has no significant change with the increase of ethanol volume fraction.

A Numerical Study of the Influence of Hydrogen Addition on Soot Formation in a Laminar Counterflow Ethylene/Oxygen/Nitrogen Diffusion Flame

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongsheng Guo ◽  
Fengshan Liu ◽  
Gregory J. Smallwood
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Flame ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Soot Volume Fraction ◽  
Phase Reaction ◽  
Nitrogen Diffusion ◽  
Atom Concentration ◽  
Hydrogen Addition

The influence of hydrogen addition to the fuel on soot formation in an ethylene/oxygen/nitrogen diffusion flame was numerically studied by simulation of three counterflow laminar diffusion flames at atmosphere pressure. The fuel mixtures for the three flames are pure ethylene, ethylene/hydrogen and ethylene/helium, respectively, while the oxidant is a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. A detailed gas phase reaction mechanism including species up to benzene and complex thermal and transport properties were used. The soot inception and surface growth rates were, respectively, calculated based on benzene and HACA (H-abstraction and C2H2-addition) mechanisms. The predicted results for the three flames were compared and analyzed. It is indicated that although the addition of either hydrogen or helium to the fuel can reduce the soot volume fraction, the addition of hydrogen is more efficient. While the addition of helium reduces soot formation only through dilution, the addition of hydrogen suppresses soot formation through both dilution and chemical reaction effects. This conclusion is qualitatively consistent with available experiments. The simulations revel that the chemically inhibiting effect is caused by the decrease of hydrogen atom concentration in soot formation region, due to the displacement of the primary reaction zone, when hydrogen is added to the fuel.

Analytical Formulation-Based Soot Modelling in Ethylene Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Makhija ◽  
Krishna Sesha Giri
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Mixture Fraction ◽  
Soot Volume Fraction ◽  
Smoke Point ◽  
Computational Time ◽  
Detailed Model ◽  
Conservation Equations ◽  
Oxidation Rates

Abstract Soot volume fraction predictions through simulations carried out on OpenFOAM® are reported in diffusion flames with ethylene fuel. A single-step global reaction mechanism for gas-phase species with an infinitely fast chemistry assumption is employed. Traditionally soot formation includes inception, nucleation, agglomeration, growth, and oxidation processes, and the individual rates are solved to determine soot levels. However, in the present work, the detailed model is replaced with the soot formation and oxidation rates, defined as analytical functions of mixture fraction and temperature, where the net soot formation rate can be defined as the sum of individual soot formation and oxidation rates. The soot formation/oxidation rates are modelled as surface area-independent processes. The flame is modelled by solving conservation equations for continuity, momentum, total energy, and species mass fractions. Additionally, separate conservation equations are solved to compute the mixture fraction and soot mass fraction consisting of source terms that are identical and account for the mixture fraction consumption/production due to soot. As a consequence, computational time can be reduced drastically. This is a quantitative approach that gives the principal soot formation regions depending on the combination of local mixture fraction and temperature. The implemented model is based on the smoke point height, an empirical method to predict the sooting propensity based on fuel stoichiometry. The model predicts better soot volume fraction in buoyant diffusion flames. It was also observed that the optimal fuel constants to evaluate soot formation rates for different fuels change with fuel stoichiometry. However, soot oxidation strictly occurs in a particular region in the flame; hence, they are independent of fuel. The numerical results are compared with the experimental measurements, showing an excellent agreement for the velocity and temperature. Qualitative agreements are observed for the soot volume fraction predictions. A close agreement was obtained in smoke point prediction for the overventilated flame. An established theory through simulations was also observed, which states that the amount of soot production is proportional to the fuel flow rate. Further validations underscore the predictive capabilities. Model improvements are also reported with better predictions of soot volume fractions through modifications to the model constants based on mixture fraction range.

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