Experimental Measurements of Two-dimensional Planar Propagating Edge Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Villa-Gonzalez, Marcos; Marchese, Anthony J.; Easton, John W.; Miller, Fletcher J.

2007-01-01

The study of edge flames has received increased attention in recent years. This work reports the results of a recent study into two-dimensional, planar, propagating edge flames that are remote from solid surfaces (called here, free-layer flames, as opposed to layered flames along floors or ceilings). They represent an ideal case of a flame propagating down a flammable plume, or through a flammable layer in microgravity. The results were generated using a new apparatus in which a thin stream of gaseous fuel is injected into a low-speed laminar wind tunnel thereby forming a flammable layer along the centerline. An airfoil-shaped fuel dispenser downstream of the duct inlet issues ethane from a slot in the trailing edge. The air and ethane mix due to mass diffusion while flowing up towards the duct exit, forming a flammable layer with a steep lateral fuel concentration gradient and smaller axial fuel concentration gradient. We characterized the flow and fuel concentration fields in the duct using hot wire anemometer scans, flow visualization using smoke traces, and non-reacting, numerical modeling using COSMOSFloWorks. In the experiment, a hot wire near the exit ignites the ethane air layer, with the flame propagating downwards towards the fuel source. Reported here are tests with the air inlet velocity of 25 cm/s and ethane flows of 967-1299 sccm, which gave conditions ranging from lean to rich along the centerline. In these conditions the flame spreads at a constant rate faster than the laminar burning rate for a premixed ethane air mixture. The flame spread rate increases with increasing transverse fuel gradient (obtained by increasing the fuel flow rate), but appears to reach a maximum. The flow field shows little effect due to the flame approach near the igniter, but shows significant effect, including flow reversal, well ahead of the flame as it approaches the airfoil fuel source.

On the Influence of a Fuel Side Heat-Loss (Soot) Layer on a Planar Diffusion Flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wichman, Indrek S.

1994-01-01

A model of the response of a diffusion flame (DF) to an adjacent heat loss or 'soot' layer on the fuel side is investigated. The thermal influence of the 'soot' or heat-loss layer on the DF occurs through the enthalpy sink it creates. A sink distribution in mixture-fraction space is employed to examine possible DF extinction. It is found that (1) the enthalpy sink (or soot layer) must touch the DF for radiation-induced quenching to occur; and (2) for fuel-rich conditions extinction is possible only for a progressively narrower range of values ot the characteristic heat-loss parameter, N(sub R)(Delta Z(sub R)) Various interpretations ot the model are discussed. An attempt is made to place this work into the context created by previous experimental and computational studies.

Experimental Assessment and Enhancement of Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements of Nitric Oxide in an Inverse Diffusion Flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Partridge, William P.; Laurendeau, Normand M.

1997-01-01

We have experimentally assessed the quantitative nature of planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of NO concentration in a unique atmospheric pressure, laminar, axial inverse diffusion flame (IDF). The PLIF measurements were assessed relative to a two-dimensional array of separate laser saturated fluorescence (LSF) measurements. We demonstrated and evaluated several experimentally-based procedures for enhancing the quantitative nature of PLIF concentration images. Because these experimentally-based PLIF correction schemes require only the ability to make PLIF and LSF measurements, they produce a more broadly applicable PLIF diagnostic compared to numerically-based correction schemes. We experimentally assessed the influence of interferences on both narrow-band and broad-band fluorescence measurements at atmospheric and high pressures. Optimum excitation and detection schemes were determined for the LSF and PLIF measurements. Single-input and multiple-input, experimentally-based PLIF enhancement procedures were developed for application in test environments with both negligible and significant quench-dependent error gradients. Each experimentally-based procedure provides an enhancement of approximately 50% in the quantitative nature of the PLIF measurements, and results in concentration images nominally as quantitative as LSF point measurements. These correction procedures can be applied to other species, including radicals, for which no experimental data are available from which to implement numerically-based PLIF enhancement procedures.

Flow-combustion interactions in ducted flameholder-stabilized premixed flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soteriou, Marios; Arienti, Marco; Erickson, Robert

2006-11-01

Turbulent premixed combustion is present in many power generation and propulsion systems due to its large energy conversion rate (as compared to non-premixed combustion) and its potential for reduced emissions (at the lean limit). As a result, the study of turbulent premixed flames has received substantial attention in the past through experiment, analysis and simulation. In the recent past, unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based models have been increasingly leveraged towards the in depth study of the physics of turbulent premixed flames. The bulk of this effort focuses on the response of the flame to turbulence. In contrast, we focus on the opposite problem, i.e. the modification of the turbulent flowfield by the flame. This topic has also received some attention but with a strong emphasis on planar (in the mean), flames propagating normal to the flow. Instead, we focus on flameholder-stabilized ducted flames, i.e. ones in which the flame is confined and substantially inclined to the incoming flow. The fundamental mechanisms by which the flame impacts the flow, i.e. dilatation, baroclinic vorticity generation and molecular diffusion enhancement are discussed in detail and their relative impact quantified. Limitations of modeling these mechanisms in current state of the art CFD models are also addressed.

Flow/Soot-Formation Interactions in Nonbuoyant Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dai, Z.; Lin, K.-C.; Sunderland, P. B.; Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.

2002-01-01

This is the final report of a research program considering interactions between flow and soot properties within laminar diffusion flames. Laminar diffusion flames were considered because they provide model flame systems that are far more tractable for theoretical and experimental studies than more practical turbulent diffusion flames. In particular, understanding the transport and chemical reaction processes of laminar flames is a necessary precursor to understanding these processes in practical turbulent flames and many aspects of laminar diffusion flames have direct relevance to turbulent diffusion flames through application of the widely recognized laminar flamelet concept of turbulent diffusion flames. The investigation was divided into three phases, considering the shapes of nonbuoyant round laminar jet diffusion flames in still air, the shapes of nonbuoyant round laminar jet diffusion flames in coflowing air, and the hydrodynamic suppression of soot formation in laminar diffusion flames.

Effect of Oxygen Enrichment in Propane Laminar Diffusion Flames under Microgravity and Earth Gravity Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatia, Pramod; Singh, Ravinder

2017-06-01

Diffusion flames are the most common type of flame which we see in our daily life such as candle flame and match-stick flame. Also, they are the most used flames in practical combustion system such as industrial burner (coal fired, gas fired or oil fired), diesel engines, gas turbines, and solid fuel rockets. In the present study, steady-state global chemistry calculations for 24 different flames were performed using an axisymmetric computational fluid dynamics code (UNICORN). Computation involved simulations of inverse and normal diffusion flames of propane in earth and microgravity condition with varying oxidizer compositions (21, 30, 50, 100 % O2, by mole, in N2). 2 cases were compared with the experimental result for validating the computational model. These flames were stabilized on a 5.5 mm diameter burner with 10 mm of burner length. The effect of oxygen enrichment and variation in gravity (earth gravity and microgravity) on shape and size of diffusion flames, flame temperature, flame velocity have been studied from the computational result obtained. Oxygen enrichment resulted in significant increase in flame temperature for both types of diffusion flames. Also, oxygen enrichment and gravity variation have significant effect on the flame configuration of normal diffusion flames in comparison with inverse diffusion flames. Microgravity normal diffusion flames are spherical in shape and much wider in comparison to earth gravity normal diffusion flames. In inverse diffusion flames, microgravity flames were wider than earth gravity flames. However, microgravity inverse flames were not spherical in shape.

A nonlinear wave equation in nonadiabatic flame propagation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Booty, M.R.; Matalon, M.; Matkowsky, B.J.

1988-06-01

The authors derive a nonlinear wave equation from the diffusional thermal model of gaseous combustion to describe the evolution of a flame front. The equation arises as a long wave theory, for values of the volumeric heat loss in a neighborhood of the extinction point (beyond which planar uniformly propagating flames cease to exist), and for Lewis numbers near the critical value beyond which uniformly propagating planar flames lose stability via a degenerate Hopf bifurcation. Analysis of the equation suggests the possibility of a singularity developing in finite time.

Investigation of non-premixed flame combustion characters in GO2/GH2 shear coaxial injectors using non-intrusive optical diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Jian; Yu, NanJia; Cai, GuoBiao

2015-12-01

Single-element combustor experiments are conducted for three shear coaxial geometry configuration injectors by using gaseous oxygen and gaseous hydrogen (GO2/GH2) as propellants. During the combustion process, several spatially and timeresolved non-intrusive optical techniques, such as OH planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF), high speed imaging, and infrared imaging, are simultaneously employed to observe the OH radical concentration distribution, flame fluctuations, and temperature fields. The results demonstrate that the turbulent flow phenomenon of non-premixed flame exhibits a remarkable periodicity, and the mixing ratio becomes a crucial factor to influence the combustion flame length. The high speed and infrared images have a consistent temperature field trend. As for the OH-PLIF images, an intuitionistic local flame structure is revealed by single-shot instantaneous images. Furthermore, the means and standard deviations of OH radical intensity are acquired to provide statistical information regarding the flame, which may be helpful for validation of numerical simulations in future. Parameters of structure configurations, such as impinging angle and oxygen post thickness, play an important role in the reaction zone distribution. Based on a successful flame contour extraction method assembled with non-linear anisotropic diffusive filtering and variational level-set, it is possible to implement a fractal analysis to describe the fractal characteristics of the non-premixed flame contour. As a result, the flame front cannot be regarded as a fractal object. However, this turbulent process presents a self-similarity characteristic.

Flame Shapes of Luminous NonBuoyant Laminar Coflowing Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, K.-C.; Faeth, G. M.

1999-01-01

Laminar diffusion flames are of interest as model flame systems that are more tractable for analysis and experiments than practical turbulent diffusion flames. Certainly understanding laminar flames must precede understanding more complex turbulent flames while man'y laminar diffusion flame properties are directly relevant to turbulent diffusion flames using laminar flamelet concepts. Laminar diffusion flame shapes have been of interest since the classical study of Burke and Schumann because they involve a simple nonintrusive measurement that is convenient for evaluating flame structure predictions. Motivated by these observations, the shapes of laminar flames were considered during the present investigation. The present study was limited to nonbuoyant flames because most practical flames are not buoyant. Effects of buoyancy were minimized by observing flames having large flow velocities at small pressures. Present methods were based on the study of the shapes of nonbu,3yant round laminar jet diffusion flames of Lin et al. where it was found that a simple analysis due to Spalding yielded good predictions of the flame shapes reported by Urban et al. and Sunderland et al.

Studies of Premixed Laminar and Turbulent Flames at Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abid, M.; Aung, K.; Ronney, P. D.; Sharif, J. A.; Wu, M.-S.

1999-01-01

Several topics relating to combustion limits in premixed flames at reduced gravity have been studied. These topics include: (1) flame balls; (2) numerical simulation of flame ball and planar flame structure and stability; (3) experimental simulation of buoyancy effects in premixed flames using aqueous autocatalytic reactions; and (4) premixed flame propagation in Hele-Shaw cells.

Candle Flames in Microgravity Experiment

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-07-09

Closeup view inside glovebox showing a candle flame. The Candle Flames in Microgravity experiment is carried onboard Columbia to examine whether candle flames can be sustained in space; to study the interaction and physical properties of diffusion flames. In space, where buoyancy-driven convection is reduced, the role diffusion plays in sustaining candle flames can be isolated. Results have implications for other diffusion flame studies. Diffusion flames are the most common type of flame on Earth.

Simulations of normal and inverse laminar diffusion flames under oxygen enhancement and gravity variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatia, P.; Katta, V. R.; Krishnan, S. S.; Zheng, Y.; Sunderland, P. B.; Gore, J. P.

2012-10-01

Steady-state global chemistry calculations for 20 different flames were carried out using an axisymmetric Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code. Computational results for 16 flames were compared with flame images obtained at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The experimental flame data for these 16 flames were taken from Sunderland et al. [4] which included normal and inverse diffusion flames of ethane with varying oxidiser compositions (21, 30, 50, 100% O2 mole fraction in N2) stabilised on a 5.5 mm diameter burner. The test conditions of this reference resulted in highly convective inverse diffusion flames (Froude numbers of the order of 10) and buoyant normal diffusion flames (Froude numbers ∼0.1). Additionally, six flames were simulated to study the effect of oxygen enhancement on normal diffusion flames. The enhancement in oxygen resulted in increased flame temperatures and the presence of gravity led to increased gas velocities. The effect of gravity-variation and oxygen enhancement on flame shape and size of normal diffusion flames was far more pronounced than for inverse diffusion flames. For normal-diffusion flames, their flame-lengths decreased (1 to 2 times) and flames-widths increased (2 to 3 times) when going from earth-gravity to microgravity, and flame height decreased by five times when going from air to a pure oxygen environment.

Laminar Diffusion Flame Studies (Ground- and Space-Based Studies)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dai, Z.; El-Leathy, A. M.; Lin, K.-C.; Sunderland, P. B.; Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Laminar diffusion flames are of interest because they provide model flame systems that are far more tractable for analysis and experiments than more practical turbulent diffusion flames. Certainly, understanding flame processes within laminar diffusion flames must precede understanding these processes in more complex turbulent diffusion flames. In addition, many properties of laminar diffusion flames are directly relevant to turbulent diffusion flames using laminar flamelet concepts. Laminar jet diffusion flame shapes (luminous flame boundaries) have been of particular interest since the classical study of Burke and Schumann because they are a simple nonintrusive measurement that is convenient for evaluating flame structure predictions. Thus, consideration of laminar flame shapes is undertaken in the following, emphasizing conditions where effects of gravity are small, due to the importance of such conditions to practical applications. Another class of interesting properties of laminar diffusion flames are their laminar soot and smoke point properties (i.e., the flame length, fuel flow rate, characteristic residence time, etc., at the onset of soot appearance in the flame (the soot point) and the onset of soot emissions from the flame (the smoke point)). These are useful observable soot properties of nonpremixed flames because they provide a convenient means to rate several aspects of flame sooting properties: the relative propensity of various fuels to produce soot in flames; the relative effects of fuel structure, fuel dilution, flame temperature and ambient pressure on the soot appearance and emission properties of flames; the relative levels of continuum radiation from soot in flames; and effects of the intrusion of gravity (or buoyant motion) on emissions of soot from flames. An important motivation to define conditions for soot emissions is that observations of laminar jet diffusion flames in critical environments, e.g., space shuttle and space station facilities, cannot involve soot emitting flames in order to ensure that test chamber windows used for experimental observations are not blocked by soot deposits, thereby compromising unusually valuable experimental results. Another important motivation to define conditions where soot is present in diffusion flames is that flame chemistry, transport and radiation properties are vastly simplified when soot is absent, making such flames far more tractable for detailed numerical simulations than corresponding soot-containing flames. Motivated by these observations, the objectives of this phase of the investigation were as follows: (1) Observe flame-sheet shapes (the location of the reaction zone near phi=1) of nonluminous (soot free) laminar jet diffusion flames in both still and coflowing air and use these results to develop simplified models of flame-sheet shapes for these conditions; (2) Observe luminous flame boundaries of luminous (soot-containing) laminar jet diffusion flames in both still and coflowing air and use these results to develop simplified models of luminous flame boundaries for these conditions. In order to fix ideas here, maximum luminous flame boundaries at the laminar smoke point conditions were sought, i.e., luminous flame boundaries at the laminar smoke point; (3) Observe effects of coflow on laminar soot- and smoke-point conditions because coflow has been proposed as a means to control soot emissions and minimize the presence of soot in diffusion flames.

Suppression of Soot Formation and Shapes of Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; Dai, Z.; Faeth, G. M.

2001-01-01

Laminar nonpremixed (diffusion) flames are of interest because they provide model flame systems that are far more tractable for analysis and experiments than practical turbulent flames. In addition, many properties of laminar diffusion flames are directly relevant to turbulent diffusion flames using laminar flamelet concepts. Finally, laminar diffusion flame shapes have been of interest since the classical study of Burke and Schumann because they involve a simple nonintrusive measurement that is convenient for evaluating flame shape predictions. Motivated by these observations, the shapes of round hydrocarbon-fueled laminar jet diffusion flames were considered, emphasizing conditions where effects of buoyancy are small because most practical flames are not buoyant. Earlier studies of shapes of hydrocarbon-fueled nonbuoyant laminar jet diffusion flames considered combustion in still air and have shown that flames at the laminar smoke point are roughly twice as long as corresponding soot-free (blue) flames and have developed simple ways to estimate their shapes. Corresponding studies of hydrocarbon-fueled weakly-buoyant laminar jet diffusion flames in coflowing air have also been reported. These studies were limited to soot-containing flames at laminar smoke point conditions and also developed simple ways to estimate their shapes but the behavior of corresponding soot-free flames has not been addressed. This is unfortunate because ways of selecting flame flow properties to reduce soot concentrations are of great interest; in addition, soot-free flames are fundamentally important because they are much more computationally tractable than corresponding soot-containing flames. Thus, the objectives of the present investigation were to observe the shapes of weakly-buoyant laminar jet diffusion flames at both soot-free and smoke point conditions and to use the results to evaluate simplified flame shape models. The present discussion is brief.

An experimental investigation of reacting and nonreacting coaxial jet mixing in a laboratory rocket engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumaker, Stephen Alexander

Coaxial jets are commonly used as injectors in propulsion and combustion devices due to both the simplicity of their geometry and the rapid mixing they provide. In liquid rocket engines it is common to use coaxial jets in the context of airblast atomization. However, interest exists in developing rocket engines using a full flow staged combustion cycle. In such a configuration both propellants are injected in the gaseous phase. In addition, gaseous coaxial jets have been identified as an ideal test case for the validation of the next generation of injector modeling tools. For these reasons an understanding of the fundamental phenomena which govern mixing in gaseous coaxial jets and the effect of combustion on these phenomena in coaxial jet diffusion flames is needed. A study was performed to better understand the scaling of the stoichiometric mixing length in reacting and nonreacting coaxial jets with velocity ratios greater than one and density ratios less than one. A facility was developed that incorporates a single shear coaxial injector in a laboratory rocket engine capable of ten atmospheres. Optical access allows the use of flame luminosity and laser diagnostic techniques such as Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). Stoichiometric mixing lengths (LS), which are defined as the distance along the centerline where the stoichiometric condition occurs, were measured using PLIF. Acetone was seeded into the center jet to provide direct PLIF measurement of the average and instantaneous mixture fraction fields for a range of momentum flux ratios for the nonreacting cases. For the coaxial jet diffusion flames, LS was measured from OH radical contours. For nonreacting cases the use of a nondimensional momentum flux ratio was found to collapse the mixing length data. The flame lengths of coaxial jet diffusion flames were also found to scale with the momentum flux ratio but different scaling constants are required which depended on the chemistry of the reaction. The effective density ratio was measured which allowed the flame lengths to be collapsed to the nonreacting scaling relation. The equivalence principle of Tacina and Dahm was utilized to compare the theoretical and measured effective density ratios.

Optical diagnostics and computational modeling of reacting and non-reacting single and multiphase flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, Saptarshi

Three critical problem domains namely water transport in PEM fuel cell, interaction of vortices with diffusion flames and laminar diffusion layers and thermo-physical processes in droplets heated by a plasma or monochromatic radiation have been analyzed in this dissertation. The first part of the dissertation exhibits a unique, in situ, line-of-sight measurements of water vapor partial pressure and temperature in single and multiple gas channels on the cathode side of an operating PEM fuel cell. Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy was employed for these measurements for which water transitions sensitive to temperature and partial pressure were utilized. The technique was demonstrated in a PEM fuel cell operating under both steady state and time-varying load conditions. The second part of the dissertation is dedicated to the study of vortex interaction with laminar diffusion flame and non-reacting diffusion layers. For the non-reacting case, a detailed computational study of scalar mixing in a laminar vortex is presented for vortices generated between two gas streams. A detailed parametric study was conducted to determine the effects of vortex strength, convection time, and non-uniform temperature on scalar mixing characteristics. For the reacting case, an experimental study of the interaction of a planar diffusion flame with a line vortex is presented. The flame-vortex interactions are diagnosed by laser induced incandescence for soot yield and by particle image velocimetry for vortex flow characterization. The soot topography was studied as a function of the vortex strength, residence time, flame curvature and the reactant streams from which vortices are initiated. The third part of the dissertation is modeling of thermo-physical processes in liquid ceramic precursor droplets injected into plasma as used in the thermal spray industry to generate thermal barrier coatings on high value materials. Models include aerodynamic droplet break-up process, mixing of droplets in the high temperature plasma, heat and mass transfer within individual droplets as well as droplet precipitation and internal pressurization. The last part of the work is also concerned with the modeling of thermo-physical processes in liquid ceramic precursor droplets heated by monochromatic radiation. Purpose of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of studying precipitation kinetics and morphological changes in a droplet by mimicking similar heating rates as the plasma.

CO Emission from an Impinging Non-Premixed Flame

PubMed Central

Chien, Y.C.; Escofet-Martin, D.; Dunn-Rankin, D.

2017-01-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) results from the incomplete oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels. While CO can be desirable in some syngas processes, it is a dangerous emission from fires, gas heaters, gas stoves, or furnaces where insufficient oxygen in the core reaction prevents complete oxidation of fuel to carbon dioxide and water, particularly when the reaction is interrupted by interaction with relatively cool solid boundaries. This research examines the physico-thermo-chemical processes responsible for carbon monoxide release from a small laminar non-premixed methane/air flame impinging on a nearby surface. We measure the changes in CO emission as correlated with variations in flame structure observed using planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF of OH and 2-photon CO), and two-line OH PLIF thermometry, as a function of burner-to-plate distance. In particular, this work combines the use of OH and CO PLIF, and PLIF thermometry to describe the relative locations of the CO rich region, the peak heat release zone as indicated by chemiluminescence and OH gradients, and the extended oxidative zone in the impinging flames. The results show that CO release correlates strongly with stagnating flow-driven changes in the location and extent of high concentration regions of OH in surface-impinging diffusion flames. PMID:28989179

A Role of the Reaction Kernel in Propagation and Stabilization of Edge Diffusion Flames of C1-C3 Hydrocarbons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Katta, Viswanath R.

2003-01-01

Diffusion flame stabilization is of essential importance in both Earth-bound combustion systems and spacecraft fire safety. Local extinction, re-ignition, and propagation processes may occur as a result of interactions between the flame zone and vortices or fire-extinguishing agents. By using a computational fluid dynamics code with a detailed chemistry model for methane combustion, the authors have revealed the chemical kinetic structure of the stabilizing region of both jet and flat-plate diffusion flames, predicted the flame stability limit, and proposed diffusion flame attachment and detachment mechanisms in normal and microgravity. Because of the unique geometry of the edge of diffusion flames, radical back-diffusion against the oxygen-rich entrainment dramatically enhanced chain reactions, thus forming a peak reactivity spot, i.e., reaction kernel, responsible for flame holding. The new results have been obtained for the edge diffusion flame propagation and attached flame structure using various C1-C3 hydrocarbons.

Reaction Kernel Structure of a Slot Jet Diffusion Flame in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, F.; Katta, V. R.

2001-01-01

Diffusion flame stabilization in normal earth gravity (1 g) has long been a fundamental research subject in combustion. Local flame-flow phenomena, including heat and species transport and chemical reactions, around the flame base in the vicinity of condensed surfaces control flame stabilization and fire spreading processes. Therefore, gravity plays an important role in the subject topic because buoyancy induces flow in the flame zone, thus increasing the convective (and diffusive) oxygen transport into the flame zone and, in turn, reaction rates. Recent computations show that a peak reactivity (heat-release or oxygen-consumption rate) spot, or reaction kernel, is formed in the flame base by back-diffusion and reactions of radical species in the incoming oxygen-abundant flow at relatively low temperatures (about 1550 K). Quasi-linear correlations were found between the peak heat-release or oxygen-consumption rate and the velocity at the reaction kernel for cases including both jet and flat-plate diffusion flames in airflow. The reaction kernel provides a stationary ignition source to incoming reactants, sustains combustion, and thus stabilizes the trailing diffusion flame. In a quiescent microgravity environment, no buoyancy-induced flow exits and thus purely diffusive transport controls the reaction rates. Flame stabilization mechanisms in such purely diffusion-controlled regime remain largely unstudied. Therefore, it will be a rigorous test for the reaction kernel correlation if it can be extended toward zero velocity conditions in the purely diffusion-controlled regime. The objectives of this study are to reveal the structure of the flame-stabilizing region of a two-dimensional (2D) laminar jet diffusion flame in microgravity and develop a unified diffusion flame stabilization mechanism. This paper reports the recent progress in the computation and experiment performed in microgravity.

Effect of Soret diffusion on lean hydrogen/air flames at normal and elevated pressure and temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhen; Hernández-Pérez, Francisco E.; Shoshin, Yuriy; van Oijen, Jeroen A.; de Goey, Laurentius P. H.

2017-09-01

The influence of Soret diffusion on lean premixed flames propagating in hydrogen/air mixtures is numerically investigated with a detailed chemical and transport models at normal and elevated pressure and temperature. The Soret diffusion influence on the one-dimensional (1D) flame mass burning rate and two-dimensional (2D) flame propagating characteristics is analysed, revealing a strong dependency on flame stretch rate, pressure and temperature. For 1D flames, at normal pressure and temperature, with an increase of Karlovitz number from 0 to 0.4, the mass burning rate is first reduced and then enhanced by Soret diffusion of H2 while it is reduced by Soret diffusion of H. The influence of Soret diffusion of H2 is enhanced by pressure and reduced by temperature. On the contrary, the influence of Soret diffusion of H is reduced by pressure and enhanced by temperature. For 2D flames, at normal pressure and temperature, during the early phase of flame evolution, flames with Soret diffusion display more curved flame cells. Pressure enhances this effect, while temperature reduces it. The influence of Soret diffusion of H2 on the global consumption speed is enhanced at elevated pressure. The influence of Soret diffusion of H on the global consumption speed is enhanced at elevated temperature. The flame evolution is more affected by Soret diffusion in the early phase of propagation than in the long run due to the local enrichment of H2 caused by flame curvature effects. The present study provides new insights into the Soret diffusion effect on the characteristics of lean hydrogen/air flames at conditions that are relevant to practical applications, e.g. gas engines and turbines.

Radiant extinction of gaseous diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atreya, Arvind; Agrawal, Sanjay; Shamim, Tariq; Pickett, Kent; Sacksteder, Kurt R.; Baum, Howard R.

1995-01-01

The absence of buoyancy-induced flows in microgravity significantly alters the fundamentals of many combustion processes. Substantial differences between normal-gravity and microgravity flames have been reported during droplet combustion, flame spread over solids, candle flames, and others. These differences are more basic than just in the visible flame shape. Longer residence time and higher concentration of combustion products create a thermochemical environment which changes the flame chemistry. Processes such as flame radiation, that are often ignored under normal gravity, become very important and sometimes even controlling. This is particularly true for conditions at extinction of a microgravity diffusion flame. Under normal-gravity, the buoyant flow, which may be characterized by the strain rate, assists the diffusion process to transport the fuel and oxidizer to the combustion zone and remove the hot combustion products from it. These are essential functions for the survival of the flame which needs fuel and oxidizer. Thus, as the strain rate is increased, the diffusion flame which is 'weak' (reduced burning rate per unit flame area) at low strain rates is initially 'strengthened' and eventually it may be 'blown-out'. Most of the previous research on diffusion flame extinction has been conducted at the high strain rate 'blow-off' limit. The literature substantially lacks information on low strain rate, radiation-induced, extinction of diffusion flames. At the low strain rates encountered in microgravity, flame radiation is enhanced due to: (1) build-up of combustion products in the flame zone which increases the gas radiation, and (2) low strain rates provide sufficient residence time for substantial amounts of soot to form which further increases the flame radiation. It is expected that this radiative heat loss will extinguish the already 'weak' diffusion flame under certain conditions. Identifying these conditions (ambient atmosphere, fuel flow rate, fuel type, etc.) is important for spacecraft fire safety. Thus, the objective is to experimentally and theoretically investigate the radiation-induced extinction of diffusion flames in microgravity and determine the effect of flame radiation on the 'weak' microgravity diffusion flame.

Stability and Behaviors of Methane/Propane and Hydrogen Micro Flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshimoto, Takamitsu; Kinoshita, Koichiro; Kitamura, Hideki; Tanigawa, Ryoichi

The flame stability limits essentially define the fundamental operation of the combustion system. Recently the micro diffusion flame has been remarked. The critical conditions of the flame stability limit are highly dependent on nozzle diameter, species of fuel and so on. The micro diffusion flame of Methane/Propane and Hydrogen is formed by using the micro-scale nozzle of which inner diameter is less than 1mm. The configurations and behaviors of the flame are observed directly and visualized by the high speed video camera The criteria of stability limits are proposed for the micro diffusion flame. The objectives of the present study are to get further understanding of lifting/blow-off for the micro diffusion flame. The results obtained are as follows. (1) The behaviors of the flames are classified into some regions for each diffusion flame. (2) The micro diffusion flame of Methane/Propane cannot be sustained, when the nozzle diameter is less than 0.14 mm. (3) The diffusion flame cannot be sustained below the critical fuel flow rate. (4) The minimum flow which is formed does not depends on the average jet velocity, but on the fuel flow rate. (5) the micro flame is laminar. The flame length is decided by fuel flow rate.

Diffusion Flame Stabilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Katta, V. R.

2006-01-01

Diffusion flames are commonly used for industrial burners in furnaces and flares. Oxygen/fuel burners are usually diffusion burners, primarily for safety reasons, to prevent flashback and explosion in a potentially dangerous system. Furthermore, in most fires, condensed materials pyrolyze, vaporize, and burn in air as diffusion flames. As a result of the interaction of a diffusion flame with burner or condensed-fuel surfaces, a quenched space is formed, thus leaving a diffusion flame edge, which plays an important role in flame holding in combustion systems and fire spread through condensed fuels. Despite a long history of jet diffusion flame studies, lifting/blowoff mechanisms have not yet been fully understood, compared to those of premixed flames. In this study, the structure and stability of diffusion flames of gaseous hydrocarbon fuels in coflowing air at normal earth gravity have been investigated experimentally and computationally. Measurements of the critical mean jet velocity (U(sub jc)) of methane, ethane, or propane at lifting or blowoff were made as a function of the coflowing air velocity (U(sub a)) using a tube burner (i.d.: 2.87 mm). By using a computational fluid dynamics code with 33 species and 112 elementary reaction steps, the internal chemical-kinetic structures of the stabilizing region of methane and propane flames were investigated. A peak reactivity spot, i.e., reaction kernel, is formed in the flame stabilizing region due to back-diffusion of heat and radical species against an oxygen-rich incoming flow, thus holding the trailing diffusion flame. The simulated flame base moved downstream under flow conditions close to the measured stability limit.

Diffusion Flame Stabilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Katta, Viswanath R.

2007-01-01

Diffusion flames are commonly used for industrial burners in furnaces and flares. Oxygen/fuel burners are usually diffusion burners, primarily for safety reasons, to prevent flashback and explosion in a potentially dangerous system. Furthermore, in most fires, condensed materials pyrolyze, vaporize, and burn in air as diffusion flames. As a result of the interaction of a diffusion flame with burner or condensed-fuel surfaces, a quenched space is formed, thus leaving a diffusion flame edge, which plays an important role in flame holding in combustion systems and fire spread through condensed fuels. Despite a long history of jet diffusion flame studies, lifting/blowoff mechanisms have not yet been fully understood, compared to those of premixed flames. In this study, the structure and stability of diffusion flames of gaseous hydrocarbon fuels in coflowing air at normal earth gravity have been investigated experimentally and computationally. Measurements of the critical mean jet velocity (U(sub jc)) of methane, ethane, or propane at lifting or blowoff were made as a function of the coflowing air velocity (U(sub a)) using a tube burner (i.d.: 2.87 mm) (Fig. 1, left). By using a computational fluid dynamics code with 33 species and 112 elementary reaction steps, the internal chemical-kinetic structures of the stabilizing region of methane and propane flames were investigated (Fig. 1, right). A peak reactivity spot, i.e., reaction kernel, is formed in the flame stabilizing region due to back-diffusion of heat and radical species against an oxygen-rich incoming flow, thus holding the trailing diffusion flame. The simulated flame base moved downstream under flow conditions close to the measured stability limit.

Planar SiC MEMS flame ionization sensor for in-engine monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolfe, D. A.; Wodin-Schwartz, S.; Alonso, R.; Pisano, A. P.

2013-12-01

A novel planar silicon carbide (SiC) MEMS flame ionization sensor was developed, fabricated and tested to measure the presence of a flame from the surface of an engine or other cooled surface while withstanding the high temperature and soot of a combustion environment. Silicon carbide, a ceramic semiconductor, was chosen as the sensor material because it has low surface energy and excellent mechanical and electrical properties at high temperatures. The sensor measures the conductivity of scattered charge carriers in the flame's quenching layer. This allows for flame detection, even when the sensor is situated several millimetres from the flame region. The sensor has been shown to detect the ionization of premixed methane and butane flames in a wide temperature range starting from room temperature. The sensors can measure both the flame chemi-ionization and the deposition of water vapour on the sensor surface. The width and speed of a premixed methane laminar flame front were measured with a series of two sensors fabricated on a single die. This research points to the feasibility of using either single sensors or arrays in internal combustion engine cylinders to optimize engine performance, or for using sensors to monitor flame stability in gas turbine applications.

Thermal-diffusional Instability in White Dwarf Flames: Regimes of Flame Pulsation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xing, Guangzheng; Zhao, Yibo; Zhou, Cheng

Thermal-diffusional pulsation behaviors in planar as well as outwardly and inwardly propagating white dwarf (WD) carbon flames are systematically studied. In the 1D numerical simulation, the asymptotic degenerate equation of state and simplified one-step reaction rates for nuclear reactions are used to study the flame propagation and pulsation in WDs. The numerical critical Zel’dovich numbers of planar flames at different densities ( ρ = 2, 3, and 4 × 10{sup 7} g cm{sup −3}) and of spherical flames (with curvature c = −0.01, 0, 0.01, and 0.05) at a particular density ( ρ = 2 × 10{sup 7} g cm{supmore » −3}) are presented. Flame front pulsation in different environmental densities and temperatures are obtained to form the regime diagram of pulsation, showing that carbon flames pulsate in the typical density of 2 × 10{sup 7} g cm{sup −3} and temperature of 0.6 × 10{sup 9} K. While being stable at higher temperatures, at relatively lower temperatures, the amplitude of the flame pulsation becomes larger. In outwardly propagating spherical flames the pulsation instability is enhanced and flames are also easier to quench due to pulsation at small radius, while the inwardly propagating flames are more stable.« less

A Experimental Study of the Growth of Laser Spark and Electric Spark Ignited Flame Kernels.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Chi Ming

1995-01-01

Better ignition sources are constantly in demand for enhancing the spark ignition in practical applications such as automotive and liquid rocket engines. In response to this practical challenge, the present experimental study was conducted with the major objective to obtain a better understanding on how spark formation and hence spark characteristics affect the flame kernel growth. Two laser sparks and one electric spark were studied in air, propane-air, propane -air-nitrogen, methane-air, and methane-oxygen mixtures that were initially at ambient pressure and temperature. The growth of the kernels was monitored by imaging the kernels with shadowgraph systems, and by imaging the planar laser -induced fluorescence of the hydroxyl radicals inside the kernels. Characteristic dimensions and kernel structures were obtained from these images. Since different energy transfer mechanisms are involved in the formation of a laser spark as compared to that of an electric spark; a laser spark is insensitive to changes in mixture ratio and mixture type, while an electric spark is sensitive to changes in both. The detailed structures of the kernels in air and propane-air mixtures primarily depend on the spark characteristics. But the combustion heat released rapidly in methane-oxygen mixtures significantly modifies the kernel structure. Uneven spark energy distribution causes remarkably asymmetric kernel structure. The breakdown energy of a spark creates a blast wave that shows good agreement with the numerical point blast solution, and a succeeding complex spark-induced flow that agrees reasonably well with a simple puff model. The transient growth rates of the propane-air, propane-air -nitrogen, and methane-air flame kernels can be interpreted in terms of spark effects, flame stretch, and preferential diffusion. For a given mixture, a spark with higher breakdown energy produces a greater and longer-lasting enhancing effect on the kernel growth rate. By comparing the growth rates of the appropriate mixtures, the positive and negative effects of preferential diffusion and flame stretch on the developing flame are clearly demonstrated.

Optical Measurement and Visualization in High-Pressure, High-Temperature, Aviation Gas Turbine Combustors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hicks, Yolanda R.; Anderson, Robert C.; Locke, Randy J.

2000-01-01

Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), planar Mie scattering (PMie), and linear (1-D) spontaneous Raman scattering are applied to flame tube and sector combustors that burn Jet-A fuel at a range of inlet temperatures and pressures that simulate conditions expected in future high-performance civilian gas turbine engines. Chemiluminescence arising from C2 in the flame was also imaged. Flame spectral emissions measurements were obtained using a scanning spectrometer. Several different advanced concept fuel injectors were examined. First-ever PLIF and chemiluminescence data are presented from the 60-atm Gas turbine combustor facility.

Validation of a mixture-averaged thermal diffusion model for premixed lean hydrogen flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlup, Jason; Blanquart, Guillaume

2018-03-01

The mixture-averaged thermal diffusion model originally proposed by Chapman and Cowling is validated using multiple flame configurations. Simulations using detailed hydrogen chemistry are done on one-, two-, and three-dimensional flames. The analysis spans flat and stretched, steady and unsteady, and laminar and turbulent flames. Quantitative and qualitative results using the thermal diffusion model compare very well with the more complex multicomponent diffusion model. Comparisons are made using flame speeds, surface areas, species profiles, and chemical source terms. Once validated, this model is applied to three-dimensional laminar and turbulent flames. For these cases, thermal diffusion causes an increase in the propagation speed of the flames as well as increased product chemical source terms in regions of high positive curvature. The results illustrate the necessity for including thermal diffusion, and the accuracy and computational efficiency of the mixture-averaged thermal diffusion model.

Oscillatory Extinction Of Spherical Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Law, C. K.; Yoo, S. W.; Christianson, E. W.

2003-01-01

Since extinction has been observed in an oscillatory manner in Le greater than 1 premixed flames, it is not unreasonable to expect that extinction could occur in an unsteady manner for diffusion flames. Indeed, near-limit oscillations have been observed experimentally under microgravity conditions for both candle flames and droplet flames. Furthermore, the analysis of Cheatham and Matalon on the unsteady behavior of diffusion flames with heat loss, identified an oscillatory regime which could be triggered by either a sufficiently large Lewis number (even without heat loss) or an appreciable heat loss (even for Le=1). In light of these recent understanding, the present investigation aims to provide a well-controlled experiment that can unambiguously demonstrate the oscillation of diffusion flames near both the transport- and radiation-induced limits. That is, since candle and jet flames are stabilized through flame segments that are fundamentally premixed in nature, and since premixed flames are prone to oscillate, there is the possibility that the observed oscillation of these bulk diffusion flames could be triggered and sustained by the oscillation of the premixed flame segments. Concerning the observed oscillatory droplet extinction, it is well-known that gas-phase oscillation in heterogeneous burning can be induced by and is thereby coupled with condensed-phase unsteadiness. Consequently, a convincing experiment on diffusion flame oscillation must exclude any ingredients of premixed flames and other sources that may either oscillate themselves or promote the oscillation of the diffusion flame. The present experiment on burner-generated spherical flames with a constant reactant supply endeavored to accomplish this goal. The results are further compared with those from computational simulation for further understanding and quantification of the flame dynamics and extinction.

A Computational Investigation of Sooting Limits of Spherical Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lecoustre, V. R.; Chao, B. H.; Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Stocker, D. P.; Axelbaum, R. L.

2007-01-01

Limiting conditions for soot particle inception in spherical diffusion flames were investigated numerically. The flames were modeled using a one-dimensional, time accurate diffusion flame code with detailed chemistry and transport and an optically thick radiation model. Seventeen normal and inverse flames were considered, covering a wide range of stoichiometric mixture fraction, adiabatic flame temperature, and residence time. These flames were previously observed to reach their sooting limits after 2 s of microgravity. Sooting-limit diffusion flames with residence times longer than 200 ms were found to have temperatures near 1190 K where C/O = 0.6, whereas flames with shorter residence times required increased temperatures. Acetylene was found to be a reasonable surrogate for soot precursor species in these flames, having peak mole fractions of about 0.01.

Laminar Premixed and Diffusion Flames (Ground-Based Study)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dai, Z.; El-Leathy, A. M.; Lin, K.-C.; Sunderland, P. B.; Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Ground-based studies of soot processes in laminar flames proceeded in two phases, considering laminar premixed flames and laminar diffusion flames, in turn. The test arrangement for laminar premixed flames involved round flat flame burners directed vertically upward at atmospheric pressure. The test arrangement for laminar jet diffusion flames involved a round fuel port directed vertically upward with various hydrocarbon fuels burning at atmospheric pressure in air. In both cases, coflow was used to prevent flame oscillations and measurements were limited to the flame axes. The measurements were sufficient to resolve soot nucleation, growth and oxidation rates, as well as the properties of the environment needed to evaluate mechanisms of these processes. The experimental methods used were also designed to maintain capabilities for experimental methods used in corresponding space-based experiments. This section of the report will be limited to consideration of flame structure for both premixed and diffusion flames.

Effects of H{sub 2} and H preferential diffusion and unity Lewis number on superadiabatic flame temperatures in rich premixed methane flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Fengshan; Guelder, OEmer L.

2005-11-01

The structures of freely propagating rich CH{sub 4}/air and CH{sub 4}/O{sub 2} flames were studied numerically using a relatively detailed reaction mechanism. Species diffusion was modeled using five different methods/assumptions to investigate the effects of species diffusion, in particular H{sub 2} and H, on superadiabatic flame temperature. With the preferential diffusion of H{sub 2} and H accounted for, significant amount of H{sub 2} and H produced in the flame front diffuse from the reaction zone to the preheat zone. The preferential diffusion of H{sub 2} from the reaction zone to the preheat zone has negligible effects on the phenomenon ofmore » superadiabatic flame temperature in both CH{sub 4}/air and CH{sub 4}/O{sub 2} flames. It is therefore demonstrated that the superadiabatic flame temperature phenomenon in rich hydrocarbon flames is not due to the preferential diffusion of H{sub 2} from the reaction zone to the preheat zone as recently suggested by Zamashchikov et al. [V.V. Zamashchikov, I.G. Namyatov, V.A. Bunev, V.S. Babkin, Combust. Explosion Shock Waves 40 (2004) 32]. The suppression of the preferential diffusion of H radicals from the reaction zone to the preheat zone drastically reduces the degree of superadiabaticity in rich CH{sub 4}/O{sub 2} flames. The preferential diffusion of H radicals plays an important role in the occurrence of superadiabatic flame temperature. The assumption of unity Lewis number for all species leads to the suppression of H radical diffusion from the reaction zone to the preheat zone and significant diffusion of CO{sub 2} from the postflame zone to the reaction zone. Consequently, the degree of superadiabaticity of flame temperature is also significantly reduced. Through reaction flux analyses and numerical experiments, the chemical nature of the superadiabatic flame temperature phenomenon in rich CH{sub 4}/air and CH{sub 4}/O{sub 2} flames was identified to be the relative scarcity of H radical, which leads to overshoot of H{sub 2}O and CH{sub 2}CO in CH{sub 4}/air flames and overshoot of H{sub 2}O in CH{sub 4}/O{sub 2} flames.« less

Oxygen and Fuel Jet Diffusion Flame Studies in Microgravity Motivated by Spacecraft Oxygen Storage Fire Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Krishnan, S. S.; Abshire, J. M.; Gore, J. P.

2003-01-01

Owing to the absence of past work involving flames similar to the Mir fire namely oxygen-enhanced, inverse gas-jet diffusion flames in microgravity the objectives of this work are as follows: 1. Observe the effects of enhanced oxygen conditions on laminar jet diffusion flames with ethane fuel. 2. Consider both earth gravity and microgravity. 3. Examine both normal and inverse flames. 4. Compare the measured flame lengths and widths with calibrated predictions of several flame shape models. This study expands on the work of Hwang and Gore which emphasized radiative emissions from oxygen-enhanced inverse flames in earth gravity, and Sunderland et al. which emphasized the shapes of normal and inverse oxygen-enhanced gas-jet diffusion flames in microgravity.

Effects of C/O Ratio and Temperature on Sooting Limits of Spherical Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lecoustre, V. R.; Sunderland, P. B.; Chao, B. H.; Urban, D. L.; Stocker, D. P.; Axelbaum, R. L.

2008-01-01

Limiting conditions for soot particle inception in spherical diffusion flames were investigated numerically. The flames were modeled using a one-dimensional, time accurate diffusion flame code with detailed chemistry and transport and an optically thick radiation model. Seventeen normal and inverse flames were considered, covering a wide range of stoichiometric mixture fraction, adiabatic flame temperature, residence time and scalar dissipation rate. These flames were previously observed to reach their sooting limits after 2 s of microgravity. Sooting-limit diffusion flames with scalar dissipation rate lower than 2/s were found to have temperatures near 1400 K where C/O = 0.51, whereas flames with greater scalar dissipation rate required increased temperatures. This finding was valid across a broad range of fuel and oxidizer compositions and convection directions.

Flame dynamics in a micro-channeled combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Taaha; Markides, Christos N.; Balachandran, Ramanarayanan

2015-01-01

The increasing use of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) has generated a significant interest in combustion-based power generation technologies, as a replacement of traditional electrochemical batteries which are plagued by low energy densities, short operational lives and low power-to-size and power-to-weight ratios. Moreover, the versatility of integrated combustion-based systems provides added scope for combined heat and power generation. This paper describes a study into the dynamics of premixed flames in a micro-channeled combustor. The details of the design and the geometry of the combustor are presented in the work by Kariuki and Balachandran [1]. This work showed that there were different modes of operation (periodic, a-periodic and stable), and that in the periodic mode the flame accelerated towards the injection manifold after entering the channels. The current study investigates these flames further. We will show that the flame enters the channel and propagates towards the injection manifold as a planar flame for a short distance, after which the flame shape and propagation is found to be chaotic in the middle section of the channel. Finally, the flame quenches when it reaches the injector slots. The glow plug position in the exhaust side ignites another flame, and the process repeats. It is found that an increase in air flow rate results in a considerable increase in the length (and associated time) over which the planar flame travels once it has entered a micro-channel, and a significant decrease in the time between its conversion into a chaotic flame and its extinction. It is well known from the literature that inside small channels the flame propagation is strongly influenced by the flow conditions and thermal management. An increase of the combustor block temperature at high flow rates has little effect on the flame lengths and times, whereas at low flow rates the time over which the planar flame front can be observed decreases and the time of existence of the chaotic flame increases. The frequency of re-ignition of successive flames decreases at higher flow rates and increases at higher temperatures. The data and results from this study will not only help the development of new micro-power generation devices, but they will also serve as a validation case for combustion models capable of predicting flame behavior in the presence of strong thermal and flow boundary layers, a situation common to many industrial applications.

Laminar and Turbulent Gaseous Diffusion Flames. Appendix C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Recent measurements and predictions of the properties of homogeneous (gaseous) laminar and turbulent non-premixed (diffusion) flames are discussed, emphasizing results from both ground- and space-based studies at microgravity conditions. Initial considerations show that effects of buoyancy not only complicate the interpretation of observations of diffusion flames but at times mislead when such results are applied to the non-buoyant diffusion flame conditions of greatest practical interest. This behavior motivates consideration of experiments where effects of buoyancy are minimized; therefore, methods of controlling the intrusion of buoyancy during observations of non-premixed flames are described, considering approaches suitable for both normal laboratory conditions as well as classical microgravity techniques. Studies of laminar flames at low-gravity and microgravity conditions are emphasized in view of the computational tractability of such flames for developing methods of predicting flame structure as well as the relevance of such flames to more practical turbulent flames by exploiting laminar flamelet concepts.

Laminar soot processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Lin, K.-C.; Faeth, G. M.

1995-01-01

Soot processes within hydrocarbon fueled flames are important because they affect the durability and performance of propulsion systems, the hazards of unwanted fires, the pollutant and particulate emissions from combustion processes, and the potential for developing computational combustion. Motivated by these observations, the present investigation is studying soot processes in laminar diffusion and premixed flames in order to better understand the soot and thermal radiation emissions of luminous flames. Laminar flames are being studied due to their experimental and computational tractability, noting the relevance of such results to practical turbulent flames through the laminar flamelet concept. Weakly-buoyant and nonbuoyant laminar diffusion flames are being considered because buoyancy affects soot processes in flames while most practical flames involve negligible effects of buoyancy. Thus, low-pressure weakly-buoyant flames are being observed during ground-based experiments while near atmospheric pressure nonbuoyant flames will be observed during space flight experiments at microgravity. Finally, premixed laminar flames also are being considered in order to observe some aspects of soot formation for simpler flame conditions than diffusion flames. The main emphasis of current work has been on measurements of soot nucleation and growth in laminar diffusion and premixed flames.

Calculations of thermal radiation transfer of C2H2 and C2H4 together with H2O, CO2, and CO in a one-dimensional enclosure using LBL and SNB models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Chaobo; Zheng, Shu; Zhou, Huaichun

2017-08-01

Generally, the involvement of hydrocarbons such as C2H4 and its derivative C2H2 in thermal radiation has not been accounted in the numerical simulation of their flames, which may cause serious error for estimation of temperature in the early stage of combustion. At the first, the Statistical Narrow-Band (SNB) model parameters for C2H2 and C2H4 are generated from line by line (LBL) calculations. The distributions of the concentrations of radiating gases such as H2O, CO2, CO, C2H2 and C2H4, and the temperature along the centerline of a laminar ethylene/air diffusion flame were chosen to form a one-dimensional, planar enclosure to be tested in this study. Thermal radiation transfer in such an enclosure was calculated using the LBL approach and the SNB model, most of the relative errors are less than 8% and the results of these two models shows an excellent agreement. Below the height of 20 mm, which is the early stage of the flame, the average fraction contributed by C2H2 and C2H4 in the radiative heat source is 33.8%, while that by CO is only 5.8%. This result indicates that the involvement of C2H2 and C2H4 in radiation heat transfer needs to be taken into account in the numerical modeling of the ethylene/air diffusion flame, especially in the early stage of combustion.

Analysis of pulsating spray flames propagating in lean two-phase mixtures with unity Lewis number

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nicoli, C.; Haldenwang, P.; Suard, S.

2005-11-01

Pulsating (or oscillatory) spray flames have recently been observed in experiments on two-phase combustion. Numerical studies have pointed out that such front oscillations can be obtained even with very simple models of homogeneous two-phase mixtures, including elementary vaporization schemes. The paper presents an analytical approach within the simple framework of the thermal-diffusive model, which is complemented by a vaporization rate independent of gas temperature, as soon as the latter reaches a certain thermal threshold ({theta}{sub v} in reduced form). The study involves the Damkoehler number (Da), the ratio of chemical reaction rate to vaporization rate, and the Zeldovich number (Ze)more » as essential parameters. We use the standard asymptotic method based on matched expansions in terms of 1/Ze. Linear analysis of two-phase flame stability is performed by studying, in the absence of differential diffusive effects (unity Lewis number), the linear growth rate of 2-D perturbations added to steady plane solutions and characterized by wavenumber k in the direction transverse to spreading. A domain of existence is found for the pulsating regime. It corresponds to mixture characteristics often met in air-fuel two-phase systems: low boiling temperature ({theta}{sub v} << 1), reaction rate not higher than vaporization rate (Da < 1, i.e., small droplets), and activation temperature assumed to be high compared with flame temperature (Ze {>=} 10). Satisfactory comparison with numerical simulations confirms the validity of the analytical approach; in particular, positive growth rates have been found for planar perturbations (k = 0) and for wrinkled fronts (k {ne} 0). Finally, comparison between predicted frequencies and experimental measurements is discussed.« less

Use of laser-induced spark for studying ignition stability and unburned hydrogen escaping from laminar diluted hydrogen diffusion jet flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phuoc, Tran X.; Chen, Ruey-Hung

2007-08-01

Ignition and unburned hydrogen escaping from hydrogen jet diffusion flames diluted with nitrogen up to 70% were experimentally studied. The successful ignition locations were about 2/3 of the flame length above the jet exit for undiluted flames and moved much closer to the exit for diluted flames. For higher levels of dilution or higher flow rates, there existed a region within which a diluted hydrogen diffusion flame can be ignited and burns with a stable liftoff height. This is contrary to previous findings that pure and diluted hydrogen jet diffusion cannot achieve a stable lifted flame configuration. With liftoff, the flame is noisy and short with significant amount of unburned hydrogen escaping into the product gases. If ignition is initiated below this region, the flame propagates upstream quickly and attaches to the burner rim. Results from measurements of unburned hydrogen in the combustion products showed that the amount of unburned hydrogen increased as the nitrogen dilution level was increased. Thus, hydrogen diffusion flame diluted with nitrogen cannot burn completely.

Soot Formation in Hydrocarbon/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Faeth, G. M.

1994-01-01

Soot processes within hydrocarbon/air diffusion flames are important because they affect the durability and performance of propulsion systems, the hazards of unwanted fires, the pollutant and particulate emissions from combustion processes, and the potential for developing computational combustion. Motivated by these observations, this investigation involved an experimental study of the structure and soot properties of round laminar jet diffusion flames, seeking an improved understanding of soot formation (growth and nucleation) within diffusion flames. The present study extends earlier work in this laboratory concerning laminar smoke points (l) and soot formation in acetylene/air laminar jet diffusion flames (2), emphasizing soot formation in hydrocarbon/air laminar jet diffusion flames for fuels other than acetylene. In the flame system, acetylene is the dominant gas species in the soot formation region and both nucleation and growth were successfully attributed to first-order reactions of acetylene, with nucleation exhibiting an activation energy of 32 kcal/gmol while growth involved negligible activation energy and a collision efficiency of O.53%. In addition, soot growth in the acetylene diffusion flames was comparable to new soot in premixed flame (which also has been attributed to first-order acetylene reactions). In view of this status, a major issue is the nature of soot formation processes in diffusion flame involving hydrocarbon fuels other than acetylene. In particular, information is needed about th dominant gas species in the soot formation region and the impact of gas species other than acetylene on soot nucleation and growth.

Soot formation and radiation in turbulent jet diffusion flames under normal and reduced gravity conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ku, Jerry C.; Tong, LI; Sun, Jun; Greenberg, Paul S.; Griffin, Devon W.

1993-01-01

Most practical combustion processes, as well as fires and explosions, exhibit some characteristics of turbulent diffusion flames. For hydrocarbon fuels, the presence of soot particles significantly increases the level of radiative heat transfer from flames. In some cases, flame radiation can reach up to 75 percent of the heat release by combustion. Laminar diffusion flame results show that radiation becomes stronger under reduced gravity conditions. Therefore, detailed soot formation and radiation must be included in the flame structure analysis. A study of sooting turbulent diffusion flames under reduced-gravity conditions will not only provide necessary information for such practical issues as spacecraft fire safety, but also develop better understanding of fundamentals for diffusion combustion. In this paper, a summary of the work to date and of future plans is reported.

Vortex/Flame Interactions in Microgravity Pulsed Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahadori, M. Y.; Hegde, U.; Stocker, D. P.

1999-01-01

The problem of vortex/flame interaction is of fundamental importance to turbulent combustion. These interactions have been studied in normal gravity. It was found that due to the interactions between the imposed disturbances and buoyancy induced instabilities, several overall length scales dominated the flame. The problem of multiple scales does not exist in microgravity for a pulsed laminar flame, since there are no buoyancy induced instabilities. The absence of buoyant convection therefore provides an environment to study the role of vortices interacting with flames in a controlled manner. There are strong similarities between imposed and naturally occurring perturbations, since both can be described by the same spatial instability theory. Hence, imposing a harmonic disturbance on a microgravity laminar flame creates effects similar to those occurring naturally in transitional/turbulent diffusion flames observed in microgravity. In this study, controlled, large-scale, axisymmetric vortices are imposed on a microgravity laminar diffusion flame. The experimental results and predictions from a numerical model of transient jet diffusion flames are presented and the characteristics of pulsed flame are described.

Advanced optical diagnostics of multiphase combustion flow field using OH planar laser-induced fluorescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Kevin Young-jin

High-repetition-rate (5 kHz, 10 kHz) OH planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) was used to investigate the combustion of liquid, gelled, and solid propellants. For the liquid monomethyl hydrazine (MMH) droplet combustion experiment in N2O/N2 using 5 kHz OH PLIF and visible imaging system, the OH profile and the droplet diameter were measured. The N2O partial pressure was varied by 20% and 40%, and the total pressure was varied by 103, 172, 276, 414, 552 kPa. The OH location indicated that the oxidation flame front is between the visible dual flame fronts. The results showed thicker flame sheet and higher burning rate for increased N2O concentration for a given pressure. The burning rate increased with increased pressure at 20% partial pressure N2O, and the burning rate decreased with increased pressure at 40% partial pressure N2O. This work provides experimental data for validating chemical kinetics models. For the gelled droplet combustion experiment using a 5 kHz OH PLIF system, speeds and locations of fuel jets emanating from the burning gelled droplets were quantified for the first time. MMH was gelled with organic gellant HPC at 3 wt.% and 6 wt.%, and burned in air at 35, 103, 172, 276, and 414 kPa. Different types of interaction of vapor jets and flame front were distinguished for the first time. For high jet speed, local extinction of the flame was observed. By analyzing the jet speed statistics, it was concluded that pressure and jet speed had an inverse relationship and gellant concentration and jet speed had a direct relationship. This work provides more fundamental insight into the physics of gelled fuel droplet combustion. A 3D OH PLIF system was assembled and demonstrated using a 10 kHz OH PLIF system and a galvanometric scanning mirror. This is the first time that a reacting flow field was imaged with a 3D optical technique using OH PLIF. A 3D scan time of 1 ms was achieved, with ten slices generated per sweep with 1000 Hz scan rate. Alternatively, 3D scan time of 500 micros was achieved with a trapezoidal scan profile, generating five new slices per sweep at 1000 Hz scan rate. The system was applied to 3 wt.% and 6 wt.% HPC methanol gelled droplet combustion in 1 atm, and at room temperature. The system had sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to provide a more complete picture of the complex asymmetrical and random flame structure of the gelled droplet combustion. However, the technique had limited capabilities for resolving the impinging jet spray combustion flow field. For the ammonium perchlorate (AP)/ hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) combustion study with 3D OH PLIF, 40 wt.% coarse AP crystal (400 microm), 40 wt.% fine AP crystal (20 microm), and 20 wt.% HTPB binder formulation with pellet diameter of 6.35 mm was used. The scan rate was reduced to 250 Hz, resulting in 20 images generated per scan, 500 scans per second, and 2 ms scan time, with 1.5 mm scan distance. The test pressure ranged from 3.4 - 6.1 atm of nitrogen, with test temperature at room condition. The results from 3D OH PLIF of AP/HTPB combustion showed a diffusion flame structure, with a lack of OH in the middle of the flame. This is the first time a direct observation of the diffusion flame and the OH structure have been made at elevated pressure. The preliminary results show a good agreement with the BDP model, with a second order increase in the diffusion flame height with increased coarse crystal diameter. Although the scan of 3D OH PLIF is non-instantaneous, no other systems in the literature can scan reacting flow field at such a high 3D repetition rate. Since the identification of the transient flame patterns is facilitated by the ability to visualize the flame front at multiple planes, the 3D OH PLIF technique offers great promise as a diagnostic for dynamic combustion events.

Unsteady Spherical Diffusion Flames in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atreya, Arvind; Berhan, S.; Chernovsky, M.; Sacksteder, Kurt R.

2001-01-01

The absence of buoyancy-induced flows in microgravity (mu-g) and the resulting increase in the reactant residence time significantly alters the fundamentals of many combustion processes. Substantial differences between normal gravity (ng) and (mu-g) flames have been reported in experiments on candle flames, flame spread over solids, droplet combustion, and others. These differences are more basic than just in the visible flame shape. Longer residence times and higher concentration of combustion products in the flame zone create a thermochemical environment that changes the flame chemistry and the heat and mass transfer processes. Processes such as flame radiation, that are often ignored in ng, become very important and sometimes even controlling. Furthermore, microgravity conditions considerably enhance flame radiation by: (i) the build-up of combustion products in the high-temperature reaction zone which increases the gas radiation, and (ii) longer residence times make conditions appropriate for substantial amounts of soot to form which is also responsible for radiative heat loss. Thus, it is anticipated that radiative heat loss may eventually extinguish the "weak" (low burning rate per unit flame area) mu-g diffusion flame. Yet, space shuttle experiments on candle flames show that in an infinite ambient atmosphere, the hemispherical candle flame in mu-g will burn indefinitely. This may be because of the coupling between the fuel production rate and the flame via the heat-feedback mechanism for candle flames, flames over solids and fuel droplet flames. Thus, to focus only on the gas-phase phenomena leading to radiative extinction, aerodynamically stabilized gaseous diffusion flames are examined. This enables independent control of the fuel flow rate to help identify conditions under which radiative extinction occurs. Also, spherical geometry is chosen for the mu-g experiments and modeling because: (i) It reduces the complexity by making the problem one-dimensional; (ii) The spherical diffusion flame completely encloses the soot which is formed on the fuel rich side of the reaction zone. This increases the importance of flame radiation because now both soot and gaseous combustion products co-exist inside the high temperature spherical diffusion flame. (iii) For small fuel injection velocities, as is usually the case for a pyrolyzing solid, the diffusion flame in mu-g around the solid naturally develops spherical symmetry. Thus, spherical diffusion flames are of interest to fires in mu-g and identifying conditions that lead to radiation-induced extinction is important for spacecraft fire safety.

Dynamics of an Unsteady Diffusion Flame: Effects of Heat Release and Gravity

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-27

UNSTEADY DIFFUSION FLAME: EFFECTS OF HEAT RELEASE AND GRAVITY INTRODUCTION Experiments on laminar diffusion flames have shown that gravity affects the flame ... length and width as well as its extinction characteristics (1-4). These studies have been conducted in drop towers and have focused on fuel jets with

Spectral kinetic energy transfer in turbulent premixed reacting flows.

PubMed

Towery, C A Z; Poludnenko, A Y; Urzay, J; O'Brien, J; Ihme, M; Hamlington, P E

2016-05-01

Spectral kinetic energy transfer by advective processes in turbulent premixed reacting flows is examined using data from a direct numerical simulation of a statistically planar turbulent premixed flame. Two-dimensional turbulence kinetic-energy spectra conditioned on the planar-averaged reactant mass fraction are computed through the flame brush and variations in the spectra are connected to terms in the spectral kinetic energy transport equation. Conditional kinetic energy spectra show that turbulent small-scale motions are suppressed in the burnt combustion products, while the energy content of the mean flow increases. An analysis of spectral kinetic energy transfer further indicates that, contrary to the net down-scale transfer of energy found in the unburnt reactants, advective processes transfer energy from small to large scales in the flame brush close to the products. Triadic interactions calculated through the flame brush show that this net up-scale transfer of energy occurs primarily at spatial scales near the laminar flame thermal width. The present results thus indicate that advective processes in premixed reacting flows contribute to energy backscatter near the scale of the flame.

Effects of Buoyancy on Laminar, Transitional, and Turbulent Gas Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahadori, M. Yousef; Stocker, Dennis P.; Vaughan, David F.; Zhou, Liming; Edelman, Raymond B.

1993-01-01

Gas jet diffusion flames have been a subject of research for many years. However, a better understanding of the physical and chemical phenomena occurring in these flames is still needed, and, while the effects of gravity on the burning process have been observed, the basic mechanisms responsible for these changes have yet to be determined. The fundamental mechanisms that control the combustion process are in general coupled and quite complicated. These include mixing, radiation, kinetics, soot formation and disposition, inertia, diffusion, and viscous effects. In order to understand the mechanisms controlling a fire, laboratory-scale laminar and turbulent gas-jet diffusion flames have been extensively studied, which have provided important information in relation to the physico-chemical processes occurring in flames. However, turbulent flames are not fully understood and their understanding requires more fundamental studies of laminar diffusion flames in which the interplay of transport phenomena and chemical kinetics is more tractable. But even this basic, relatively simple flame is not completely characterized in relation to soot formation, radiation, diffusion, and kinetics. Therefore, gaining an understanding of laminar flames is essential to the understanding of turbulent flames, and particularly fires, in which the same basic phenomena occur. In order to improve and verify the theoretical models essential to the interpretation of data, the complexity and degree of coupling of the controlling mechanisms must be reduced. If gravity is isolated, the complication of buoyancy-induced convection would be removed from the problem. In addition, buoyant convection in normal gravity masks the effects of other controlling parameters on the flame. Therefore, the combination of normal-gravity and microgravity data would provide the information, both theoretical and experimental, to improve our understanding of diffusion flames in general, and the effects of gravity on the burning process in particular.

The effects of complex chemistry on triple flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Echekki, T.; Chen, J. H.

1996-01-01

The structure, ignition, and stabilization mechanisms for a methanol (CH3OH)-air triple flame are studied using Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). The methanol (CH3OH)-air triple flame is found to burn with an asymmetric shape due to the different chemical and transport processes characterizing the mixture. The excess fuel, methanol (CH3OH), on the rich premixed flame branch is replaced by more stable fuels CO and H2, which burn at the diffusion flame. On the lean premixed flame side, a higher concentration of O2 leaks through to the diffusion flame. The general structure of the triple point features the contribution of both differential diffusion of radicals and heat. A mixture fraction-temperature phase plane description of the triple flame structure is proposed to highlight some interesting features in partially premixed combustion. The effects of differential diffusion at the triple point add to the contribution of hydrodynamic effects in the stabilization of the triple flame. Differential diffusion effects are measured using two methods: a direct computation using diffusion velocities and an indirect computation based on the difference between the normalized mixture fractions of C and H. The mixture fraction approach does not clearly identify the effects of differential diffusion, in particular at the curved triple point, because of ambiguities in the contribution of carbon and hydrogen atoms' carrying species.

Dual-pump CARS measurements in a hydrogen diffusion flame in cross-flow with AC dielectric barrier discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishihara, Munetake; Freund, Jonathan B.; Glumac, Nick G.; Elliott, Gregory S.

2018-03-01

This paper presents dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) measurements for simultaneous detection of flow temperature and relative concentration, applied to the characterization of a discharge-coupled reacting jet in a cross flow. The diagnostic is hydrogen Q-branch based, providing a much wider dynamic range compared to detection in the S-branch. For a previously developed dielectric barrier discharge, aligned co-axially with the fuel jet, OH planar laser induced fluorescence measurements show that the disturbance in the flame boundary leads to mixing enhancement. The H2-N2 dual-pump CARS measurement was used to map two-dimensional temperature distributions. The increase of the maximum temperature was up to 300 K, with 50% more H2 consumption, providing the reason for the decrease in the flame length by 25%. The increase of the relative H2O-H2 fraction was accompanied with a temperature increase, which indicates local equivalence ratios of below 1. The H2-O2 dual-pump measurements confirmed that the fuel-oxidizer ratios remain in the fuel-lean side at most of the probed locations.

Flame dynamics in a micro-channeled combustor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hussain, Taaha; Balachandran, Ramanarayanan, E-mail: r.balachandran@ucl.ac.uk; Markides, Christos N.

2015-01-22

The increasing use of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) has generated a significant interest in combustion-based power generation technologies, as a replacement of traditional electrochemical batteries which are plagued by low energy densities, short operational lives and low power-to-size and power-to-weight ratios. Moreover, the versatility of integrated combustion-based systems provides added scope for combined heat and power generation. This paper describes a study into the dynamics of premixed flames in a micro-channeled combustor. The details of the design and the geometry of the combustor are presented in the work by Kariuki and Balachandran [1]. This work showed that there were different modesmore » of operation (periodic, a-periodic and stable), and that in the periodic mode the flame accelerated towards the injection manifold after entering the channels. The current study investigates these flames further. We will show that the flame enters the channel and propagates towards the injection manifold as a planar flame for a short distance, after which the flame shape and propagation is found to be chaotic in the middle section of the channel. Finally, the flame quenches when it reaches the injector slots. The glow plug position in the exhaust side ignites another flame, and the process repeats. It is found that an increase in air flow rate results in a considerable increase in the length (and associated time) over which the planar flame travels once it has entered a micro-channel, and a significant decrease in the time between its conversion into a chaotic flame and its extinction. It is well known from the literature that inside small channels the flame propagation is strongly influenced by the flow conditions and thermal management. An increase of the combustor block temperature at high flow rates has little effect on the flame lengths and times, whereas at low flow rates the time over which the planar flame front can be observed decreases and the time of existence of the chaotic flame increases. The frequency of re-ignition of successive flames decreases at higher flow rates and increases at higher temperatures. The data and results from this study will not only help the development of new micro-power generation devices, but they will also serve as a validation case for combustion models capable of predicting flame behavior in the presence of strong thermal and flow boundary layers, a situation common to many industrial applications.« less

Turbulent Flame Processes Via Diffusion Flame-Vortex Ring Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dahm, Werner J. A.; Chen, Shin-Juh; Silver, Joel A.; Piltch, Nancy D.; VanderWal, Randall L.

2001-01-01

Flame-vortex interactions are canonical configurations that can be used to study the underlying processes occurring in turbulent reacting flows. This configuration contains many of the fundamental aspects of the coupling between fluid dynamics and combustion that could be investigated with more controllable conditions than are possible under direct investigations of turbulent flames. Diffusion flame-vortex ring interaction contains many of the fundamental elements of flow, transport, combustion, and soot processes found in turbulent diffusion flames. Some of these elements include concentrated vorticity, entrainment and mixing, strain and nonequilibrium phenomena, diffusion and differential diffusion, partial premixing and diluent effects, soot formation and oxidation, and heat release effects. Such simplified flowfield allows the complex processes to be examined more closely and yet preserving the physical processes present in turbulent reacting flows. Furthermore, experimental results from the study of flame-vortex interactions are useful for the validation of numerical simulations and more importantly to deepen our understanding of the fundamental processes present in reacting flows. Experimental and numerical results obtained under microgravity conditions of the diffusion flame-vortex ring interaction are summarized in this paper. Results are obtained using techniques that include Flame Luminosity Imaging (FLI), Laser Soot-Mie Scattering (LSMS), Computational Fluid Dynamics and Combustion (CFDC), and Diode Laser Spectroscopy/Iterative Temperature with Assumed Chemistry (DLS/ITAC).

Effects of repetitive pulsing on multi-kHz planar laser-induced incandescence imaging in laminar and turbulent flames

DOE PAGES

Michael, James B.; Venkateswaran, Prabhakar; Shaddix, Christopher R.; ...

2015-04-08

Planar laser-induced incandescence (LII) imaging is reported at repetition rates up to 100 kHz using a burst-mode laser system to enable studies of soot formation dynamics in highly turbulent flames. Furthermore, to quantify the accuracy and uncertainty of relative soot volume fraction measurements, the temporal evolution of the LII field in laminar and turbulent flames is examined at various laser operating conditions. Under high-speed repetitive probing, it is found that LII signals are sensitive to changes in soot physical characteristics when operating at high laser fluences within the soot vaporization regime. For these laser conditions, strong planar LII signals aremore » observed at measurement rates up to 100 kHz but are primarily useful for qualitative tracking of soot structure dynamics. However, LII signals collected at lower fluences allow sequential planar measurements of the relative soot volume fraction with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio at repetition rates of 10–50 kHz. Finally, guidelines for identifying and avoiding the onset of repetitive probe effects in the LII signals are discussed, along with other potential sources of measurement error and uncertainty.« less

Radiant Extinction Of Gaseous Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berhan, S.; Chernovsky, M.; Atreya, A.; Baum, Howard R.; Sacksteder, Kurt R.

2003-01-01

The absence of buoyancy-induced flows in microgravity (mu:g) and the resulting increase in the reactant residence time significantly alters the fundamentals of many combustion processes. Substantial differences between normal gravity (ng) and :g flames have been reported in experiments on candle flames [1, 2], flame spread over solids [3, 4], droplet combustion [5,6], and others. These differences are more basic than just in the visible flame shape. Longer residence times and higher concentration of combustion products in the flame zone create a thermochemical environment that changes the flame chemistry and the heat and mass transfer processes. Processes such as flame radiation, that are often ignored in ng, become very important and sometimes even controlling. Furthermore, microgravity conditions considerably enhance flame radiation by: (i) the build-up of combustion products in the high-temperature reaction zone which increases the gas radiation, and (ii) longer residence times make conditions appropriate for substantial amounts of soot to form which is also responsible for radiative heat loss. Thus, it is anticipated that radiative heat loss may eventually extinguish the Aweak@ (low burning rate per unit flame area) :g diffusion flame. Yet, space shuttle experiments on candle flames show that in an infinite ambient atmosphere, the hemispherical candle flame in :g will burn indefinitely [1]. This may be because of the coupling between the fuel production rate and the flame via the heat-feedback mechanism for candle flames, flames over solids and fuel droplet flames. Thus, to focus only on the gas-phase phenomena leading to radiative extinction, aerodynamically stabilized gaseous diffusion flames are examined. This enables independent control of the fuel flow rate to help identify conditions under which radiative extinction occurs. Also, spherical geometry is chosen for the :g experiments and modeling because: (i) It reduces the complexity by making the problem one-dimensional. (ii) The spherical diffusion flame completely encloses the soot which is formed on the fuel rich side of the reaction zone. This increases the importance of flame radiation because now both soot and gaseous combustion products co-exist inside the high temperature spherical diffusion flame. (iii) For small fuel injection velocities, as is usually the case for a pyrolyzing solid, the diffusion flame in :g around the solid naturally develops spherical symmetry. Thus, spherical diffusion flames are of interest to fires in :g and identifying conditions that lead to radiation-induced extinction is important for spacecraft fire safety.

An ignition-temperature model with two free interfaces in premixed flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brauner, Claude-Michel; Gordon, Peter V.; Zhang, Wen

2016-11-01

In this paper we consider an ignition-temperature zero-order reaction model of thermo-diffusive combustion. This model describes the dynamics of thick flames, which have recently received considerable attention in the physical and engineering literature. The model admits a unique (up to translations) planar travelling wave solution. This travelling wave solution is quite different from those usually studied in combustion theory. The main qualitative feature of this travelling wave is that it has two interfaces: the ignition interface where the ignition temperature is attained and the trailing interface where the concentration of deficient reactants reaches zero. We give a new mathematical framework for studying the cellular instability of such travelling front solutions. Our approach allows the analysis of a free boundary problem to be converted into the analysis of a boundary value problem having a fully nonlinear system of parabolic equations. The latter is very suitable for both mathematical and numerical analysis. We prove the existence of a critical Lewis number such that the travelling wave solution is stable for values of Lewis number below the critical one and is unstable for Lewis numbers that exceed this critical value. Finally, we discuss the results of numerical simulations of a fully nonlinear system that describes the perturbation dynamics of planar fronts. These simulations reveal, in particular, some very interesting 'two-cell' steady patterns of curved combustion fronts.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-01

Gerard M. Faeth, University of Michigan, principal investigator in combustion science experiments, including Flow/Soot-Formation in Nonbuoyant Laminar Diffusion Flames, investigation of Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames in Microgravity: A Paradigm for Soot Processes in Turbulent Flames, and Soot Processes in Freely-Propagating Laminar Premixed Flames.

Two-dimensional concentration and temperature measurements in extended flames of industrial burners using PLIF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Dirk; Triebel, Wolfgang; Bochmann, Arne; Schmidl, Gabriele; Eckardt, Daniel; Burkert, Alfons; Roeper, Juergen; Schwerin, Malte

2003-11-01

Concentration profiles of OH, O2 and NO as well as temperature fields in diffusion flames of a length of approx. 300 mm and 40 mm in diameter used for gas-phase synthesis of fused silica have been determined by Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). The measurements have been carried out using a tunable spectrally narrowed KrF laser, whose wavelengths could be switched pulse-to-pulse. The laser beam was shaped as a light sheet into the flame at a fixed position. The flame area under investigation was monitored by moving the burner mounted on a stepper motor. By adapted synchronization the laser induced fluorescence was continuously recorded over the height of the flame perpendicular to the laser light sheet with an intensified CCD camera (10 fps, 8 bit dynamic range, 768 x 576 pixels). By image processing the spatial offset between images was corrected and superposed images were averaged and analyzed. This method allows to investigate the flame by recording 2D-fluorescence images including an automatic correction of intensity inhomogeneities of the laser light sheet. Based on the excited radical or molecule the fluorescence images were used to determine concentration and temperature distributions to build up a 2D-map of the flame. The PLIF experiment was calibrated with precise determination of the temperature at one coordinate of the flame by Spontaneous Vibrational Raman Scattering (VRS) of N2. As a result temperatures up to 3200 K could be determined with an accuracy better than 3% and a spatial resolution better than 1 mm. Temperature variations in the flame at different gas flows of fuel and oxidizer could be monitored sensitively. Also, the influence of different carrier gases like N2, Ar and He on the temperature distribution was investigated. Fluctuations in gas flow caused by turbulence could be monitored as well.

Characteristics of transitional and turbulent jet diffusion flames in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahadori, Yousef M.; Small, James F., Jr.; Hegde, Uday G.; Zhou, Liming; Stocker, Dennis P.

1995-01-01

This paper presents the ground-based results obtained to date in preparation of a proposed space experiment to study the role of large-scale structures in microgravity transitional and turbulent gas-jet diffusion flames by investigating the dynamics of vortex/flame interactions and their influence on flame characteristics. The overall objective is to gain an understanding of the fundamental characteristics of transitional and turbulent gas-jet diffusion flames. Understanding of the role of large-scale structures on the characteristics of microgravity transitional and turbulent flames will ultimately lead to improved understanding of normal-gravity turbulent combustion.

Effects of Lewis Number on Temperatures of Spherical Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santa, K. J.; Sun, Z.; Chao, B. H.; Sunderland, P. B.; Axelbaum, R. I.; Urban, D. L.; Stocker, D. P.

2007-01-01

Spherical diffusion flames supported on a porous sphere were studied numerically and experimentally. Experiments were performed in 2.2 s and 5.2 s microgravity facilities. Numerical results were obtained from a Chemkin-based program. The program simulates flow from a porous sphere into a quiescent environment, yields both steady-state and transient results, and accounts for optically thick gas-phase radiation. The low flow velocities and long residence times in these diffusion flames lead to enhanced radiative and diffusive effects. Despite similar adiabatic flame temperatures, the measured and predicted temperatures varied by as much as 700 K. The temperature reduction correlates with flame size but characteristic flow times and, importantly, Lewis number also influence temperature. The numerical results show that the ambient gas Lewis number would have a strong effect on flame temperature if the flames were steady and nonradiating. For example, a 10% decrease in Lewis number would increase the steady-state flame temperature by 200 K. However, for these transient, radiating flames the effect of Lewis number is small. Transient predictions of flame sizes are larger than those observed in microgravity experiments. Close agreement could not be obtained without either increasing the model s thermal and mass diffusion properties by 30% or reducing mass flow rate by 25%.

Modeling of hydrogen-air diffusion flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Isaac, K. M.

1988-01-01

Work performed during the first six months of the project duration for NASA Grant (NAG-1-861) is reported. An analytical and computational study of opposed jet diffusion flame for the purpose of understanding the effects of contaminants in the reactants and thermal diffusion of light species on extinction and reignition of diffusion flames is in progress. The methodologies attempted so far are described.

Fullerenes, PAH, Carbon Nanostructures, and Soot in Low Pressure Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grieco, William J.; Lafleur, Arthur L.; Rainey, Lenore C.; Taghizadeh, Koli; VanderSande, John B.; Howard, Jack B.

1997-01-01

The formation of fullerenes C60 and C7O is known to occur in premixed laminar benzene/oxygen/argon flames operated at reduced pressures. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images of material collected from these flames has identified a variety of multishelled nanotubes and fullerene 'onions' as well as some trigonous structures. These fullerenes and nanostructures resemble the material that results from commercial fullerene production systems using graphite vaporization. As a result, combustion is an interesting method for fullerenes synthesis. If commercial scale operation is to be considered, the use of diffusion flames might be safer and less cumbersome than premixed flames. However, it is not known whether diffusion flames produce the types and yields of fullerenes obtained from premixed benzene/oxygen flames. Therefore, the formation of fullerenes and carbon nanostructures, as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and soot, in acetylene and benzene diffusion flames is being studied using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM).

Cool-Flame Burning and Oscillations of Envelope Diffusion Flames in Microgravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Katta, Viswanath R.; Hicks, Michael C.

2018-05-01

The two-stage combustion, local extinction, and flame-edge oscillations have been observed in single-droplet combustion tests conducted on the International Space Station. To understand such dynamic behavior of initially enveloped diffusion flames in microgravity, two-dimensional (axisymmetric) computation is performed for a gaseous n-heptane flame using a time-dependent code with a detailed reaction mechanism (127 species and 1130 reactions), diffusive transport, and a simple radiation model (for CO2, H2O, CO, CH4, and soot). The calculated combustion characteristics vary profoundly with a slight movement of air surrounding a fuel source. In a near-quiescent environment (≤ 2 mm/s), with a sufficiently large fuel injection velocity (1 cm/s), extinction of a growing spherical diffusion flame due to radiative heat losses is predicted at the flame temperature at ≈ 1200 K. The radiative extinction is typically followed by a transition to the "cool flame" burning regime (due to the negative temperature coefficient in the low-temperature chemistry) with a reaction zone (at ≈ 700 K) in close proximity to the fuel source. By contrast, if there is a slight relative velocity (≈ 3 mm/s) between the fuel source and the air, a local extinction of the envelope diffusion flame is predicted downstream at ≈ 1200 K, followed by periodic flame-edge oscillations. At higher relative velocities (4 to 10 mm/s), the locally extinguished flame becomes steady state. The present 2D computational approach can help in understanding further the non-premixed "cool flame" structure and flame-flow interactions in microgravity environments.

Effect of pressure on structure and NO sub X formation in CO-air diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maahs, H. G.; Miller, I. M.

1979-01-01

A study was made of nitric oxide formation in a laminar CO-air diffusion flame over a pressure range from 1 to 50 atm. The carbon monoxide (CO) issued from a 3.06 mm diameter port coaxially into a coflowing stream of air confined within a 20.5 mm diameter chimney. Nitric oxide concentrations from the flame were measured at two carbon monoxide (fuel) flow rates: 73 standard cubic/min and 146 sccm. Comparison of the present data with data in the literature for a methane-air diffusion flame shows that for flames of comparable flame height (8 to 10 mm) and pseudoequivalence ratio (0.162), the molar emission index of a CO-air flame is significantly greater than that of a methane-air flame.

Flow/Soot-Formation Interactions in Nonbuoyant Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dai, Z.; Faeth, G. M.

1999-01-01

Nonpremixed (diffusion) flames are attractive for practical applications because they avoid the stability, autoignition, flashback, etc. problems of premixed flames. Unfortunately, soot formation in practical hydrocarbon-fueled diffusion flames reduces their attractiveness due to widely-recognized public health and combustor durability problems of soot emissions. For example, more deaths are attributed to the emission of soot (15,000-60,000 deaths annually in the U.S. alone) than any other combustion-generated pollutant. In addition, continuum radiation from soot-containing flames is the principle heat load to combustor components and is mainly responsible for engine durability problems of aircraft and gas turbine engines. As a result, there is considerable interest in controlling both soot concentrations within flames and soot emissions from flames. Thus, the objective of the present investigation is to study ways to control soot formation in diffusion flames by manipulating the mixing process between the fuel and oxidant streams. In order to prevent the intrusion of gravity from masking flow properties that reduce soot formation in practical flames (where effects of gravity are small), methods developed during past work will be exploited to minimize effects of buoyant motion.

An Experimental and Theoretical Study of Radiative Extinction of Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atreya, Arvind; Wichman, Indrek; Guenther, Mark; Ray, Anjan; Agrawal, Sanjay

1993-01-01

In a recent paper on 'Observations of candle flames under various atmospheres in microgravity' by Ross et al., it was found that for the same atmosphere, the burning rate per unit wick surface area and the flame temperature were considerably reduced in microgravity as compared with normal gravity. Also, the flame (spherical in microgravity) was much thicker and further removed from the wick. It thus appears that the flame becomes 'weaker' in microgravity due to the absence of buoyancy generated flow which serves to transport the oxidizer to the combustion zone and remove the hot combustion products from it. The buoyant flow, which may be characterized by the strain rate, assists the diffusion process to execute these essential functions for the survival of the flame. Thus, the diffusion flame is 'weak' at very low strain rates and as the strain rate increases the flame is initially 'strengthened' and eventually it may be 'blown out'. The computed flammability boundaries of T'ien show that such a reversal in material flammability occurs at strain rates around 5 sec. At very low or zero strain rates, flame radiation is expected to considerably affect this 'weak' diffusion flame because: (1) the concentration of combustion products which participate in gas radiation is high in the flame zone; and (2) low strain rates provide sufficient residence time for substantial amounts of soot to form which is usually responsible for a major portion of the radiative heat loss. We anticipate that flame radiation will eventually extinguish this flame. Thus, the objective of this project is to perform an experimental and theoretical investigation of radiation-induced extinction of diffusion flames under microgravity conditions. This is important for spacecraft fire safety.

Continuous Diffusion Flames and Flame Streets in Micro-Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohan, Shikhar; Matalon, Moshe

2015-11-01

Experiments of non-premixed combustion in micro-channels have shown different modes of burning. Normally, a flame is established along, or near the axis of a channel that spreads the entire mixing layer and separates a region of fuel but no oxidizer from a region with only oxidizer. Often, however, a periodic sequence of extinction and reignition events, termed collectively as ``flame streets'', are observed. They constitute a series of diffusion flames, each with a tribrachial leading edge stabilized along the channel. This work focuses on understanding the underlying mechanism responsible for these distinct observations. Numerical simulations were conducted in the thermo-diffusive limit in order to study the effects of confinement and heat loss on non-premixed flames in three-dimensional micro-channels with low aspect ratios. The three dimensionality of the channel was captured qualitatively through a systematic asymptotic analysis that led to a two dimensional problem with an effective parameter representing heat losses in the vertical direction. There exist three key flame regimes: (1) a stable continuous diffusion flame, (2) an unsteady flame, and (3) a stable ``flame street'' the transition between regimes demarcated primarily by Reynolds and Nusselt numbers.

Studies of Flame Structure in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Law, C. K.; Sung, C. J.; Zhu, D. L.

1997-01-01

The present research endeavor is concerned with gaining fundamental understanding of the configuration, structure, and dynamics of laminar premixed and diffusion flames under conditions of negligible effects of gravity. Of particular interest is the potential to establish and hence study the properties of spherically- and cylindrically-symmetric flames and their response to external forces not related to gravity. For example, in an earlier experimental study of the burner-stabilized cylindrical premixed flames, the possibility of flame stabilization through flow divergence was established, while the resulting one-dimensional, adiabatic, stretchless flame also allowed an accurate means of determining the laminar flame speeds of combustible mixtures. We have recently extended our studies of the flame structure in microgravity along the following directions: (1) Analysis of the dynamics of spherical premixed flames; (2) Analysis of the spreading of cylindrical diffusion flames; (3) Experimental observation of an interesting dual luminous zone structure of a steady-state, microbuoyancy, spherical diffusion flame of air burning in a hydrogen/methane mixture environment, and its subsequent quantification through computational simulation with detailed chemistry and transport; (4) Experimental quantification of the unsteady growth of a spherical diffusion flame; and (5) Computational simulation of stretched, diffusionally-imbalanced premixed flames near and beyond the conventional limits of flammability, and the substantiation of the concept of extended limits of flammability. Motivation and results of these investigations are individually discussed.

Laser-based investigations in gas turbine model combustors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, W.; Boxx, I.; Stöhr, M.; Carter, C. D.

2010-10-01

Dynamic processes in gas turbine (GT) combustors play a key role in flame stabilization and extinction, combustion instabilities and pollutant formation, and present a challenge for experimental as well as numerical investigations. These phenomena were investigated in two gas turbine model combustors for premixed and partially premixed CH4/air swirl flames at atmospheric pressure. Optical access through large quartz windows enabled the application of laser Raman scattering, planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of OH, particle image velocimetry (PIV) at repetition rates up to 10 kHz and the simultaneous application of OH PLIF and PIV at a repetition rate of 5 kHz. Effects of unmixedness and reaction progress in lean premixed GT flames were revealed and quantified by Raman scattering. In a thermo-acoustically unstable flame, the cyclic variation in mixture fraction and its role for the feedback mechanism of the instability are addressed. In a partially premixed oscillating swirl flame, the cyclic variations of the heat release and the flow field were characterized by chemiluminescence imaging and PIV, respectively. Using phase-correlated Raman scattering measurements, significant phase-dependent variations of the mixture fraction and fuel distributions were revealed. The flame structures and the shape of the reaction zones were visualized by planar imaging of OH distribution. The simultaneous OH PLIF/PIV high-speed measurements revealed the time history of the flow field-flame interaction and demonstrated the development of a local flame extinction event. Further, the influence of a precessing vortex core on the flame topology and its dynamics is discussed.

Experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies of small scale combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Bo

Recently, the demand increased for the development of microdevices such as microsatellites, microaerial vehicles, micro reactors, and micro power generators. To meet those demands the biggest challenge is obtaining stable and complete combustion at relatively small scale. To gain a fundamental understanding of small scale combustion in this thesis, thermal and kinetic coupling between the gas phase and the structure at meso and micro scales were theoretically, experimentally, and numerically studied; new stabilization and instability phenomena were identified; and new theories for the dynamic mechanisms of small scale combustion were developed. The reduction of thermal inertia at small scale significantly reduces the response time of the wall and leads to a strong flame-wall coupling and extension of burning limits. Mesoscale flame propagation and extinction in small quartz tubes were theoretically, experimentally and numerically studied. It was found that wall-flame interaction in mesoscale combustion led to two different flame regimes, a heat-loss dominant fast flame regime and a wall-flame coupling slow flame regime. The nonlinear transition between the two flame regimes was strongly dependent on the channel width and flow velocity. It is concluded that the existence of multiple flame regimes is an inherent phenomenon in mesoscale combustion. In addition, all practical combustors have variable channel width in the direction of flame propagation. Quasi-steady and unsteady propagations of methane and propane-air premixed flames in a mesoscale divergent channel were investigated experimentally and theoretically. The emphasis was the impact of variable cross-section area and the flame-wall coupling on the flame transition between different regimes and the onset of flame instability. For the first time, spinning flames were experimentally observed for both lean and rich methane and propane-air mixtures in a broad range of equivalence ratios. An effective Lewis number to describe the competition between the mass transport in gas phase and the heat conduction in gas and solid phases was defined. Experimental observation and theoretical analysis suggested that the flame-wall coupling significantly increased the effective Lewis number and led to a new mechanism to promote the thermal diffusion instability. Due to the short flow residence time in small scale combustion, reactants, and oxidizers may not be able to be fully premixed before combustion. As such, non-premixed combustion plays an important role. Non-premixed mixing layer combustion within a constrained mesoscale channel was studied. Depending on the flow rate, it was found that there were two different flame regimes, an unsteady bimodal flame regime and a flame street regime with multiple stable triple flamelets. This multiple triple flame structure was identified experimentally for the first time. A scaling analytical model was developed to qualitatively explain the mechanism of flame streets. The effects of flow velocity, wall temperature, and Lewis number on the distance between flamelets and the diffusion flame length were also investigated. The results showed that the occurrence of flame street regimes was a combined effect of heat loss, curvature, diffusion, and dilution. To complete this thesis, experiments were conducted to measure the OH concentration using Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) in a confined mesoscale combustor. Some preliminary results have been obtained for the OH concentration of flamelets in a flame street. When the scale of the micro reactor is further reduced, the rarefied gas effect may become significant. In this thesis, a new concentration slip model to describe the rarefied gas effect on the species transport in microscale chemical reactors was obtained. The present model is general and recovers the existing models in the limiting cases. The analytical results showed the concentration slip was dominated by two different mechanisms, the surface reaction induced concentration slip (RIC) and the temperature slip induced concentration slip (TIC). It is found that the magnitude of RIC slip was proportional to the product of the Damkohler number and Knudsen number. The results showed the impact of reaction induced concentration slip (RIC slip) effects on catalytic reactions strongly depended on the Damkohler number, the Knudsen number, and the surface accommodation coefficient.

Characteristics of Non-Premixed Turbulent Flames in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hegde, U.; Yuan, Z. G.; Stocker, D. P.; Bahadori, M. Y.

2001-01-01

This project is concerned with the characteristics of turbulent hydrocarbon (primarily propane) gas-jet diffusion flames in microgravity. A microgravity environment provides the opportunity to study the structure of turbulent diffusion flames under momentum-dominated conditions (large Froude number) at moderate Reynolds number which is a combination not achievable in normal gravity. This paper summarizes progress made since the last workshop. Primarily, the features of flame radiation from microgravity turbulent jet diffusion flames in a reduced gravity environment are described. Tests were conducted for non-premixed, nitrogen diluted propane flames burning in quiescent air in the NASA Glenn 5.18 Second Zero Gravity Facility. Measured flame radiation from wedge-shaped, axial slices of the flame are compared for microgravity and normal gravity flames. Results from numerical computations of the flame using a k-e model for the turbulence are also presented to show the effects of flame radiation on the thermal field. Flame radiation is an important quantity that is impacted by buoyancy as has been shown in previous studies by the authors and also by Urban et al. It was found that jet diffusion flames burning under microgravity conditions have significantly higher radiative loss (about five to seven times higher) compared to their normal gravity counterparts because of larger flame size in microgravity and larger convective heat loss fraction from the flame in normal gravity. These studies, however, were confined to laminar flames. For the case of turbulent flames, the flame radiation is a function of time and both the time-averaged and time-dependent components are of interest. In this paper, attention is focused primarily on the time-averaged level of the radiation but the turbulent structure of the flame is also assessed from considerations of the radiation power spectra.

40 CFR 63.6095 - When do I have to comply with this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this... combustion turbine which is a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil... stationary combustion turbine or diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this...

40 CFR 63.6095 - When do I have to comply with this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this... combustion turbine which is a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil... stationary combustion turbine or diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this...

40 CFR 63.6095 - When do I have to comply with this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this... combustion turbine which is a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil... stationary combustion turbine or diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this...

40 CFR 63.6095 - When do I have to comply with this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this... combustion turbine which is a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil... stationary combustion turbine or diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this...

40 CFR 63.6095 - When do I have to comply with this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this... combustion turbine which is a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine or a diffusion flame oil... stationary combustion turbine or diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by this...

Pattern Formation in Diffusion Flames Embedded in von Karman Swirling Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nayagam, Vedha

2006-01-01

Pattern formation is observed in nature in many so-called excitable systems that can support wave propagation. It is well-known in the field of combustion that premixed flames can exhibit patterns through differential diffusion mechanism between heat and mass. However, in the case of diffusion flames where fuel and oxidizer are separated initially there have been only a few observations of pattern formation. It is generally perceived that since diffusion flames do not possess an inherent propagation speed they are static and do not form patterns. But in diffusion flames close to their extinction local quenching can occur and produce flame edges which can propagate along stoichiometric surfaces. Recently, we reported experimental observations of rotating spiral flame edges during near-limit combustion of a downward-facing polymethylmethacrylate disk spinning in quiescent air. These spiral flames, though short-lived, exhibited many similarities to patterns commonly found in quiescent excitable media including compound tip meandering motion. Flame disks that grow or shrink with time depending on the rotational speed and in-depth heat loss history of the fuel disk have also been reported. One of the limitations of studying flame patterns with solid fuels is that steady-state conditions cannot be achieved in air at normal atmospheric pressure for experimentally reasonable fuel thickness. As a means to reproduce the flame patterns observed earlier with solid fuels, but under steady-state conditions, we have designed and built a rotating, porous-disk burner through which gaseous fuels can be injected and burned as diffusion flames. The rotating porous disk generates a flow of air toward the disk by a viscous pumping action, generating what is called the von K rm n boundary layer which is of constant thickness over the entire burner disk. In this note we present a map of the various dynamic flame patterns observed during the combustion of methane in air as a function of fuel flow rate and the burner rotational speed.

Shapes of Buoyant and Nonbuoyant Methane Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, Peter B.; Yuan, Zeng-Guang; Urban, David L.

1997-01-01

Laminar gas jet diffusion flames represent a fundamental combustion configuration. Their study has contributed to numerous advances in combustion, including the development of analytical and computational combustion tools. Laminar jet flames are pertinent also to turbulent flames by use of the laminar flamelet concept. Investigations into the shapes of noncoflowing microgravity laminar jet diffusion flames have primarily been pursued in the NASA Lewis 2.2-second drop tower, by Cochran and coworkers and by Bahadori and coworkers. These studies were generally conducted at atmospheric pressure; they involved soot-containing flames and reported luminosity lengths and widths instead of the flame-sheet dimensions which are of Greater value to theory evaluation and development. The seminal model of laminar diffusion flames is that of Burke and Schumann, who solved the conservation of momentum equation for a jet flame in a coflowing ambient by assuming the velocity of fuel, oxidizer and products to be constant throughout. Roper and coworkers improved upon this model by allowing for axial variations of velocity and found flame shape to be independent of coflow velocity. Roper's suggestion that flame height should be independent of gravity level is not supported by past or present observations. Other models have been presented by Klajn and Oppenheim, Markstein and De Ris, Villermaux and Durox, and Li et al. The common result of all these models (except in the buoyant regime) is that flame height is proportional to fuel mass flowrate, with flame width proving much more difficult to predict. Most existing flame models have been compared with shapes of flames containing soot, which is known to obscure the weak blue emission of flame sheets. The present work involves measurements of laminar gas jet diffusion flame shapes. Flame images have been obtained for buoyant and nonbuoyant methane flames burning in quiescent air at various fuel flow-rates, burner diameters and ambient pressures. Soot concentrations were minimized by selecting conditions at low flowrates and low ambient pressures; this allows identification of actual flame sheets associated with blue emissions of CH and CO2. The present modeling effort follows that of Roper and is useful in explaining many of the trends observed.

State Relationships of Laminar Permanently-Blue Opposed-Jet Hydrocarbon-Fueled Diffusion Flames. Appendix D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, K.-C.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The structure and state relationships of laminar soot-free (permanently-blue) diffusion flames at various strain rates were studied experimentally using an opposed-jet configuration, motivated by the importance of soot-free hydrocarbon-fueled diffusion flames for many practical applications. Measurements of gas velocities, temperatures and compositions were carried out along the stagnation stream line. Flame conditions studied included propylene- and 1,3-butadiene-fueled opposed-jet diffusion flames having a stoichiometric mixture fractions of 0.7 and strain rates of 60-240 s (exp -1) at normal temperature and pressure. It was found that oxygen leakage to fuel-rich conditions and carbon monoxide leakage to fuel-lean conditions both increased as strain rates increased. Furthermore, increased strain rates caused increased fuel concentrations near the flame sheet, decreased peak gas temperatures, and decreased concentrations of carbon dioxide and water vapor throughout the flames. State relationships for major gas species and gas temperatures for these flames were found to exist over broad ranges of strain rates. In addition, current measurements, as well as previous measurements and predictions of ethylene-fueled permanently-blue diffusion flames, all having a stoichiometric mixture fraction of 0.7, were combined to establish generalized state relationships for permanently-blue diffusion flames for this stoichiometric mixture fraction. The combined measurements and predictions support relatively universal generalized state relationships for N2, CO2, H2O and fuel over a broad range of strain rates and fuel types. State relationships for O2 in the fuel-rich region, and for CO in the fuel-lean region, however, are functions of strain rate and fuel type. State relationships for H2 and temperature exhibit less universality, mainly due to the increased experimental uncertainties for these variables. The existence of state relationships for soot-free hydrocarbon-fueled diffusion flames provides potential for significant computational simplifications for modeling purposes in many instances, allowing for effects of finite-rate chemistry while avoiding time-consuming computations of Arrhenius expressions.

Analytical Study of Gravity Effects on Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edelman, R. B.; Fortune, O.; Weilerstein, G.

1972-01-01

A mathematical model is presented for the description of axisymmetric laminar-jet diffusion flames. The analysis includes the effects of inertia, viscosity, diffusion, gravity and combustion. These mechanisms are coupled in a boundary layer type formulation and solutions are obtained by an explicit finite difference technique. A dimensional analysis shows that the maximum flame width radius, velocity and thermodynamic state characterize the flame structure. Comparisons with experimental data showed excellent agreement for normal gravity flames and fair agreement for steady state low Reynolds number zero gravity flames. Kinetics effects and radiation are shown to be the primary mechanisms responsible for this discrepancy. Additional factors are discussed including elipticity and transient effects.

Edge Diffusion Flame Propagation and Stabilization Studied

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Katta, Viswanath R.

2004-01-01

In most practical combustion systems or fires, fuel and air are initially unmixed, thus forming diffusion flames. As a result of flame-surface interactions, the diffusion flame often forms an edge, which may attach to burner walls, spread over condensed fuel surfaces, jump to another location through the fuel-air mixture formed, or extinguish by destabilization (blowoff). Flame holding in combustors is necessary to achieve design performance and safe operation of the system. Fires aboard spacecraft behave differently from those on Earth because of the absence of buoyancy in microgravity. This ongoing in-house flame-stability research at the NASA Glenn Research Center is important in spacecraft fire safety and Earth-bound combustion systems.

Holographic Interferometry and Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames in the Presence of Non-Uniform Magnetic Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, J.; Calvert, M. E.; Saito, K.; VanderWal, R.

2001-01-01

Magnetic fields impact combustion processes in a manner analogous to that of buoyancy, i.e., as a body force. It is well known that in a terrestrial environment buoyancy is one of the principal transport mechanisms associated with diffusion flame behavior. Unfortunately, in a terrestrial environment it is difficult if not impossible to isolate flame behavior due magnetic fields from the behavior associated with buoyancy. A micro-, or reduced, gravity environment is ideally suited for studying the impact of magnetic fields on diffusion flames due to the decreased impact of buoyancy on flame behavior.

Prediction of an Apparent Flame Length in a Co-Axial Jet Diffusion Flame Combustor.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-01

This report is comprised of two parts. In Part I a predictive model for an apparent flame length in a co-axial jet diffusion flame combustor is...Overall mass transfer coefficient, evaluated from an empirically developed correlation, is employed to predict total flame length . Comparison of the...experimental and predicted data on total flame length shows a reasonable agreement within sixteen percent over the investigated air and fuel flow rate

A Study of Confined Diffusion Flames

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-04

Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 11. Numerical Methods and the Model ...numbers but kept the basic idea of the flame sheet model . This paper describes a time-dependent, axisymmetric, compressible nu- merical model which is...June 5, 1990. first uses of the diffusion flame model , we simulate a Burke-Schumann flame and remove the restrictious individually. We present results

Observations of Methane and Ethylene Diffusion Flames Stabilized Around a Blowing Porous Sphere Under Microgravity Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atreya, Arvind; Agrawal, Sanjay; Sacksteder, Kurt; Baum, Howard R.

1994-01-01

This paper presents the experimental and theoretical results for expanding methane and ethylene diffusion flames in microgravity. A small porous sphere made from a low-density and low-heat-capacity insulating material was used to uniformly supply fuel at a constant rate to the expanding diffusion flame. A theoretical model which includes soot and gas radiation is formulated but only the problem pertaining to the transient expansion of the flame is solved by assuming constant pressure infinitely fast one-step ideal gas reaction and unity Lewis number. This is a first step toward quantifying the effect of soot and gas radiation on these flames. The theoretically calculated expansion rate is in good agreement with the experimental results. Both experimental and theoretical results show that as the flame radius increases, the flame expansion process becomes diffusion controlled and the flame radius grows as gamma t. Theoretical calculations also show that for a constant fuel mass injection rate a quasi-steady state is developed in the region surrounded by the flame and the mass flow rate at any location inside this region equals the mass injection rate.

Modeling of hydrogen-air diffusion flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Isaac, Kakkattukuzhy

1988-01-01

The present research objective is to determine the effects of contaminants on extinction limits of simple, well defined, counterflow Hydrogen 2-air diffusion flames, with combustion at 1 atmosphere. Results of extinction studies and other flame characterizations, with appropriate mechanistic modeling (presently underway), will be used to rationalize the observed effects of contamination over a reasonably wide range of diffusion flame conditions. The knowledge gained should help efforts to anticipate the effects of contaminants on combustion processes in Hydrogen 2-fueled scramjets.

Numerical Study of Pressure Influence on Methane-Oxygen Laminar Counterflow Diffusion Flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iino, Kimio; Akamatsu, Fumiteru; Katsuki, Masashi

We carried out numerical studies on methane/oxygen diffusion flames of counter-flow configuration to elucidate the influence of pressure on flame structure, heat release rate and reaction mechanisms. The chemistry in gas-phase was based on GRI-Mech 3.0 database. The thickness of diffusion flame became thinner with increasing strain rate a , with its characteristic flame thickness varying inversely with √a, especially its relation became significant with increasing pressure. Flame temperature increased with increasing pressure. Enhanced H2O production reactions, especially chain terminal reactions for H2O production, were found to be important in determining the flame temperature at high pressures. The small reduction in the flame temperature with increasing strain rate at high pressures, compared to the atmospheric pressure, is caused by the capacitor effect of product dissociation. From QRPDs, the third body dependent reactions were enhanced in high pressure conditions, hence C2 pathway was enhanced.

Lean limit phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Law, C. K.

1984-01-01

The concept of flammability limits in the presence of flame interaction, and the existence of negative flame speeds are discussed. Downstream interaction between two counterflow premixed flames of different stoichiometries are experimentally studied. Various flame configurations are observed and quantified; these include the binary system of two lean or rich flames, the triplet system of a lean and a rich flame separated by a diffusion flame, and single diffusion flames with some degree of premixedness. Extinction limits are determined for methane/air and butane/air mixtures over the entire range of mixture concentrations. The results show that the extent of flame interaction depends on the separation distance between the flames which are functions of the mixtures' concentrations, the stretch rate, and the effective Lewis numbers (Le). In particular, in a positively-stretched flow field Le 1 ( 1) mixtures tend to interact strongly (weakly), while the converse holds for flames in a negatively-stretched flow. Also established was the existence of negative flames whose propagation velocity is in the same general direction as that of the bulk convective flow, being supported by diffusion alone. Their existence demonstrates the tendency of flames to resist extinction, and further emphasizes the possibility of very lean or rich mixtures to undergo combustion.

Soot Volume Fraction Maps for Normal and Reduced Gravity Laminar Acetylene Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenberg, Paul S.; Ku, Jerry C.

1997-01-01

The study of soot particulate distribution inside gas jet diffusion flames is important to the understanding of fundamental soot particle and thermal radiative transport processes, as well as providing findings relevant to spacecraft fire safety, soot emissions, and radiant heat loads for combustors used in air-breathing propulsion systems. Compared to those under normal gravity (1-g) conditions, the elimination of buoyancy-induced flows is expected to significantly change the flow field in microgravity (O g) flames, resulting in taller and wider flames with longer particle residence times. Work by Bahadori and Edelman demonstrate many previously unreported qualitative and semi-quantitative results, including flame shape and radiation, for sooting laminar zas jet diffusion flames. Work by Ku et al. report soot aggregate size and morphology analyses and data and model predictions of soot volume fraction maps for various gas jet diffusion flames. In this study, we present the first 1-g and 0-g comparisons of soot volume fraction maps for laminar acetylene and nitrogen-diluted acetylene jet diffusion flames. Volume fraction is one of the most useful properties in the study of sooting diffusion flames. The amount of radiation heat transfer depends directly on the volume fraction and this parameter can be measured from line-of-sight extinction measurements. Although most Soot aggregates are submicron in size, the primary particles (20 to 50 nm in diameter) are in the Rayleigh limit, so the extinction absorption) cross section of aggregates can be accurately approximated by the Rayleigh solution as a function of incident wavelength, particles' complex refractive index, and particles' volume fraction.

Effect of fuel composition and differential diffusion on flame stabilization in reacting syngas jets in turbulent cross-flow

DOE PAGES

Minamoto, Yuki; Kolla, Hemanth; Grout, Ray W.; ...

2015-07-24

Here, three-dimensional direct numerical simulation results of a transverse syngas fuel jet in turbulent cross-flow of air are analyzed to study the influence of varying volume fractions of CO relative to H 2 in the fuel composition on the near field flame stabilization. The mean flame stabilizes at a similar location for CO-lean and CO-rich cases despite the trend suggested by their laminar flame speed, which is higher for the CO-lean condition. To identify local mixtures having favorable mixture conditions for flame stabilization, explosive zones are defined using a chemical explosive mode timescale. The explosive zones related to flame stabilizationmore » are located in relatively low velocity regions. The explosive zones are characterized by excess hydrogen transported solely by differential diffusion, in the absence of intense turbulent mixing or scalar dissipation rate. The conditional averages show that differential diffusion is negatively correlated with turbulent mixing. Moreover, the local turbulent Reynolds number is insufficient to estimate the magnitude of the differential diffusion effect. Alternatively, the Karlovitz number provides a better indicator of the importance of differential diffusion. A comparison of the variations of differential diffusion, turbulent mixing, heat release rate and probability of encountering explosive zones demonstrates that differential diffusion predominantly plays an important role for mixture preparation and initiation of chemical reactions, closely followed by intense chemical reactions sustained by sufficient downstream turbulent mixing. The mechanism by which differential diffusion contributes to mixture preparation is investigated using the Takeno Flame Index. The mean Flame Index, based on the combined fuel species, shows that the overall extent of premixing is not intense in the upstream regions. However, the Flame Index computed based on individual contribution of H 2 or CO species reveals that hydrogen contributes significantly to premixing, particularly in explosive zones in the upstream leeward region, i.e. at the preferred flame stabilization location. Therefore, a small amount of H 2 diffuses much faster than CO, creating relatively homogeneous mixture pockets depending on the competition with turbulent mixing. These pockets, together with high H 2 reactivity, contribute to stabilizing the flame at a consistent location regardless of the CO concentration in the fuel for the present range of DNS conditions.« less

Design of "model-friendly" turbulent non-premixed jet burners for C2+ hydrocarbon fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiayao; Shaddix, Christopher R.; Schefer, Robert W.

2011-07-01

Experimental measurements in laboratory-scale turbulent burners with well-controlled boundary and flow configurations can provide valuable data for validating models of turbulence-chemistry interactions applicable to the design and analysis of practical combustors. This paper reports on the design of two canonical nonpremixed turbulent jet burners for use with undiluted gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon fuels, respectively. Previous burners of this type have only been developed for fuels composed of H2, CO, and/or methane, often with substantial dilution. While both new burners are composed of concentric tubes with annular pilot flames, the liquid-fuel burner has an additional fuel vaporization step and an electrically heated fuel vapor delivery system. The performance of these burners is demonstrated by interrogating four ethylene flames and one flame fueled by a simple JP-8 surrogate. Through visual observation, it is found that the visible flame lengths show good agreement with standard empirical correlations. Rayleigh line imaging demonstrates that the pilot flame provides a spatially homogeneous flow of hot products along the edge of the fuel jet. Planar imaging of OH laser-induced fluorescence reveals a lack of local flame extinction in the high-strain near-burner region for fuel jet Reynolds numbers (Re) less than 20 000, and increasingly common extinction events for higher jet velocities. Planar imaging of soot laser-induced incandescence shows that the soot layers in these flames are relatively thin and are entrained into vortical flow structures in fuel-rich regions inside of the flame sheet.

The propagation of premixed flames in closed tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matalon, Moshe; Metzener, Philippe

1997-04-01

A nonlinear evolution equation that describes the propagation of a premixed flame in a closed tube has been derived from the general conservation equations. What distinguishes it from other similar equations is a memory term whose origin is in the vorticity production at the flame front. The two important parameters in this equation are the tube's aspect ratio and the Markstein parameter. A linear stability analysis indicates that when the Markstein parameter [alpha] is above a critical value [alpha]c the planar flame is the stable equilibrium solution. For [alpha] below [alpha]c the planar flame is no longer stable and there is a band of growing modes. Numerical solutions of the full nonlinear equation confirm this conclusion. Starting with random initial conditions the results indicate that, after a short transient, a at flame develops when [alpha]>[alpha]c and it remains flat until it reaches the end of the tube. When [alpha]<[alpha]c, on the other hand, stable curved flames may develop down the tube. Depending on the initial conditions the flame assumes either a cellular structure, characterized by a finite number of cells convex towards the unburned gas, or a tulip shape characterized by a sharp indentation at the centre of the tube pointing toward the burned gases. In particular, if the initial conditions are chosen so as to simulate the elongated finger-like flame that evolves from an ignition source, a tulip flame evolves downstream. In accord with experimental observations the tulip shape forms only after the flame has travelled a certain distance down the tube, it does not form in short tubes and its formation depends on the mixture composition. While the initial deformation of the flame front is a direct result of the hydrodynamic instability, the actual formation of the tulip flame results from the vortical motion created in the burned gas which is a consequence of the vorticity produced at the flame front.

An Experiment Investigation of Fully-Modulated, Turbulent Diffusion Flames in Reduced Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hermanson, J. C.; Johari, H.; Usowicz, J. E.; Stocker, D. P.; Nagashima, T.; Obata, S.

1999-01-01

Pulsed combustion appears to have the potential to provide for rapid fuel/air mixing, compact and economical combustors, and reduced exhaust emissions. The ultimate objective of this program is to increase the fundamental understanding of the fuel/air mixing and combustion behavior of pulsed, turbulent diffusion flames by conducting experiments in microgravity. In this research the fuel jet is fully-modulated (i.e., completely shut off between pulses) by an externally controlled valve system. This can give rise to drastic modification of the combustion and flow characteristics of flames, leading to enhanced fuel/air mixing mechanisms not operative for the case of acoustically excited or partially-modulated jets. In addition, the fully-modulated injection approach avoids the strong acoustic forcing present in pulsed combustion devices, significantly simplifying the mixing and combustion processes. Relatively little is known of the behavior of turbulent flames in reduced-gravity conditions, even in the absence of pulsing. The goal of this Flight-Definition experiment (PUFF, for PUlsed-Fully Flames) is to establish the behavior of fully-modulated, turbulent diffusion flames under microgravity conditions. Fundamental issues to be addressed in this experiment include the mechanisms responsible for the flame length decrease for fully-modulated, turbulent diffusion flames compared with steady flames, the impact of buoyancy on the mixing and combustion characteristics of these flames, and the characteristics of turbulent flame puffs under fully momentum-dominated conditions.

Shapes of Nonbuoyant Round Luminous Laminar-Jet Diffusion Flames in Coflowing Air. Appendix F

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, K.-C.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, David L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The shapes (luminous flame boundaries) of steady nonbuoyant round luminous hydrocarbon-fueled laminar-jet diffusion flames in coflowing air were studied both experimentally and theoretically. Flame shapes were measured from photographs of flames burning at low pressures in order to minimize the effects of buoyancy. Test conditions involved acetylene-, propylene. and 1,3-butadiene-fueled flames having initial reactant temperatures of 300 K, ambient pressures of 19-50 kPa, jet-exit Reynolds numbers of 18-121, and initial air/fuel velocity ratios of 0.22-32.45 to yield luminous flame lengths of 21-198 mm. The present flames were close to the laminar smoke point but were not soot emitting. Simple expressions to estimate the shapes of nonbuoyant laminar-jet diffusion flames in coflow were found by extending an earlier analysis of Mahalingam et al. These formulas provided a good correlation of present measurements except near the burner exit where self-similar approximations used in the simplified analysis are no longer appropriate.

Theoretical and Numerical Investigation of Radiative Extinction of Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Anjan

1996-01-01

The influence of soot radiation on diffusion flames was investigated using both analytical and numerical techniques. Soot generated in diffusion flames dominate the flame radiation over gaseous combustion products and can significantly lower the temperature of the flame. In low gravity situations there can be significant accumulation of soot and combustion products in the vicinity of the primary reaction zone owing to the absence of any convective buoyant flow. Such situations may result in substantial suppression of chemical activities in a flame, and the possibility of a radiative extinction may also be anticipated. The purpose of this work was to not only investigate the possibility of radiative extinction of a diffusion flame but also to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the influence of soot radiation on a diffusion flame. In this study, first a hypothetical radiative loss profile of the form of a sech(sup 2) was assumed to influence a pure diffusion flame. It was observed that the reaction zone can, under certain circumstances, move through the radiative loss zone and locate itself on the fuel side of the loss zone contrary to our initial postulate. On increasing the intensity and/or width of the loss zone it was possible to extinguish the flame, and extinction plots were generated. In the presence of a convective flow, however, the movement of the temperature and reaction rate peaks indicated that the flame behavior is more complicated compared to a pure diffusional flame. A comprehensive model of soot formation, oxidation and radiation was used in a more involved analysis. The soot model of Syed, Stewart and Moss was used for soot nucleation and growth and the model of Nagle and Strickland-Constable was used for soot oxidation. The soot radiation was considered in the optically thin limit. An analysis of the flame structure revealed that the radiative loss term is countered both by the reaction term and the diffusion term. The essential balance for the soot volume fraction was found to be between the processes of soot convection and soot growth. Such a balance yielded to analytical treatment and the soot volume fraction could be expressed in the form of an integral. The integral was evaluated using two approximate methods and the results agreed very well with the numerical solutions for all cases examined.

Effects of buoyancy on gas jet diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahadori, M. Yousef; Edelman, Raymond B.

1993-01-01

The objective of this effort was to gain a better understanding of the fundamental phenomena involved in laminar gas jet diffusion flames in the absence of buoyancy by studying the transient phenomena of ignition and flame development, (quasi-) steady-state flame characteristics, soot effects, radiation, and, if any, extinction phenomena. This involved measurements of flame size and development, as well as temperature and radiation. Additionally, flame behavior, color, and luminosity were observed and recorded. The tests quantified the effects of Reynolds number, nozzle size, fuel reactivity and type, oxygen concentration, and pressure on flame characteristics. Analytical and numerical modeling efforts were also performed. Methane and propane flames were studied in the 2.2 Second Drop Tower and the 5.18-Second Zero-Gravity Facility of NASA LeRC. In addition, a preliminary series of tests were conducted in the KC-135 research aircraft. Both micro-gravity and normal-gravity flames were studied in this program. The results have provided unique and new information on the behavior and characteristics of gas jet diffusion flames in micro-gravity environments.

Calculations of the flow properties of a confined diffusion flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Yongmo; Chung, T. J.; Sohn, Jeong L.

1989-01-01

A finite element algorithm for the computation of confined, axisymmetric, turbulent diffusion flames is developed. The mean mixture properties were obtained by three methods based on diffusion flame concept: without using a probability density function (PDF), with a double-delta PDF, and with a beta PDF. A comparison is made for the combustion models, and the effect of turbulence on combustion are discussed.

Structure of Laminar Permanently Blue, Opposed-Jet Ethylene-Fueled Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, K.-C.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The structure and state relationships of laminar soot-free (permanently blue) ethylene-fueled diffusion flames at various strain rates were studied both experimentally and computationally using an opposed-jet configuration. Measurements of gas velocities, temperatures, and compositions were carried out along the stagnation stream line. Corresponding predictions of flame structure were obtained, based on numerical simulations using several contemporary reaction mechanisms for methane oxidation. Flame conditions studied included ethylene-fueled opposed-jet diffusion flames having stoichiometric mixture fractions of 0.7 with measurements involving strain rates of 60-240/s and predictions involving strain rates of 0-1140/s at normal temperature and pressure. It was found that measured major gas species concentrations and temperature distributions were in reasonably good agreement with predictions using mechanisms due to GRI-Mech and Peters and that effects of preferential diffusion significantly influence flame structure even when reactant mass diffusivities are similar. Oxygen leakage to fuel-rich conditions and carbon monoxide leakage to fuel-lean conditions both increased as strain rates increased. Furthermore, increased strain rates caused increased fuel concentrations near the flame sheet, decreased peak gas temperatures, and decreased concentrations of carbon dioxide and water vapor throughout the flames. State relationships for major gas species and gas temperatures were found to exist over a broad range of strain rates, providing potential for significant computational simplifications for modeling purposes in some instances.

Structure of Laminar Permanently Blue, Opposed-Jet Ethylene-Fueled Diffusion Flames. Appendix E

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, K.-C.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The structure and state relationships of laminar soot-free (permanently blue) ethylene-fueled diffusion flames at various strain rates were studied both experimentally and computationally using an opposed-jet configuration. Measurements of gas velocities, temperatures, and compositions were carried out along the stagnation stream line. Corresponding predictions of flame structure were obtained, based on numerical simulations using several contemporary reaction mechanisms for methane oxidation. Flame conditions studied included ethylene-fueled opposed-jet diffusion flames having stoichiometric mixture fractions of 0.7 with measurements involving strain rates of 60-240/s and predictions involving strain rates of 0-1140/s at normal temperature and pressure. It was found that measured major gas species concentrations and temperature distributions were in reasonably good agreement with predictions using mechanisms due to GRI-Mech and Peters and that effects of preferential diffusion significantly influence flame structure even when reactant mass diffusivities are similar. Oxygen leakage to fuel-rich conditions and carbon monoxide leakage to fuel-lean conditions both increased as strain rates increased. Furthermore, increased strain rates caused increased fuel concentrations near the flame sheet, decreased peak gas temperatures, and decreased concentrations of carbon dioxide and water vapor throughout the flames. State relationships for major gas species and gas temperatures were found to exist over a broad range of strain rates, providing potential for significant computational simplifications for modeling purposes in some instances.

Influence of hydrocarbon fuel structural constitution and flame temperature on soot formation in laminar diffusion flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gulder, O.L.

1989-11-01

A systematic study of soot formation along the centerlines of axisymmetric laminar diffusion flames of a large number of liquid hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon blends, and transportation fuels were made. Measurements of the attenuation of a laser beam across the flame diameter were used to obtain the soot volume fraction, assuming Rayleigh extinction. Two sets of hydrocarbon blends were designed such that the molecular fuel composition varied considerably but the temperature fields in the flames were kept practically constant. Thus it was possible to separate the effects of molecular structure and the flame temperature on soot formation. It was quantitatively shown thatmore » the smoke height is a lumped measure of fuel molecular constitution and hydrogen-to-carbon ratio. Hydrocarbon fuel molecular composition was characterized by six carbon atom types that can be obtained, for complex hydrocarbon mixtures like transportation fuels, from proton nuclear magnetic resonance (/sup 1/H NMR) measurements. Strong attenuation of the laser beam was observed at heights very close to the burner rim. Visible flame profiles along the flame length were shown to have good self-similarity. Kent's model for diffusion flames was modified to include the effects of differences in flame temperatures and molecular diffusivities between fuels. An analysis based on the present data provides an assessment of the degree of contribution of different carbon atom types to the maximum soot volume fractions.« less

The influence of fuel-air swirl intensity on flame structures of syngas swirl-stabilized diffusion flame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Weiwei; Xiong, Yan; Mu, Kejin; Zhang, Zhedian; Wang, Yue; Xiao, Yunhan

2010-06-01

Flame structures of a syngas swirl-stabilized diffusion flame in a model combustor were measured using the OH-PLIF method under different fuel and air swirl intensity. The flame operated under atmospheric pressure with air and a typical low heating-value syngas with a composition of 28.5% CO, 22.5% H2 and 49% N2 at a thermal power of 34 kW. Results indicate that increasing the air swirl intensity with the same fuel, swirl intensity flame structures showed little difference except a small reduction of flame length; but also, with the same air swirl intensity, fuel swirl intensity showed great influence on flame shape, length and reaction zone distribution. Therefore, compared with air swirl intensity, fuel swirl intensity appeared a key effect on the flame structure for the model combustor. Instantaneous OH-PLIF images showed that three distinct typical structures with an obvious difference of reaction zone distribution were found at low swirl intensity, while a much compacter flame structure with a single, stable and uniform reaction zone distribution was found at large fuel-air swirl intensity. It means that larger swirl intensity leads to efficient, stable combustion of the syngas diffusion flame.

Modeling and calculation of turbulent lifted diffusion flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanders, J.P.H.; Lamers, A.P.G.G.

1994-01-01

Liftoff heights of turbulent diffusion flames have been modeled using the laminar diffusion flamelet concept of Peters and Williams. The strain rate of the smallest eddies is used as the stretch describing parameter, instead of the more common scalar dissipation rate. The h(U) curve, which is the mean liftoff height as a function of fuel exit velocity can be accurately predicted, while this was impossible with the scalar dissipation rate. Liftoff calculations performed in the flames as well as in the equivalent isothermal jets, using a standard k-[epsilon] turbulence model yield approximately the same correct slope for the h(U) curvemore » while the offset has to be reproduced by choosing an appropriate coefficient in the strain rate model. For the flame calculations a model for the pdf of the fluctuating flame base is proposed. The results are insensitive to its width. The temperature field is qualitatively different from the field calculated by Bradley et al. who used a premixed flamelet model for diffusion flames.« less

Dr. Gerard Faeth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Professor Gerard M. Faeth, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Arn Arbor, MI, is a principal investigator in NASA combustion science directed by Glenn Research Center. His projects include: Soot Processes in Freely-Propagating Laminar Premixed Flames; Investigation of Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames in Microgravity: A Paradigm for Soot Processes in Turbulent Flames (scheduled to fly on the STS-107 mission); and Flow/Soot- Formation in Nonbuoyant Laminar Diffusion Flames.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-10-04

Professor Gerard M. Faeth, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Arn Arbor, MI, is a principal investigator in NASA combustion science directed by Glenn Research Center. His projects include: Soot Processes in Freely-Propagating Laminar Premixed Flames; Investigation of Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames in Microgravity: A Paradigm for Soot Processes in Turbulent Flames (scheduled to fly on the STS-107 mission); and Flow/Soot- Formation in Nonbuoyant Laminar Diffusion Flames.

Suppression Characteristics of Cup-Burner Flames in Low Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Linteris, Gregory T.; Katta, Viswanath R.

2004-01-01

The structure and suppression of laminar methane-air co-flow diffusion flames formed on a cup burner have been studied experimentally and numerically using physically acting fire-extinguishing agents (CO2, N2, He, and Ar) in normal earth (lg) and zero gravity (0g). The computation uses a direct numerical simulation with detailed chemistry and radiative heat-loss models. An initial observation of the flame without agent was also made at the NASA Glenn 2.2-Second Drop Tower. An agent was introduced into a low-speed coflowing oxidizing stream by gradually replacing the air until extinguishment occurred under a fixed minimal fuel velocity. The suppression of cup-burner flames, which resemble real fires, occurred via a blowoff process (in which the flame base drifted downstream) rather than the global extinction phenomenon typical of counterflow diffusion flames. The computation revealed that the peak reactivity spot (the reaction kernel) formed in the flame base was responsible for attachment and blowoff phenomena of the trailing diffusion flame. The thermal and transport properties of the agents affected the flame extinguishment limits.

On the formulation and assessment of flamelet-generated manifolds applied to two-phase turbulent combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bojko, Brian T.

Accounting for the effects of finite rate chemistry in reacting flows is intractable when considering the number of species and reactions to be solved for during a large scale flow simulation. This is especially complicated when solid/liquid fuels are also considered. While modeling the reacting boundary layer with the use of finite-rate chemistry may allow for a highly accurate description of the coupling between the flame and fuel surface, it is not tractable in large scale simulations when considering detailed chemical kinetics. It is the goal of this research to investigate a Flamelet-Generated Manifold (FGM) method in order to reduce the finite rate chemistry to a lookup table cataloged by progress variables and queried during runtime. In this study, simplified unsteady 1D flames with mass blowing are considered for a solid biomass fuel where the FGM method is employed as a model reduction strategy for potential application to multidimensional calculations. Two types of FGM are considered. The first are a set of steady-state flames differentiated by their scalar dissipation rate. Results show the use of steady flames produce unacceptable errors compared to the finite-rate chemistry solution, with temperature errors in excess of 45%. To avoid these errors, a new methodology for developing an unsteady FGM (UFGM) is presented that accounts for unsteady diffusion effects and greatly reduces errors in temperature with differences that are under 10%. The FGM modeling is then extended to individual droplet combustion with the development of a Droplet Flamelet-Generated Manifold (DFGM) to account for the effects of finite-rate chemistry of individual droplets. A spherically symmetric droplet model is developed for methanol and aluminum. The inclusion of finite-rate chemistry allows the capturing of the transition from diffusion to kinetically controlled combustion as the droplet diameter decreases. The droplet model is then used to create a DFGM by successively solving the 1D flame equations at varying drop sizes, where the source terms for energy, mixture fraction, and progress variable are cataloged as a function of normalized diameter. A unique coupling of the DFGM and planar UFGM is developed and is used to account for individual and gas phase combustion processes in turbulent combustion situations, such as spray flames, particle laden blasts, etc. The DFGM for the methanol and aluminum droplets are used in mixed Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian formulations of compressible multiphase flows. System level simulations are conducted and compared experimental data for a methanol spray flame and an aluminized blast studied at the Explosives Components Facility (ECF) at Sandia National Laboratories.

Phase-locked two-line OH planar laser-induced fluorescence thermometry in a pulsating gas turbine model combustor at atmospheric pressure.

PubMed

Giezendanner-Thoben, Robert; Meier, Ulrich; Meier, Wolfgang; Heinze, Johannes; Aigner, Manfred

2005-11-01

Two-line OH planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) thermometry was applied to a swirling CH4/air flame in a gas turbine (GT) model combustor at atmospheric pressure, which exhibited self-excited combustion instability. The potential and limitations of the method are discussed with respect to applications in GT-like flames. A major drawback of using OH as a temperature indicator is that no temperature information can be obtained from regions where OH radicals are missing or present in insufficient concentration. The resulting bias in the average temperature is addressed and quantified for one operating condition by a comparison with results from laser Raman measurements applied in the same flame. Care was taken to minimize saturation effects by decreasing the spectral laser power density to a minimum while keeping an acceptable spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. In order to correct for the influence of laser light attenuation, absorption measurements were performed on a single-shot basis and a correction procedure was applied. The accuracy was determined to 4%-7% depending on the location within the flame and on the temperature level. A GT model combustor with an optical combustion chamber is described, and phase-locked 2D temperature distributions from a pulsating flame are presented. The temperature variations during an oscillation cycle are specified, and the general flame behavior is described. Our main goals are the evaluation of the OH PLIF thermometry and the characterization of a pulsating GT-like flame.

Experiments on Diffusion Flame Structure of a Laminar Vortex Ring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Shin-Juh; Dahm, Werner J. A.

1999-01-01

The study of flame-vortex interactions provides one of the means to better understand turbulent combustion, and allows for canonical configurations that contain the fundamental elements found in turbulent flames, These include concentrated vorticity, entrainment and mixing, strain and nonequilibrium phenomena, diffusion and differential diffusion, partial premixing and diluent effects, and heat release effects. In flame- vortex configurations, these fundamental elements can be studied under more controlled conditions than is possible in direct investigations of turbulent flames. Since the paper of Marble, the problem of the flame-vortex interaction has received considerable attention theoretically, numerically and experimentally. Several configurations exist for study of the premixed flame/vortex ring interaction but more limited results have been obtained to date for the diffusion flame/vortex ring case. The setup of Chen and Dahm, which is conceptually similar to that of Karagozian and Manda and Karagozian, Suganuma and Strom where the ring is composed of fuel and air and combustion begins during the ring formation process, is used in the current study. However, it is essential to conduct the experiments in microgravity to remove the asymmetries caused by buoyancy and thus obtain highly symmetric and repeatable interactions. In previous studies it was found that the flame structure of the vortex ring was similar to that obtained analytically by Karagozian and Manda. Dilution of propane with nitrogen led mainly to a reduction in flame luminosities, flame burnout times were affected by both fuel volumes and amount of dilution, and a simple model of the burnout times was developed. In this paper, a discussion on reacting ring displacement and flame burnout time will be given, and the flame structures of vortex rings containing ethane and air will be compared to those of propane reacting in air.

Velocity and Reactive Scalar Dissipation Spectra in Turbulent Premixed Flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kolla, Hemanth; Zhao, Xin-Yu; Chen, Jacqueline H.

Dissipation spectra of velocity and reactive scalars—temperature and fuel mass fraction—in turbulent premixed flames are studied using direct numerical simulation data of a temporally evolving lean hydrogen-air premixed planar jet (PTJ) flame and a statistically stationary planar lean methane-air (SP) flame. Furthermore, the equivalence ratio in both cases was 0.7, the pressure 1 atm while the unburned temperature was 700 K for the hydrogen-air PTJ case and 300 K for methane-air SP case, that resulted in data sets with a density ratio of 3 and 5, respectively. The turbulent Reynolds numbers for the cases ranged from 200 to 428.4, themore » Damköhler number from 3.1 to 29.1, and the Karlovitz number from 0.1 to 4.5. The dissipation spectra collapse when normalized by the respective Favre-averaged dissipation rates. But, the normalized dissipation spectra in all the cases deviate noticeably from those predicted by classical scaling laws for constant-density turbulent flows and bear a clear influence of the chemical reactions on the dissipative range of the energy cascade.« less

Velocity and Reactive Scalar Dissipation Spectra in Turbulent Premixed Flames

DOE PAGES

Kolla, Hemanth; Zhao, Xin-Yu; Chen, Jacqueline H.; ...

2016-06-09

Dissipation spectra of velocity and reactive scalars—temperature and fuel mass fraction—in turbulent premixed flames are studied using direct numerical simulation data of a temporally evolving lean hydrogen-air premixed planar jet (PTJ) flame and a statistically stationary planar lean methane-air (SP) flame. Furthermore, the equivalence ratio in both cases was 0.7, the pressure 1 atm while the unburned temperature was 700 K for the hydrogen-air PTJ case and 300 K for methane-air SP case, that resulted in data sets with a density ratio of 3 and 5, respectively. The turbulent Reynolds numbers for the cases ranged from 200 to 428.4, themore » Damköhler number from 3.1 to 29.1, and the Karlovitz number from 0.1 to 4.5. The dissipation spectra collapse when normalized by the respective Favre-averaged dissipation rates. But, the normalized dissipation spectra in all the cases deviate noticeably from those predicted by classical scaling laws for constant-density turbulent flows and bear a clear influence of the chemical reactions on the dissipative range of the energy cascade.« less

Meso and Micro Scale Propulsion Concepts for Small Spacecraft

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-28

flame length , QF is the volumetric flow rate of the fuel, D is the binary diffusion coefficient of the fuel in the oxidizer, and YFsoi, is the...R, can yield the same flame length . Most laminar diffusion flames are buoyancy-controlled since a small exit velocity is generally required to

FORMATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN AN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE ETHYLENE DIFFUSION FLAME. (R825412)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

The microstructure of an atmospheric pressure, counterflow, sooting, flat, laminar ethylene diffusion flame has been studied experimentally by withdrawing samples from within the flame using a heated quartz microprobe coupled to an online gas chromatograph/mas...

Study of Buoyancy Effects in Diffusion Flames Using Rainbow Schlieren Deflectometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agrawal, Ajay K.; Gollahalli, Subramanyam R.; Griffin, DeVon

1997-01-01

Diffusion flames are extensively encountered in many domestic and industrial processes. Even after many decades of research, a complete understanding of the diffusion flame structure is not available. The structure and properties of the flames are governed by the mixing (laminar or turbulent), chemical kinetics, radiation and soot processes. Another important phenomenon that affects flame structure in normal gravity is buoyancy. The presence of buoyancy has long hindered the rational understanding of many combustion processes. In gas jet diffusion flames, buoyancy affects the structure of the shear layer, the development of fluid instabilities, and formation of the coherent structures in the near nozzle region of the gas jets. The buoyancy driven instabilities generate vorticial structures outside the flame resulting in flame flicker. The vortices also strongly interact with the small-scale structures in the jet shear layer. This affects the transitional and turbulence characteristics of the flame. For a fundamental understanding of diffusion flames it is essential to isolate the effects of buoyancy. This is the primary goal of the experiments conducted in microgravity. Previous investigations, have shown dramatic differences between the jet flames in microgravity and normal gravity. It has been observed that flames in microgravity are taller and more sooty than in normal gravity. The fuels used in these experiments were primarily hydrocarbons. In the absence of buoyancy the soot resides near the flame region, which adversely affects the entrainment of reactants. It is very important to eliminate the interference of soot on flame characteristics in microgravity. The present work, therefore, focuses on the changes in the flame structure due to buoyancy without the added complexities of heterogeneous reactions. Clean burning hydrogen is used as the fuel to avoid soot formation and minimize radiative losses. Because of the low luminosity of hydrogen flames, we use rainbow schlieren deflectometry for visualization. The visualized images are digitized for quantification.The work reported here is divided into three sections; rainbow schlieren deflectometry (RSD), microgravity experiments and sub-atmospheric pressure experiments. The first section demonstrates the application of RSD for quantitative measurements in non-reacting and reacting flow systems. A computational effort to complement the experimental work is also included. In the second section, the experiments conducted at the 2.2s NASA Lewis Drop tower facility are described. The experiments were conducted to study the behavior of laminar, transitional and turbulent hydrogen flames in microgravity. The ability of RSD technique to provide quantitative data is highlighted. The final section deals with the sub-atmospheric pressure tests, which demonstrate that buoyancy in hydrogen diffusion flames can be scaled with pressure at normal gravity.

Flame surface statistics of constant-pressure turbulent expanding premixed flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Abhishek; Chaudhuri, Swetaprovo; Law, Chung K.

2014-04-01

In this paper we investigate the local flame surface statistics of constant-pressure turbulent expanding flames. First the statistics of local length ratio is experimentally determined from high-speed planar Mie scattering images of spherically expanding flames, with the length ratio on the measurement plane, at predefined equiangular sectors, defined as the ratio of the actual flame length to the length of a circular-arc of radius equal to the average radius of the flame. Assuming isotropic distribution of such flame segments we then convolute suitable forms of the length-ratio probability distribution functions (pdfs) to arrive at the corresponding area-ratio pdfs. It is found that both the length ratio and area ratio pdfs are near log-normally distributed and shows self-similar behavior with increasing radius. Near log-normality and rather intermittent behavior of the flame-length ratio suggests similarity with dissipation rate quantities which stimulates multifractal analysis.

3D DNS of Turbulent Premixed Flame with over 50 Species and 300 Elementary Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimura, Masayasu; Yenerdag, Basmil; Naka, Yoshitsugu; Nada, Yuzuru; Tanahashi, Mamoru

2014-11-01

Three-dimensional direct numerical simulation of methane-air premixed planar flame propagating in homogenous isotropic turbulence is conducted to investigate local flame structure in thin reaction zones. Detailed kinetic mechanism, GRI-Mech 3.0 which includes 53 species and 325 elementary reactions, is used to represent methane-air reaction, and temperature dependences of transport and thermal properties are considered. For a better understanding of the local flame structure in thin reaction zones regime, distributions of mass fractions of major species, heat release rate, temperature and turbulent structures are investigated. Characteristic flame structures, such as radical fingering and multi-layered-like flame structures, are observed. The most expected maximum heat release rate in flame elements is lower than that of laminar flame with same mixture. To clarify mechanism of the decrease in local heat release rate, effects of strain rates tangential to flame front on local heat release rate are investigated.

Imaging Fluorescent Combustion Species in Gas Turbine Flame Tubes: On Complexities in Real Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hicks, Y. R.; Locke, R. J.; Anderson, R. C.; Zaller, M.; Schock, H. J.

1997-01-01

Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) is used to visualize the flame structure via OH, NO, and fuel imaging in kerosene- burning gas turbine combustor flame tubes. When compared to simple gaseous hydrocarbon flames and hydrogen flames, flame tube testing complexities include spectral interferences from large fuel fragments, unknown turbulence interactions, high pressure operation, and the concomitant need for windows and remote operation. Complications of these and other factors as they apply to image analysis are considered. Because both OH and gas turbine engine fuels (commercial and military) can be excited and detected using OH transition lines, a narrowband and a broadband detection scheme are compared and the benefits and drawbacks of each method are examined.

Shapes of Nonbuoyant Round Luminous Hydrocarbon/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, K.-C.; Faeth, G. M.; Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.

1999-01-01

The shapes (luminous flame boundaries) of round luminous nonbuoyant soot-containing hydrocarbon/air laminar jet diffusion flames at microgravity were found from color video images obtained on orbit in the Space Shuttle Columbia. Test conditions included ethylene- and propane-fueled flames burning in still air at an ambient temperature of 300 K, ambient pressures of 35-130 kPa, initial jet diameters of 1.6 and 2.7 mm, and jet exit Reynolds numbers of 45-170. Present test times were 100-200 s and yielded steady axisymmetric flames that were close to the laminar smoke point (including flames both emitting and not emitting soot) with luminous flame lengths of 15-63 mm. The present soot-containing flames had larger luminous flame lengths than earlier ground-based observations having similar burner configurations: 40% larger than the luminous flame lengths of soot-containing low gravity flames observed using an aircraft (KC-135) facility due to reduced effects of accelerative disturbances and unsteadiness; roughly twice as large as the luminous flame lengths of soot-containing normal gravity flames due to the absence of effects of buoyant mixing and roughly twice as large as the luminous flame lengths of soot-free low gravity flames observed using drop tower facilities due to the presence of soot luminosity and possible reduced effects of unsteadiness. Simplified expressions to estimate the luminous flame boundaries of round nonbuoyant laminar jet diffusion flames were obtained from the classical analysis of Spalding (1979); this approach provided Successful Correlations of flame shapes for both soot-free and soot-containing flames, except when the soot-containing flames were in the opened-tip configuration that is reached at fuel flow rates near and greater than the laminar smoke point fuel flow rate.

Shapes of Nonbuoyant Round Luminous Hydrocarbon/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix H

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, K.-C.; Faeth, G. M.; Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Ross, Howard B. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The shapes (luminous flame boundaries) of round luminous nonbuoyant soot-containing hydrocarbon/air laminar jet diffusion flames at microgravity were found from color video images obtained on orbit in the Space Shuttle Columbia. Test conditions included ethylene- and propane-fueled flames burning in still air at an ambient temperature of 300 K ambient pressures of 35-130 kPa, initial jet diameters of 1.6 and 2.7 mm, and jet exit Reynolds numbers of 45-170. Present test times were 100-200 s and yielded steady axisymmetric flames that were close to the laminar smoke point (including flames both emitting and not emitting soot) with luminous flame lengths of 15-63 mm. The present soot-containing flames had larger luminous flame lengths than earlier ground-based observations having similar burner configurations: 40% larger than the luminous flame lengths of soot-containing low gravity flames observed using an aircraft (KC-135) facility due to reduced effects of accelerative disturbances and unsteadiness; roughly twice as large as the luminous flame lengths of soot-containing normal gravity flames due to the absence of effects of buoyant mixing and roughly twice as large as the luminous flame lengths of soot-free low gravity flames observed using drop tower facilities due to the presence of soot luminosity and possible reduced effects of unsteadiness, Simplified expressions to estimate the luminous flame boundaries of round nonbuoyant laminar jet diffusion flames were obtained from the classical analysis of Spalding; this approach provided successful correlations of flame shapes for both soot-free and soot-containing flames, except when the soot-containing flames were in the opened-tip configuration that is reached at fuel flow rates near and greater than the laminar smoke point fuel flow rate.

Modelling of soot formation in laminar diffusion flames using a comprehensive CFD-PBE model with detailed gas-phase chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akridis, Petros; Rigopoulos, Stelios

2017-01-01

A discretised population balance equation (PBE) is coupled with an in-house computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code in order to model soot formation in laminar diffusion flames. The unsteady Navier-Stokes, species and enthalpy transport equations and the spatially-distributed discretised PBE for the soot particles are solved in a coupled manner, together with comprehensive gas-phase chemistry and an optically thin radiation model, thus yielding the complete particle size distribution of the soot particles. Nucleation, surface growth and oxidation are incorporated into the PBE using an acetylene-based soot model. The potential of the proposed methodology is investigated by comparing with experimental results from the Santoro jet burner [Santoro, Semerjian and Dobbins, Soot particle measurements in diffusion flames, Combustion and Flame, Vol. 51 (1983), pp. 203-218; Santoro, Yeh, Horvath and Semerjian, The transport and growth of soot particles in laminar diffusion flames, Combustion Science and Technology, Vol. 53 (1987), pp. 89-115] for three laminar axisymmetric non-premixed ethylene flames: a non-smoking, an incipient smoking and a smoking flame. Overall, good agreement is observed between the numerical and the experimental results.

An Experimental and Theoretical Study of Radiative Extinction of Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wichman, Indrek S.

1993-01-01

The objective of this work is to investigate the radiation-induced rich extinction limits for diffusion flames. Radiative extinction is caused by the formation of particulates (e.g., soot) that drain chemical energy from the flame. We examine (mu)g conditions because there is a strong reason to believe that radiation-induced rich-limit extinction is not possible under normal-gravity conditions. In normal- g, the hot particulates formed in the fuel-rich flames are swept upward by buoyancy, out of the flame to the region above it, where their influence on the flame is negligible. However, in (mu)g the particulates remain in the flame vicinity, creating a strong energy sink that can, under suitable conditions, cause flame extinction.

Effects of Structure and Hydrodynamics on the Sooting Behavior of Spherical Microgravity Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Axelbaum, Richard L.; Urban, D. L.

2000-01-01

We have examined the sooting behavior of spherical microgravity diffusion flames burning ethylene at atmospheric pressure in the NASA Glenn 2.2-second drop tower. In a novel application of microgravity, spherical flames allowed convection across the flame to be either from fuel to oxidizer or from oxidizer to fuel. Thus, microgravity flames are uniquely capable of allowing independent variation of convection direction across the flame and stoichiometric mixture fraction, Z(sub st). This allowed us to determine the dominant mechanism responsible for the phenomenon of permanently-blue diffusion flames -- flames that remain blue as strain rate approaches zero. Stoichiometric mixture fraction was varied by changing inert concentrations such that adiabatic flame temperature did not change. At low and high Z(sub st) nitrogen was supplied with the oxidizer and the fuel, respectively. For the present flames, structure (Z(sub st)) was found to have a profound effect on soot production. Soot-free conditions were observed at high Z(sub st) (Z(sub st) = 0.78) and sooting conditions were observed at low Z(sub st) (Z(sub st) = 0.064) regardless of the direction of convection. Convection direction was found to have a lesser impact on soot inception, with formation being suppressed when convection at the flame sheet was directed towards the oxidizer.

Stability analysis of confined V-shaped flames in high-velocity streams.

PubMed

El-Rabii, Hazem; Joulin, Guy; Kazakov, Kirill A

2010-06-01

The problem of linear stability of confined V-shaped flames with arbitrary gas expansion is addressed. Using the on-shell description of flame dynamics, a general equation governing propagation of disturbances of an anchored flame is obtained. This equation is solved analytically for V-flames anchored in high-velocity channel streams. It is demonstrated that dynamics of the flame disturbances in this case is controlled by the memory effects associated with vorticity generated by the perturbed flame. The perturbation growth rate spectrum is determined, and explicit analytical expressions for the eigenfunctions are given. It is found that the piecewise linear V structure is unstable for all values of the gas expansion coefficient. Despite the linearity of the basic pattern, however, evolutions of the V-flame disturbances are completely different from those found for freely propagating planar flames or open anchored flames. The obtained results reveal strong influence of the basic flow and the channel walls on the stability properties of confined V-flames.

Combustion rate limits of hydrogen plus hydrocarbon fuel: Air diffusion flames from an opposed jet burner technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellett, Gerald L.; Guerra, Rosemary; Wilson, Lloyd G.; Reeves, Ronald N.; Northam, G. Burton

1987-01-01

Combustion of H2/hydrocarbon (HC) fuel mixtures may be considered in certain volume-limited supersonic airbreathing propulsion applications. Effects of HC addition to H2 were evaluated, using a recent argon-bathed, coaxial, tubular opposed jet burner (OJB) technique to measure the extinction limits of counterflow diffusion flames. The OJB flames were formed by a laminar jet of (N2 and/or HC)-diluted H2 mixture opposed by a similar jet of air at ambient conditions. The OJB data, derived from respective binary mixtures of H2 and methane, ethylene, or propane HCs, were used to characterize BLOWOFF and RESTORE. BLOWOFF is a sudden breaking of the dish-shaped OJB flame to a stable torus or ring shape, and RESTORE marks sudden restoration of the central flame by radial inward flame propagation. BLOWOFF is a measure of kinetically-limited flame reactivity/speed under highly stretched, but relatively ideal impingement flow conditions. RESTORE measures inward radial flame propagation rate, which is sensitive to ignition processes in the cool central core. It is concluded that relatively small molar amounts of added HC greatly reduce the reactivity characteristics of counterflow hydrogen-air diffusion flames, for ambient initial conditions.

Structure and Early Soot Oxidation Properties of Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Leathy, A. M.; Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.

2001-01-01

Soot is an important unsolved problem of combustion science because it is present in most hydrocarbon-fueled flames and current understanding of the reactive and physical properties of soot in flame environments is limited. This lack of understanding affects progress toward developing reliable predictions of flame radiation properties, reliable predictions of flame pollutant emission properties and reliable methods of computational combustion, among others. Motivated by these observations, the present investigation extended past studies of soot formation in this laboratory, to consider soot oxidation in laminar diffusion flames using similar methods. Early work showed that O2 was responsible for soot oxidation in high temperature O2-rich environments. Subsequent work in high temperature flame environments having small O2 concentrations, however, showed that soot oxidation rates substantially exceeded estimates based on the classical O2 oxidation rates of Nagle and Strickland-Constable and suggests that radicals such as O and OH might be strong contributors to soot oxidation for such conditions. Neoh et al. subsequently made observations in premixed flames, supported by later work, that showed that OH was responsible for soot oxidation at these conditions with a very reasonable collision efficiency of 0.13. Subsequent studies in diffusion flames, however, were not in agreement with the premixed flame studies: they agreed that OH played a dominant role in soot oxidation in flames, but found collision efficiencies that varied with flame conditions and were not in good agreement with each other or with Neoh et al. One explanation for these discrepancies is that optical scattering and extinction properties were used to infer soot structure properties for the studies that have not been very successful for representing the optical properties of soot. Whatever the source of the problem, however, these differences among observations of soot oxidation in premixed and diffusion flames clearly must be resolved. Motivated by these findings, the present study undertook measurements of soot and flame properties within the soot oxidation region of some typical laminar diffusion flames and exploited the new measurements to identify soot oxidation mechanisms for these conditions. Present considerations were limited to the early stages of soot oxidation (carbon consumption less than 70%) where reactions at the surface of primary soot particles dominate the process, rather than the later stages when particle porosity and internal particle oxidation become important as discussed by Neoh et al.

Structure of Soot-Containing Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mortazavi, S.; Sunderland, P. B.; Jurng, J.; Koylu, U. O.; Faeth, G. M.

1993-01-01

The structure and soot properties of nonbuoyant and weakly-buoyant round jet diffusion flames were studied, considering ethylene, propane and acetylene burning in air at pressures of 0.125-2.0 atm. Measurements of flame structure included radiative heat loss fractions, flame shape and temperature distributions in the fuel-lean (overfire) region. These measurements were used to evaluate flame structure predictions based on the conserved-scalar formalism in conjunction with the laminar flamelet concept, finding good agreement betweem predictions and measurements. Soot property measurements included laminar smoke points, soot volume function distributions using laser extinction, and soot structure using thermophoretic sampling and analysis by transmission electron microscopy. Nonbuoyant flames were found to exhibit laminar smoke points like buoyant flames but their properties are very different; in particular, nonbuoyant flames have laminar smoke point flame lengths and residence times that are shorter and longer, respectively, than buoyant flames.

Flame Structure and Emissions of Strongly-Pulsed Turbulent Diffusion Flames with Swirl

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Ying-Hao

This work studies the turbulent flame structure, the reaction-zone structure and the exhaust emissions of strongly-pulsed, non-premixed flames with co-flow swirl. The fuel injection is controlled by strongly-pulsing the fuel flow by a fast-response solenoid valve such that the fuel flow is completely shut off between pulses. This control strategy allows the fuel injection to be controlled over a wide range of operating conditions, allowing the flame structure to range from isolated fully-modulated puffs to interacting puffs to steady flames. The swirl level is controlled by varying the ratio of the volumetric flow rate of the tangential air to that of the axial air. For strongly-pulsed flames, both with and without swirl, the flame geometry is strongly impacted by the injection time. Flames appear to exhibit compact, puff-like structures for short injection times, while elongated flames, similar in behaviors to steady flames, occur for long injection times. The flames with swirl are found to be shorter for the same fuel injection conditions. The separation/interaction level between flame puffs in these flames is essentially governed by the jet-off time. The separation between flame puffs decreases as swirl is imposed, consistent with the decrease in flame puff celerity due to swirl. The decreased flame length and flame puff celerity are consistent with an increased rate of air entrainment due to swirl. The highest levels of CO emissions are generally found for compact, isolated flame puffs, consistent with the rapid quenching due to rapid dilution with excess air. The imposition of swirl generally results in a decrease in CO levels, suggesting more rapid and complete fuel/air mixing by imposing swirl in the co-flow stream. The levels of NO emissions for most cases are generally below the steady-flame value. The NO levels become comparable to the steady-flame value for sufficiently short jet-off time. The swirled co-flow air can, in some cases, increase the NO emissions. The elevated NO emissions are due to a longer combustion residence time due to the flow recirculation within the swirl-induced recirculation zone. The reaction zone structure, based on OH planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) is broadly consistent with the observation of luminous flame structure for these types of flames. In many cases, the reaction zone exhibits discontinuities at the instantaneous flame tip in the early period of fuel injection. These discontinuities in the reaction zone likely result from the non-ignition of injected fuel, due to a relatively slower reaction rate in comparison with the mixing rate. The discontinuity in the OH zone is generally seen to diminish with increased swirl level. Statistics generated from the OH PLIF signals show that the reaction zone area generally increases with increased swirl level, consistent with a broader and more convoluted OH-zone structure for flames with swirl. The reaction zone area for swirled flames generally exhibits a higher degree of fluctuation, suggesting a relatively stronger impact of flow turbulence on the flame structure for flames with swirl.

Particle-Image Velocimetry in Microgravity Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Greenberg, P. S.; Urban, D. L.; Wernet, M. P.; Yanis, W.

1999-01-01

This paper discusses planned velocity measurements in microgravity laminar jet diffusion flames. These measurements will be conducted using Particle-Image Velocimetry (PIV) in the NASA Glenn 2.2-second drop tower. The observations are of fundamental interest and may ultimately lead to improved efficiency and decreased emissions from practical combustors. The velocity measurements will support the evaluation of analytical and numerical combustion models. There is strong motivation for the proposed microgravity flame configuration. Laminar jet flames are fundamental to combustion and their study has contributed to myriad advances in combustion science, including the development of theoretical, computational and diagnostic combustion tools. Nonbuoyant laminar jet flames are pertinent to the turbulent flames of more practical interest via the laminar flamelet concept. The influence of gravity on these flames is deleterious: it complicates theoretical and numerical modeling, introduces hydrodynamic instabilities, decreases length scales and spatial resolution, and limits the variability of residence time. Whereas many normal-gravity laminar jet diffusion flames have been thoroughly examined (including measurements of velocities, temperatures, compositions, sooting behavior and emissive and absorptive properties), measurements in microgravity gas-jet flames have been less complete and, notably, have included only cursory velocity measurements. It is envisioned that our velocity measurements will fill an important gap in the understanding of nonbuoyant laminar jet flames.

Effect of heat release on the spatial stability of a supersonic reacting mixing layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, T. L.; Grosch, C. E.

1988-01-01

A numerical study of the stability of compressible mixing layers in which a diffusion flame is embedded is described. The mean velocity profile has been approximated by a hyperbolic tangent profile and the limit of infinite activation energy taken, which reduces the diffusion flame to a flame sheet. The addition of combustion in the form of a flame sheet was found to have important, and complex, effects on the flow stability.

Development of PIV for Microgravity Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenberg, Paul S.; Wernet, Mark P.; Yanis, William; Urban, David L.; Sunderland, Peter B.

2003-01-01

Results are presented from the application of Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV) to the overfire region of a laminar gas jet diffusion flame in normal gravity. A methane flame burning in air at 0.98 bar was considered. The apparatus demonstrated here is packaged in a drop rig designed for use in the 2.2 second drop tower.

Numerical Simulation of an Enclosed Laminar Jet Diffusion Flame in Microgravity Environment: Comparison with ELF Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jia, Kezhong; Venuturumilli, Rajasekhar; Ryan, Brandon J.; Chen, Lea-Der

2001-01-01

Enclosed diffusion flames are commonly found in practical combustion systems, such as the power-plant combustor, gas turbine combustor, and jet engine after-burner. In these systems, fuel is injected into a duct with a co-flowing or cross-flowing air stream. The diffusion flame is found at the surface where the fuel jet and oxygen meet, react, and consume each other. In combustors, this flame is anchored at the burner (i.e., fuel jet inlet) unless adverse conditions cause the flame to lift off or blow out. Investigations of burner stability study the lift off, reattachment, and blow out of the flame. Flame stability is strongly dependent on the fuel jet velocity. When the fuel jet velocity is sufficiently low, the diffusion flame anchors at the burner rim. When the fuel jet velocity is increased, the flame base gradually moves downstream. However, when the fuel jet velocity increases beyond a critical value, the flame base abruptly jumps downstream. When this "jump" occurs, the flame is said to have reached its lift-off condition and the critical fuel jet velocity is called the lift-off velocity. While lifted, the flame is not attached to the burner and it appears to float in mid-air. Flow conditions are such that the flame cannot be maintained at the burner rim despite the presence of both fuel and oxygen. When the fuel jet velocity is further increased, the flame will eventually extinguish at its blowout condition. In contrast, if the fuel jet velocity of a lifted flame is reduced, the flame base moves upstream and abruptly returns to anchor at the burner rim. The fuel jet velocity at reattachment can be much lower than that at lift off, illustrating the hysteresis effect present in flame stability. Although there have been numerous studies of flame stability, the controlling mechanisms are not well understood. This uncertainty is described by Pitts in his review of various competing theories of lift off and blow out in turbulent jet diffusion flames. There has been some research on the stability of laminar flames, but most studies have focused on turbulent flames. It is also well known that the airflow around the fuel jet can significantly alter the lift off, reattachment and blow out of the jet diffusion flame. Buoyant convection is sufficiently strong in 1-g flames that it can dominate the flow-field, even at the burner rim. In normal-gravity testing, it is very difficult to delineate the effects of the forced airflow from those of the buoyancy-induced flow. Comparison of normal-gravity and microgravity flames provides clear indication of the influence of forced and buoyant flows on the flame stability. The overall goal of the Enclosed Laminar Flames (ELF) investigation (STS-87/USMP-4 Space Shuttle mission, November to December 1997) is to improve our understanding of the effects of buoyant convection on the structure and stability of co-flow diffusion flame, e.g., see http://zeta.lerc.nasa.gov/expr/elf.htm. The ELF hardware meets the experiment hardware limit of the 35-liter interior volume of the glovebox working area, and the 180x220-mm dimensions of the main door. The ELF experiment module is a miniature, fan-driven wind tunnel, equipped with a gas supply system. A 1.5-mm diameter nozzle is located on the duct's flow axis. The cross section of the duct is nominally a 76-mm square with rounded corners. The forced air velocity can be varied from about 0.2 to 0.9 m/s. The fuel flow can be set as high as 3 std. cubic centimeter (cc) per second, which corresponds to a nozzle exit velocity of up to 1.70 m/s. The ELF hardware and experimental procedure are discussed in detail in Brooker et al. The 1-g test results are repeated in several experiments following the STS-87 Mission. The ELF study is also relevant to practical systems because the momentum-dominated behavior of turbulent flames can be achieved in laminar flames in microgravity. The specific objectives of this paper are to evaluate the use reduced model for simulation of flame lift-off and blowout.

An Experimental and Theoretical Study of Radiative Extinction of Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atreya, Arvind

1995-01-01

The objective of this research was to experimentally and theoretically investigate the radiation-induced extinction of gaseous diffusion flames in microgravity. The microgravity conditions were required because radiation-induced extinction is generally not possible in 1-g but is highly likely in microgravity. In 1-g, the flame-generated particulates (e.g. soot) and gaseous combustion products that are responsible for flame radiation, are swept away from the high temperature reaction zone by the buoyancy-induced flow and a steady state is developed. In microgravity, however, the absence of buoyancy-induced flow which transports the fuel and the oxidizer to the combustion zone and removes the hot combustion products from it enhances the flame radiation due to: (1) transient build-up of the combustion products in the flame zone which increases the gas radiation, and (2) longer residence time makes conditions appropriate for substantial amounts of soot to form which is usually responsible for most of the radiative heat loss. Numerical calculations conducted during the course of this work show that even non-radiative flames continue to become "weaker" (diminished burning rate per unit flame area) due to reduced rates of convective and diffusive transport. Thus, it was anticipated that radiative heat loss may eventually extinguish the already "weak" microgravity diffusion flame. While this hypothesis appears convincing and our numerical calculations support it, experiments for a long enough microgravity time could not be conducted during the course of this research to provide an experimental proof. Space shuttle experiments on candle flames show that in an infinite ambient atmosphere, the hemispherical candle flame in microgravity will burn indefinitely. It was hoped that radiative extinction can be experimentally shown by the aerodynamically stabilized gaseous diffusion flames where the fuel supply rate was externally controlled. While substantial progress toward this goal was made during this project, identifying the experimental conditions for which radiative extinction occurs for various fuels requires further study. Details concerning this research which are discussed in published articles are included in the appendices.

High pressure flame system for pollution studies with results for methane-air diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, I. M.; Maahs, H. G.

1977-01-01

A high pressure flame system was designed and constructed for studying nitrogen oxide formation in fuel air combustion. Its advantages and limitations were demonstrated by tests with a confined laminar methane air diffusion flame over the pressure range from 1 to 50 atm. The methane issued from a 3.06 mm diameter port concentrically into a stream of air contained within a 20.5 mm diameter chimney. As the combustion pressure is increased, the flame changes in shape from wide and convex to slender and concave, and there is a marked increase in the amount of luminous carbon. The height of the flame changes only moderately with pressure.

40 CFR 63.6100 - What emission and operating limitations must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... stationary combustion turbine, a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine, a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine, or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Yyyy of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in this subpart, 3. a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in this subpart, or 4. a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Yyyy of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in this subpart, 3. a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in this subpart, or 4. a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary...

40 CFR 63.6100 - What emission and operating limitations must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... stationary combustion turbine, a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine, a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine, or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as...

40 CFR 63.6100 - What emission and operating limitations must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... stationary combustion turbine, a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine, a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine, or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Yyyy of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in this subpart, 3. a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in this subpart, or 4. a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary...

Hydrogen and hydrocarbon diffusion flames in a weightless environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haggard, J. B., Jr.; Cochran, T. H.

1973-01-01

An experimental investigation was performed on laminar hydrogen-, ethylene-, and propylene-air diffusion burning in a weightless environment. The flames burned on nozzles with radii ranging from 0.051 to 0.186 cm with fuel Reynolds numbers at the nozzle exit from 9 to 410. Steady-state diffusion flames existed in a weightless environment for all the fuels tested. A correlation was obtained for their axial length as a function of Schmidt number, Reynolds numbers, and stoichiometric mole fraction. The maximum flame radii were correlated with the ratio of nozzle radius to average fuel velocity. The flames of ethylene and propylene on nozzles with radii 0.113 or larger appeared to be constantly changing color and/or length throughout the test. No extinguishment was observed for any of the gases tested within the 2.2 seconds of weightlessness.

Effects of H{sub 2} enrichment on the propagation characteristics of CH{sub 4}-air triple flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Briones, Alejandro M.; Aggarwal, Suresh K.; Katta, Viswanath R.

The effects of H{sub 2} enrichment on the propagation of laminar CH{sub 4}-air triple flames in axisymmetric coflowing jets are numerically investigated. A comprehensive, time-dependent computational model, which employs a detailed description of chemistry and transport, is used to simulate the transient ignition and flame propagation phenomena. Flames are ignited in a jet-mixing layer far downstream of the burner. Following ignition, a well-defined triple flame is formed that propagates upstream along the stoichiometric mixture fraction line with a nearly constant displacement velocity. As the flame approaches the burner, it transitions to a double flame, and subsequently to a burner-stabilized nonpremixedmore » flame. Predictions are validated using measurements of the displacement flame velocity. As the H{sub 2} concentration in the fuel blend is increased, the displacement flame velocity and local triple flame speed increase progressively due to the enhanced chemical reactivity, diffusivity, and preferential diffusion caused by H{sub 2} addition. In addition, the flammability limits associated with the triple flames are progressively extended with the increase in H{sub 2} concentration. The flame structure and flame dynamics are also markedly modified by H{sub 2} enrichment, which substantially increases the flame curvature and mixture fraction gradient, as well as the hydrodynamic and curvature-induced stretch near the triple point. For all the H{sub 2}-enriched methane-air flames investigated in this study, there is a negative correlation between flame speed and stretch, with the flame speed decreasing almost linearly with stretch, consistent with previous studies. The H{sub 2} addition also modifies the flame sensitivity to stretch, as it decreases the Markstein number (Ma), implying an increased tendency toward diffusive-thermal instability (i.e. Ma {yields} 0). These results are consistent with the previously reported experimental results for outwardly propagating spherical flames burning a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen. (author)« less

Effects of Fuel Preheat on Soot Formation in Microgravity Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Konsur, Bogdan; Megaridis, Constantine M.; Griffin, DeVon W.

1997-01-01

Nonbuoyant flames offer themselves as an attractive and promising platform to gain a better understanding of soot mechanisms. The effects of buoyancy can be eliminated temporarily in drop towers which sustain brief intervals of reduced gravity-typically lower than 10(exp -3)g- extending up to several seconds at a time. Microgravity facilities have been employed to show that nonbuoyant flames are longer, wider and sootier than their normal-gravity counterparts. Sunderland et al. recently verified the existence of smoke point in laminar nonbuoyant flames. As reported, microgravity flames operating above their smoke point displayed a blunt tip and much broader soot-containing regimes in comparison to their buoyant counterparts. Mortazavi et al. established that residence times in microgravity laminar jet diffusion flames with Re=0(100) tend to be proportional to burner diameter and inversely proportional to burner exit velocity. This offers the capability to alter residence times in nonbuoyant laminar jet diffusion flames when varying the burner exit diameters and velocities. Megaridis et al. presented a quantitative definition of the soot-field structure within laminar microgravity jet diffusion flames which operated well above their smoke point. The experimental methodology involved a full-field laser-light extinction technique and jet diffusion flames of nitrogen-diluted (50% vol.) acetylene fuel burning in quiescent air at atmospheric pressure. The work was conducted at the 2.2s drop tower of the NASA Lewis Research Center (NASA-LeRC). Parallel work on 1-g flames was also presented in (6) to facilitate comparisons on the effect of gravity on the soot fields. As reported, the soot spatial distributions in 0-g flames did not change in a detectable manner after 1s within a typical 2.2s experiment. During that period, the soot field was shown to sustain a pronounced annular structure throughout the luminous nonbuoyant-flame zone. The maximum soot volume fraction measured at 0-g was nearly a factor of two higher than that at 1-g, thus confirming the enhanced sooting tendency of nonbuoyant flames. Greenberg and Ku presented a similar study and reported trends that matched those of for the 50% (vol.) nitrogen-diluted acetylene fuel. Furthermore, they examined pure acetylene flames and reported similar trends with respect to the influence of gravity on maximum soot volume fractions and flame cross-section-averaged soot loadings. Both studies clearly demonstrated the improved spatial resolution of microgravity flames compared to their normal-gravity counterparts. The current study evaluates the influence of moderate fuel preheat on soot formation within 0-g laminar gas jet diffusion flames. While fuel temperature variations have little influence on residence times in 1-g, they have a much more significant effect in 0-g. The primary objective of this program is to quantify this effect and its consequences on sooting by comparing soot volume fraction distributions under preheated and unpreheated-fuel conditions. Furthermore, the current work aims at expanding the limited soot database available for nonbuoyant flames. Soot fields in such flames can be used to perform additional tests of recently developed soot sub-models which have the potential to become powerful predicting tools in combustion design.

Numerical investigation of biogas diffusion flames characteristics under several operation conditions in counter-flow configuration with an emphasis on thermal and chemical effects of CO2 in the fuel mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mameri, A.; Tabet, F.; Hadef, A.

2017-08-01

This study addresses the influence of several operating conditions (composition and ambient pressure) on biogas diffusion flame structure and NO emissions with particular attention on thermal and chemical effect of CO2. The biogas flame is modeled by a counter flow diffusion flame and analyzed in mixture fraction space using flamelet approach. The GRI Mech-3.0 mechanism that involves 53 species and 325 reactions is adopted for the oxidation chemistry. It has been observed that flame properties are very sensitive to biogas composition and pressure. CO2 addition decreases flame temperature by both thermal and chemical effects. Added CO2 may participate in chemical reaction due to thermal dissociation (chemical effect). Excessively supplied CO2 plays the role of pure diluent (thermal effect). The ambient pressure rise increases temperature and reduces flame thickness, radiation losses and dissociation amount. At high pressure, recombination reactions coupled with chain carrier radicals reduction, diminishes NO mass fraction.

Interaction of pulsating and spinning waves in nonadiabatic flame propagation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Booty, M.R.; Margolis, S.B.; Matkowsky, B.J.

1987-12-01

The authors consider nonadiabatic premixed flame propagation in a long cylindrical channel. A steadily propagating planar flame exists for heat losses below a critical value. It is stable provided that the Lewis number and the volumetric heat loss coefficient are sufficiently small. At critical values of these parameters, bifurcated states, corresponding to time-periodic pulsating cellular flames, emanate from the steadily propagating solution. The authors analyze the problem in a neighborhood of a multiple primary bifurcation point. By varying the radius of the channel, they split the multiple bifurcation point and show that various types of stable periodic and quasi-periodic pulsatingmore » flames can arise as secondary, tertiary, and quaternary bifurcations. Their analysis describes several types of spinning and pulsating flame propagation which have been experimentally observed in nonadiabatic flames, and also describes additional quasi-periodic modes of burning which have yet to be documented experimentally.« less

Soot Formation in Laminar Acetylene/Air Diffusion Flames at Atmospheric Pressure. Appendix C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The flame structure and soot-formation (soot nucleation and growth) properties of axisymmetric laminar coflowing jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Test conditions involved acetylene-nitrogen jets burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were limited to the axes of the flames and included soot concentrations, soot temperatures, soot structure, major gas species concentrations, radical species (H, OH, and O) concentrations, and gas velocities. The results show that as distance increases along the axes of the flames, detectable soot formation begins when significant H concentrations are present, and ends when acetylene concentrations become small. Species potentially associated with soot oxidation-O2, CO2, H2O, O, and OH-are present throughout the soot-formation region so that soot formation and oxidation proceed at the same time. Strong rates of soot growth compared to soot nucleation early in the soot-formation process, combined with increased rates of soot nucleation and oxidation as soot formation proceeds, causes primary soot particle diameters to reach a maximum relatively early in the soot-formation process. Aggregation of primary soot particles proceeds, however, until the final stages of soot oxidation. Present measurements of soot growth (corrected for soot oxidation) in laminar diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot growth in laminar premixed flames and exhibited encouraging agreement with existing hydrogen-abstraction/carbon-addition (HACA) soot growth mechanisms in the literature that were developed based on measurements within laminar premixed flames. Measured primary soot particle nucleation rates in the present laminar diffusion flames also were consistent with corresponding rates measured in laminar premixed flames and yielded a crude correlation in terms of acetylene and H concentrations and the temperature.

Soot Formation in Laminar Acetylene/Air Diffusion Flames at Atmospheric Pressure. Appendix H

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.; Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor); Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The flame structure and soot-formation (soot nucleation and growth) properties of axisymmetric laminar coflowing jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Test conditions involved acetylene-nitrogen jets burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were limited to the axes of the flames and included soot concentrations, soot temperatures, soot structure, major gas species concentrations, radical species (H, OH, and O) concentrations, and gas velocities. The results show that as distance increases along the axes of the flames, detectable soot formation begins when significant H concentrations are present, and ends when acetylene concentrations become small. Species potentially associated with soot oxidation-O2, CO2, H2O, O, and OH-are present throughout the soot-formation region so that soot formation and oxidation proceed at the same time. Strong rates of soot growth compared to soot nucleation early in the soot-formation process, combined with increased rates of soot nucleation and oxidation as soot formation proceeds, causes primary soot particle diameters to reach a maximum relatively early in the soot-formation process. Aggregation of primary soot particles proceeds, however, until the final stages of soot oxidation. Present measurements of soot growth (corrected for soot oxidation) in laminar diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot growth in laminar premixed flames and exhibited encouraging agreement with existing hydrogen-abstraction/carbon-addition (HACA) soot growth mechanisms in the literature that were developed based on measurements within laminar premixed flames. Measured primary soot particle nucleation rates in the present laminar diffusion flames also were consistent with corresponding rates measured in laminar premixed flames and yielded a crude correlation in terms of acetylene and H concentrations and the temperature.

Soot Formation in Laminar Acetylene/Air Diffusion Flames at Atmospheric Pressure. Appendix J

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The flame structure and soot-formation (soot nucleation and growth) properties of axisymmetric laminar coflowing jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Test conditions involved acetylene-nitrogen jets burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were limited to the axes of the flames and included soot concentrations, soot temperatures, soot structure, major gas species concentrations, radical species (H, OH, and O) concentrations, and gas velocities. The results show that as distance increases along the axes of the flames, detectable soot formation begins when significant H concentrations are present, and ends when acetylene concentrations become small. Species potentially associated with soot oxidation--O2, CO2, H2O, O, and OH-are present throughout the soot-formation region so that soot formation and oxidation proceed at the same time. Strong rates of soot growth compared to soot nucleation early in the soot-formation process, combined with increased rates of soot nucleation and oxidation as soot formation proceeds, causes primary soot particle diameters to reach a maximum relatively early in the soot-formation process. Aggregation of primary soot particles proceeds, however, until the final stages of soot oxidation. Present measurements of soot growth (corrected for soot oxidation) in laminar diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot growth in laminar premixed flames and exhibited encouraging agreement with existing hydrogen-abstraction/carbon-addition (HACA) soot growth mechanisms in the literature that were developed based on measurements within laminar premixed flames. Measured primary soot particle nucleation rates in the present laminar diffusion flames also were consistent with corresponding rates measured in laminar premixed flames and yielded a crude correlation in terms of acetylene and H concentrations and the temperature.

Transitional Gas Jet Diffusion Flames in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agrawal, Ajay K.; Alammar, Khalid; Gollahalli, S. R.; Griffin, DeVon (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Drop tower experiments were performed to identify buoyancy effects in transitional hydrogen gas jet diffusion flames. Quantitative rainbow schlieren deflectometry was utilized to optically visualize the flame and to measure oxygen concentration in the laminar portion of the flame. Test conditions consisted of atmospheric pressure flames burning in quiescent air. Fuel from a 0.3mm inside diameter tube injector was issued at jet exit Reynolds numbers (Re) of 1300 to 1700. Helium mole percentage in the fuel was varied from 0 to 40%. Significant effects of buoyancy were observed in near field of the flame even-though the fuel jets were momentum-dominated. Results show an increase of breakpoint length in microgravity. Data suggest that transitional flames in earth-gravity at Re<1300 might become laminar in microgravity.

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Yyyy of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... turbine as defined in this subpart, 3. a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in this subpart, or 4. a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Yyyy of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... turbine as defined in this subpart, 3. a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in this subpart, or 4. a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined in...

40 CFR 63.6100 - What emission and operating limitations must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... combustion turbine, a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine, a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine, or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by...

40 CFR 63.6100 - What emission and operating limitations must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... combustion turbine, a lean premix oil-fired stationary combustion turbine, a diffusion flame gas-fired stationary combustion turbine, or a diffusion flame oil-fired stationary combustion turbine as defined by...

A Burke-Schumann analysis of diffusion-flame structures supported by a burning droplet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayagam, Vedha; Dietrich, Daniel L.; Williams, Forman A.

2017-07-01

A Burke-Schumann description of three different regimes of combustion of a fuel droplet in an oxidising atmosphere, namely the premixed-flame regime, the partial-burning regime and the diffusion-flame regime, is presented by treating the fuel and oxygen leakage fractions through the flame as known parameters. The analysis shows that the burning-rate constant, the flame-standoff ratio, and the flame temperature in these regimes can be obtained from the classical droplet-burning results by suitable definitions of an effective ambient oxygen mass fraction and an effective fuel concentration in the droplet interior. The results show that increasing oxygen leakage alone through the flame lowers both the droplet burning rate and the flame temperature, whereas leakage of fuel alone leaves the burning rate unaffected while reducing the flame temperature and moving the flame closer to the droplet surface. Solutions for the partial-burning regime are shown to exist only for a limited range of fuel and oxygen leakage fractions.

Analysis of opposed jet hydrogen-air counter flow diffusion flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, Y. H.; Isaac, K. M.

1989-01-01

A computational simulation of the opposed-jet diffusion flame is performed to study its structure and extinction limits. The present analysis concentrates on the nitrogen-diluted hydrogen-air diffusion flame, which provides the basic information for many vehicle designs such as the aerospace plane for which hydrogen is a candidate as the fuel. The computer program uses the time-marching technique to solve the energy and species equations coupled with the momentum equation solved by the collocation method. The procedure is implemented in two stages. In the first stage, a one-step forward overal chemical reaction is chosen with the gas phase chemical reaction rate determined by comparison with experimental data. In the second stage, a complete chemical reaction mechanism is introduced with detailed thermodynamic and transport property calculations. Comparison between experimental extinction data and theoretical predictions is discussed. The effects of thermal diffusion as well as Lewis number and Prandtl number variations on the diffusion flame are also presented.

Laser-saturated fluorescence measurements in laminar sooting diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wey, Changlie

1993-01-01

The hydroxyl radical is known to be one of the most important intermediate species in the combustion processes. The hydroxyl radical has also been considered a dominant oxidizer of soot particles in flames. In this investigation the hydroxyl concentration profiles in sooting diffusion flames were measured by the laser-saturated fluorescence (LSF) method. The temperature distributions in the flames were measured by the two-line LSF technique and by thermocouple. In the sooting region the OH fluorescence was too weak to make accurate temperature measurements. The hydroxyl fluorescence profiles for all four flames presented herein show that the OH fluorescence intensities peaked near the flame front. The OH fluorescence intensity dropped sharply toward the dark region of the flame and continued declining to the sooting region. The OH fluorescence profiles also indicate that the OH fluorescence decreased with increasing height in the flames for all flames investigated. Varying the oxidizer composition resulted in a corresponding variation in the maximum OH concentration and the flame temperature. Furthermore, it appears that the maximum OH concentration for each flame increased with increasing flame temperature.

Laminar Soot Processes (Lsp) Experiment: Findings From Ground-Based Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, C. H.; El-Leathy, A. M.; Faeth, G. M.; Xu, F.

2003-01-01

Processes of soot formation and oxidation must be understood in order to achieve reliable computational combustion calculations for nonpremixed (diffusion) flames involving hydrocarbon fuels. Motivated by this observation, the present investigation extended earlier work on soot formation and oxidation in laminar jet ethylene/air and methane/oxygen premixed and acetylene-nitrogen/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure in this laboratory, emphasizing soot surface growth and early soot surface oxidation in laminar diffusion flames fueled with a variety of hydrocarbons at pressures in the range 0.1 - 1.0 atm.

Cool Flame Quenching

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearlman, Howard; Chapek, Richard

2001-01-01

Cool flame quenching distances are generally presumed to be larger than those associated with hot flames, because the quenching distance scales with the inverse of the flame propagation speed, and cool flame propagation speeds are often times slower than those associated with hot flames. To date, this presumption has never been put to a rigorous test, because unstirred, non-isothermal cool flame studies on Earth are complicated by natural convection. Moreover, the critical Peclet number (Pe) for quenching of cool flames has never been established and may not be the same as that associated with wall quenching due to conduction heat loss in hot flames, Pe approx. = 40-60. The objectives of this ground-based study are to: (1) better understand the role of conduction heat loss and species diffusion on cool flame quenching (i.e., Lewis number effects), (2) determine cool flame quenching distances (i.e, critical Peclet number, Pe) for different experimental parameters and vessel surface pretreatments, and (3) understand the mechanisms that govern the quenching distances in premixtures that support cool flames as well as hot flames induced by spark-ignition. Objective (3) poses a unique fire safety hazard if conditions exist where cool flame quenching distances are smaller than those associated with hot flames. For example, a significant, yet unexplored risk, can occur if a multi-stage ignition (a cool flame that transitions to a hot flame) occurs in a vessel size that is smaller than that associated with the hot quenching distance. To accomplish the above objectives, a variety of hydrocarbon-air mixtures will be tested in a static reactor at elevated temperature in the laboratory (1g). In addition, reactions with chemical induction times that are sufficiently short will be tested aboard NASA's KC-135 microgravity (mu-g) aircraft. The mu-g results will be compared to a numerical model that includes species diffusion, heat conduction, and a skeletal kinetic mechanism, following the work on diffusion-controlled cool flames by Fairlie et,al., 2000.

Radiative Extinction of Gaseous Spherical Diffusion Flames in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santa, K. J.; Chao, B. H.; Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Stocker, D. P.; Axelbaum, R. L.

2007-01-01

Radiative extinction of spherical diffusion flames was investigated experimentally and numerically. The experiments involved microgravity spherical diffusion flames burning ethylene and propane at 0.98 bar. Both normal (fuel flowing into oxidizer) and inverse (oxidizer flowing into fuel) flames were studied, with nitrogen supplied to either the fuel or the oxygen. Flame conditions were chosen to ensure that the flames extinguished within the 2.2 s of available test time; thus extinction occurred during unsteady flame conditions. Diagnostics included color video and thin-filament pyrometry. The computations, which simulated flow from a porous sphere into a quiescent environment, included detailed chemistry, transport and radiation, and yielded transient results. Radiative extinction was observed experimentally and simulated numerically. Extinction time, peak temperature, and radiative loss fraction were found to be independent of flow rate except at very low flow rates. Radiative heat loss was dominated by the combustion products downstream of the flame and was found to scale with flame surface area, not volume. For large transient flames the heat release rate also scaled with surface area and thus the radiative loss fraction was largely independent of flow rate. Peak temperatures at extinction onset were about 1100 K, which is significantly lower than for kinetic extinction. One observation of this work is that while radiative heat losses can drive transient extinction, this is not because radiative losses are increasing with time (flame size) but rather because the heat release rate is falling off as the temperature drops.

CoFlame: A refined and validated numerical algorithm for modeling sooting laminar coflow diffusion flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eaves, Nick A.; Zhang, Qingan; Liu, Fengshan; Guo, Hongsheng; Dworkin, Seth B.; Thomson, Murray J.

2016-10-01

Mitigation of soot emissions from combustion devices is a global concern. For example, recent EURO 6 regulations for vehicles have placed stringent limits on soot emissions. In order to allow design engineers to achieve the goal of reduced soot emissions, they must have the tools to so. Due to the complex nature of soot formation, which includes growth and oxidation, detailed numerical models are required to gain fundamental insights into the mechanisms of soot formation. A detailed description of the CoFlame FORTRAN code which models sooting laminar coflow diffusion flames is given. The code solves axial and radial velocity, temperature, species conservation, and soot aggregate and primary particle number density equations. The sectional particle dynamics model includes nucleation, PAH condensation and HACA surface growth, surface oxidation, coagulation, fragmentation, particle diffusion, and thermophoresis. The code utilizes a distributed memory parallelization scheme with strip-domain decomposition. The public release of the CoFlame code, which has been refined in terms of coding structure, to the research community accompanies this paper. CoFlame is validated against experimental data for reattachment length in an axi-symmetric pipe with a sudden expansion, and ethylene-air and methane-air diffusion flames for multiple soot morphological parameters and gas-phase species. Finally, the parallel performance and computational costs of the code is investigated.

Fuel Preheat Effects on Soot-Field Structure in Laminar Gas Jet Diffusion Flames Burning in 0-g and 1-g

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Konsur, Bogdan; Megaridis, Constantine M.; Griffin, Devon W.

1999-01-01

An experimental investigation conducted at the 2.2-s drop tower of the NASA Lewis Research Center is presented to quantify the influence of moderate fuel preheat on soot-field structure within 0-g laminar gas jet diffusion flames. Parallel work in 1-g is also presented to delineate the effect of elevated fuel temperatures on soot-field structure in buoyant flames. The experimental methodology implements jet diffusion flames of nitrogen-diluted acetylene fuel burning in quiescent air at atmospheric pressure. Fuel preheat of approximately 100 K in the 0-g laminar jet diffusion flames is found to reduce soot loadings in the annular region, but causes an increase in soot volume fractions at the centerline. In addition, fuel preheat reduces the radial extent of the soot field in 0-g. In 1-g, the same fuel preheat levels have a more moderated influence on soot loadings in the annular region, but are also seen to enhance soot concentrations near the axis low in the flame. The increased soot loadings near the flame centerline, as caused by fuel preheat, are consistent with the hypothesis that preheat levels of approximately 100 K enhance fuel pyrolysis rates. The results show that the growth stage of particles transported along the soot annulus is shortened both in 1-g and 0-g when elevated fuel temperatures are used.

Analysis of flame spread over multicomponent combustibles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ohtani, H.; Sato, J.

1985-01-01

A theoretical model of volatile component diffusion in the condensed phase is carried out in order to form a basis for predicting the flame spread rate in thermally thick multicomponent combustibles in a non-fluid condensed phase. The fuels could be, e.g., crude oil, heavy oil, or light oil. Mass transfer occurs only by diffusion so the gas phase volatile concentration at the surface is estimated from the condensed phase volatile concentration and the surface temperature, which increases close to the leading flame edge. The flame spread rate is assumed steady. The velocity of the flame spread is shown to bemore » a function of the initial condensed phase temperature and the temperature at the leading flame edge.« less

Counterflow diffusion flame synthesis of ceramic oxide powders

DOEpatents

Katz, J.L.; Miquel, P.F.

1997-07-22

Ceramic oxide powders and methods for their preparation are revealed. Ceramic oxide powders are obtained using a flame process whereby one or more precursors of ceramic oxides are introduced into a counterflow diffusion flame burner wherein the precursors are converted into ceramic oxide powders. The nature of the ceramic oxide powder produced is determined by process conditions. The morphology, particle size, and crystalline form of the ceramic oxide powders may be varied by the temperature of the flame, the precursor concentration ratio, the gas stream and the gas velocity. 24 figs.

Counterflow diffusion flame synthesis of ceramic oxide powders

DOEpatents

Katz, Joseph L.; Miquel, Philippe F.

1997-01-01

Ceramic oxide powders and methods for their preparation are revealed. Ceramic oxide powders are obtained using a flame process whereby one or more precursors of ceramic oxides are introduced into a counterflow diffusion flame burner wherein the precursors are converted into ceramic oxide powders. The nature of the ceramic oxide powder produced is determined by process conditions. The morphology, particle size, and crystalline form of the ceramic oxide powders may be varied by the temperature of the flame, the precursor concentration ratio, the gas stream and the gas velocity.

Aggregates and Superaggregates of Soot with Four Distinct Fractal Morphologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sorensen, C. M.; Kim, W.; Fry, D.; Chakrabarti, A.

2004-01-01

Soot formed in laminar diffusion flames of heavily sooting fuels evolves through four distinct growth stages which give rise to four distinct aggregate fractal morphologies. These results were inferred from large and small angle static light scattering from the flames, microphotography of the flames, and analysis of soot sampled from the flames. The growth stages occur approximately over four successive orders of magnitude in aggregate size. Comparison to computer simulations suggests that these four growth stages involve either diffusion limited cluster aggregation or percolation in either three or two dimensions.

Direct numerical simulations of flow-chemistry interactions in statistically turbulent premixed flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias, Paul; Uranakar, Harshavardhana; Chaudhuri, Swetaprovo; Im, Hong

2015-11-01

The effects of Damköhler number and Karlovitz number on the flame dynamics of three-dimensional statistically planar turbulent premixed flames are investigated by direct numerical simulation incorporating detailed chemistry and transport for a hydrogen-air mixture. The mean inlet velocity was dynamically adjusted to ensure a stable flame within the computational domain, allowing the investigation of time-averaged quantities of interest. A particular interest was on understanding the effects of turbulence on the displacement speed of the flame relative to the local fluid flow. Results show a linear dependence on the displacement speed as a function of total strain, consistent with earlier work on premixed-laminar flames. Additional analysis on the local flame thickness reveals that the effect of turbulence is twofold: (1) the increase in mixing results in flame thinning due to the enhancement of combustion at early onset of the flame, and (2) for large Reynolds number flows, the penetration of the turbulence far into the preheat zone and into the reaction zone results in localized flame broadening.

Characteristics of Gaseous Diffusion Flames with High Temperature Combustion Air in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghaderi, M.; Gupta, A. K.

2003-01-01

The characteristics of gaseous diffusion flames have been obtained using high temperature combustion air under microgravity conditions. The time resolved flame images under free fall microgravity conditions were obtained from the video images obtained. The tests results reported here were conducted using propane as the fuel and about 1000 C combustion air. The burner included a 0.686 mm diameter central fuel jet injected into the surrounding high temperature combustion air. The fuel jet exit Reynolds number was 63. Several measurements were taken at different air preheats and fuel jet exit Reynolds number. The resulting hybrid color flame was found to be blue at the base of the flame followed by a yellow color flame. The length and width of flame during the entire free fall conditions has been examined. Also the relative flame length and width for blue and yellow portion of the flame has been examined under microgravity conditions. The results show that the flame length decreases and width increases with high air preheats in microgravity condition. In microgravity conditions the flame length is larger with normal temperature combustion air than high temperature air.

Suppression and Structure of Low Strain Rate Nonpremixed Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamins, Anthony; Bundy, Matthew; Park, Woe Chul; Lee, Ki Yong; Logue, Jennifer

2003-01-01

The agent concentration required to achieve suppression of low strain rate nonpremixed flames is an important fire safety consideration. In a microgravity environment such as a space platform, unwanted fires will likely occur in near quiescent conditions where strain rates are very low. Diffusion flames typically become more robust as the strain rate is decreased. When designing a fire suppression system for worst-case conditions, low strain rates should be considered. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of radiative emission, flame strain, agent addition, and buoyancy on the structure and extinction of low strain rate nonpremixed flames through measurements and comparison with flame simulations. The suppression effectiveness of a suppressant (N2) added to the fuel stream of low strain rate methane-air diffusion flames was measured. Flame temperature measurements were attained in the high temperature region of the flame (T greater than 1200 K) by measurement of thin filament emission intensity. The time varying temperature was measured and simulated as the flame made the transition from normal to microgravity conditions and as the flame extinguished.

Thermal Characteristics and Structure of Fully-Modulated, Turbulent Diffusion Flames in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hermanson, J. C.; Johari, H.; Stocker, D. P.; Hegde, U. G.

2003-01-01

Turbulent jet diffusion flames are studied in microgravity and normal gravity under fully-modulated conditions for a range of injection times and a 50% duty cycle. Diluted ethylene was injected through a 2-mm nozzle at a Reynolds number of 5,000 into an open duct, with a slow oxidizer co-flow. Microgravity tests are conducted in NASA's 2.2 Second Drop Tower. Flames with short injection times and high duty cycle exhibit a marked increase in the ensemble-averaged flame length due to the removal of buoyancy. The cycle-averaged centerline temperature profile reveals higher temperatures in the microgravity flames, especially at the flame tip where the difference is about 200 K. In addition, the cycle-averaged measurements of flame radiation were about 30% to 60% greater in microgravity than in normal gravity.

The Effects of Buoyancy and Dilution on the Structure and Lift-off of Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, Kevin T.; Long, Marshall B.; Smooke, Mitchell D.

1999-01-01

The ability to predict the coupled effects of complex transport phenomena with detailed chemical kinetics in diffusion flames is critical in the modeling of turbulent reacting flows and in understanding the processes by which soot formation and radiative transfer take place. In addition, an understanding of the factors that affect flame extinction in diffusion flames is critical in the suppression of fires and in improving engine efficiency. The goal of our characterizations of coflow laminar diffusion flames is to bring to microgravity the multidimensional diagnostic tools available in normal gravity, and in so doing provide a broader understanding of the successes and limitations of current combustion models. This will lead to a more detailed understanding of the interaction of convection, diffusion and chemistry in both buoyant and nonbuoyant environments. As a sensitive marker of changes in the flame shape, the number densities of excited-state CH (A(exp 2)delta, denoted CH*), and excited-state OH (A(exp 2)Sigma, denoted OH*) are measured in mu-g and normal gravity. Two-dimensional CH* and OH* number densities are deconvoluted from line-of-sight chemiluminescence measurements made on the NASA KC-135 reduced-gravity aircraft. Measured signal levels are calibrated, post-flight, with Rayleigh scattering. Although CH* and OH* kinetics are not well understood, the CH*, OH*, and ground-state CH distributions are spatially coincident in the flame anchoring region. Therefore, the ground-state CH distribution, which is easily computed, and the readily measured CH*/OH* distributions can be used to provide a consistent and convenient way of measuring lift-off height and flame shape in the diffusion flame under investigation. Given that the fuel composition affects flame chemistry and that buoyancy influences the velocity profile of the flow, we have the opportunity to computationally and experimentally study the roles of fluids and chemistry. In performing this microgravity study, improvements to the computational model have been made and new calculations performed for a range of gravity and flow conditions. Furthermore, modifications to the experimental approach were required as a consequence of the constraints imposed by existing microgravity facilities. Results from the computations and experiments are presented in the following sections.

Modelling Detailed-Chemistry Effects on Turbulent Diffusion Flames using a Parallel Solution-Adaptive Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Pradeep Kumar

Capturing the effects of detailed-chemistry on turbulent combustion processes is a central challenge faced by the numerical combustion community. However, the inherent complexity and non-linear nature of both turbulence and chemistry require that combustion models rely heavily on engineering approximations to remain computationally tractable. This thesis proposes a computationally efficient algorithm for modelling detailed-chemistry effects in turbulent diffusion flames and numerically predicting the associated flame properties. The cornerstone of this combustion modelling tool is the use of parallel Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) scheme with the recently proposed Flame Prolongation of Intrinsic low-dimensional manifold (FPI) tabulated-chemistry approach for modelling complex chemistry. The effect of turbulence on the mean chemistry is incorporated using a Presumed Conditional Moment (PCM) approach based on a beta-probability density function (PDF). The two-equation k-w turbulence model is used for modelling the effects of the unresolved turbulence on the mean flow field. The finite-rate of methane-air combustion is represented here by using the GRI-Mech 3.0 scheme. This detailed mechanism is used to build the FPI tables. A state of the art numerical scheme based on a parallel block-based solution-adaptive algorithm has been developed to solve the Favre-averaged Navier-Stokes (FANS) and other governing partial-differential equations using a second-order accurate, fully-coupled finite-volume formulation on body-fitted, multi-block, quadrilateral/hexahedral mesh for two-dimensional and three-dimensional flow geometries, respectively. A standard fourth-order Runge-Kutta time-marching scheme is used for time-accurate temporal discretizations. Numerical predictions of three different diffusion flames configurations are considered in the present work: a laminar counter-flow flame; a laminar co-flow diffusion flame; and a Sydney bluff-body turbulent reacting flow. Comparisons are made between the predicted results of the present FPI scheme and Steady Laminar Flamelet Model (SLFM) approach for diffusion flames. The effects of grid resolution on the predicted overall flame solutions are also assessed. Other non-reacting flows have also been considered to further validate other aspects of the numerical scheme. The present schemes predict results which are in good agreement with published experimental results and reduces the computational cost involved in modelling turbulent diffusion flames significantly, both in terms of storage and processing time.

Combustion Characteristics in a Non-Premixed Cool-Flame Regime of n-Heptane in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Katta, Viswanath R.; Hicks, Michael C.

2015-01-01

A series of distinct phenomena have recently been observed in single-fuel-droplet combustion tests performed on the International Space Station (ISS). This study attempts to simulate the observed flame behavior numerically using a gaseous n-heptane fuel source in zero gravity and a time-dependent axisymmetric (2D) code, which includes a detailed reaction mechanism (127 species and 1130 reactions), diffusive transport, and a radiation model (for CH4, CO, CO2, H2O, and soot). The calculated combustion characteristics depend strongly on the air velocity around the fuel source. In a near-quiescent air environment (< or = 2 mm/s), with a sufficiently large fuel injection velocity (1 cm/s), a growing spherical diffusion flame extinguishes at ˜1200 K due to radiative heat losses. This is typically followed by a transition to the low-temperature (cool-flame) regime with a reaction zone (at ˜700 K) in close proximity to the fuel source. The 'cool flame' regime is formed due to the negative temperature coefficient in the low-temperature chemistry. After a relatively long period (˜18 s) of the cool flame regime, a flash re-ignition occurs, associated with flame-edge propagation and subsequent extinction of the re-ignited flame. In a low-speed (˜3 mm/s) airstream (which simulates the slight droplet movement), the diffusion flame is enhanced upstream and experiences a local extinction downstream at ˜1200 K, followed by steady flame pulsations (˜0.4 Hz). At higher air velocities (4-10 mm/s), the locally extinguished flame becomes steady state. The present axisymmetric computational approach helps in revealing the non-premixed 'cool flame' structure and 2D flame-flow interactions observed in recent microgravity droplet combustion experiments.

Effects of Gas-Phase Radiation and Detailed Kinetics on the Burning and Extinction of a Solid Fuel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhatigan, Jennifer L.

2001-01-01

This is the first attempt to analyze both radiation and detailed kinetics on the burning and extinction of a solid fuel in a stagnation-point diffusion flame. We present a detailed and comparatively accurate computational model of a solid fuel flame along with a quantitative study of the kinetics mechanism, radiation interactions, and the extinction limits of the flame. A detailed kinetics model for the burning of solid trioxane (a trimer of formaldehyde) is coupled with a narrowband radiation model, with carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and water vapor as the gas-phase participating media. The solution of the solid trioxane diffusion flame over the flammable regime is presented in some detail, as this is the first solution of a heterogeneous trioxane flame. We identify high-temperature and low-temperature reaction paths for the heterogeneous trioxane flame. We then compare the adiabatic solution to solutions that include Surface radiation only and gas-phase and surface radiation using a black surface model. The analysis includes discussion of detailed flame chemistry over the flammable regime and, in particular, at the low stretch extinction limit. We emphasize the low stretch regime of the radiatively participating flame, since this is the region representative of microgravity flames. When only surface radiation is included, two extinction limits exist (the blow-off limit, and the low stretch radiative limit), and the burning rate and maximum flame temperatures are lower, as expected. With the inclusion of surface and gas-phase radiation, results show that, while flame temperatures are lower, the burning rate of the trioxane diffusion flame may actually increase at low stretch rate due to radiative feedback from the flame to the surface.

Candle Flames in Microgravity: USML-1 Results - 1 Year Later

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, H. D.; Dietrich, D. L.; Tien, J. S.

1994-01-01

We report on the sustained behavior of a candle flame in microgravity determined in the glovebox facility aboard the First United States Microgravity Labomtofy. In a quiescent, microgmvjfy environment, diffusive transport becomes the dominant mode of heat and mass transfer; whether the diffusive transport rate is fast enough to sustain low-gravity candle flames in air was unknown to this series of about 70 tests. After an initial transient in which soot is observed, the microgravity candle flame in air becomes and remains hemispherical and blue (apparently soot-Ne) with a large flame standoff distance. Near flame extinction, spontaneous flame oscillations are regularly observed; these are explained as a flashback of flame through a premixed combustible gas followed by a retreat owed to flame quenching. The frequency of oscillations can be related to diffusive transport rates, and not to residual buoyant convective flow. The fact that the flame tip is the last point of the flame to survive suggests that it is the location of maximum fuel reactivity; this is unlike normal gravity, where the location of maximum fuel reactivity is the flame base. The flame color, size, and shape behaved in a quasi-steady manner; the finite size of the glovebox, combined with the restricted passages of the candlebox, inhibited the observation of true steady-state burning. Nonetheless, through calculations, and inference from the series of shuttle tests, if is concluded that a candle can burn indefinitely in a large enough ambient of air in microgravity. After igniting one candle, a second candle in close pximity could not be lit. This may be due to wax coating the wick and/or local oxygen depletion around the second, unlit candle. Post-mission testing suggests that simultaneous ignition may overcome these behaviors and enable both candles to be ignited.

Turbulent Deflagrated Flame Interaction with a Fluidic Jet Flow for Deflagration-to-Detonation Flame Acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, Jessica; McGarry, Joseph; Ahmed, Kareem

2015-11-01

Detonation is a high energetic mode of pressure gain combustion. Detonation combustion exploits the pressure rise to augment high flow momentum and thermodynamic cycle efficiencies. The driving mechanism of deflagrated flame acceleration to detonation is turbulence generation and induction. A fluidic jet is an innovative method for the production of turbulence intensities and flame acceleration. Compared to traditional obstacles, the jet reduces the pressure losses and heat soak effects while providing turbulence generation control. The investigation characterizes the turbulent flame-flow interactions. The focus of the study is on classifying the turbulent flame dynamics and the temporal evolution of turbulent flame regime. The turbulent flame-flow interactions are experimentally studied using a LEGO Detonation facility. Advanced high-speed laser diagnostics, particle image velocimetry (PIV), planar laser induced florescence (PLIF), and Schlieren imaging are used in analyzing the physics of the interaction and flame acceleration. Higher turbulence induction is observed within the turbulent flame after contact with the jet, leading to increased flame burning rates. The interaction with the fluidic jet results in turbulent flame transition from the thin reaction zones to the broken reaction regime.

Soot Surface Growth in Laminar Hydrocarbon/Air Diffusion Flames. Appendix J

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Leathy, A. M.; Xu, F.; Kim, C. H.; Faeth, G. M.; Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor); Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The structure and soot surface growth properties of round laminar jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Measurements were made along the axes of ethylene-, propylene-propane- and acetylene-benzene-fueled flames burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure with the reactants at normal temperature. The measurements included soot structure, soot concentrations, soot temperatures, major gas species concentrations, some radial species (H, OH and 0) concentrations, and gas velocities. These measurements yielded the local flame properties that are thought to affect soot surface growth as well as local soot surface growth rates. When present results were combined with similar earlier observations of acetylene-fueled laminar jet diffusion flames, the results suggested that soot surface growth involved decomposition of the original fuel to form acetylene and H, which were the main reactants for soot surface growth, and that the main effect of the parent fuel on soot surface growth involved its yield of acetylene and H for present test conditions. Thus, as the distance increased along the axes of the flames, soot formation (which was dominated by soot surface growth) began near the cool core of the flow once acetylene and H appeared together and ended near the flame sheet when acetylene disappeared. Species mainly responsible for soot oxidation - OH and 02 were present throughout the soot formation region so that soot surface growth and oxidation proceeded at the same time. Present measurements of soot surface growth rates (corrected for soot surface oxidation) in laminar jet diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot surface growth rates in laminar premixed flames and exhibited good agreement with existing Hydrogen-Abstraction/Carbon-Addition (HACA) soot surface growth mechanisms in the literature with steric factors in these mechanisms having values on the order of unity, as anticipated.

Soot Surface Growth in Laminar Hydrocarbon/Air Diffusion Flames. Appendix B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Leathy, A. M.; Xu, F.; Kim, C. H.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The structure and soot surface growth properties of round laminar jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Measurements were made along the axes of ethylene-, propylene-propane- and acetylene-benzene-fueled flames burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure with the reactants at normal temperature. The measurements included soot structure, soot concentrations, soot temperatures, major gas species concentrations, some radial species (H, OH and O) concentrations, and gas velocities. These measurements yielded the local flame properties that are thought to affect soot surface growth as well as local soot surface growth rates. When present results were combined with similar earlier observations of acetylene-fueled laminar jet diffusion flames, the results suggested that soot surface growth involved decomposition of the original fuel to form acetylene and H, which were the main reactants for soot surface growth, and that the main effect of the parent fuel on soot surface growth involved its yield of acetylene and H for present test conditions. Thus, as the distance increased along the axes of the flames, soot formation (which was dominated by soot surface growth) began near the cool core of the flow once acetylene and H appeared together and ended near the flame sheet when acetylene disappeared. Species mainly responsible for soot oxidation - OH and O2 were present throughout the soot formation region so that soot surface growth and oxidation proceeded at the same time. Present measurements of soot surface growth rates (corrected for soot surface oxidation) in laminar jet diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot surface growth rates in laminar premixed flames and exhibited good agreement with existing Hydrogen-Abstraction/Carbon-Addition (HACA) soot surface growth mechanisms in the literature with steric factors in these mechanisms having values on the order of unity, as anticipated.

Dynamics of Diffusion Flames in von Karman Swirling Flows Studied

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nayagam, Vedha; Williams, Forman A.

2002-01-01

Von Karman swirling flow is generated by the viscous pumping action of a solid disk spinning in a quiescent fluid media. When this spinning disk is ignited in an oxidizing environment, a flat diffusion flame is established adjacent to the disk, embedded in the boundary layer (see the preceding illustration). For this geometry, the conservation equations reduce to a system of ordinary differential equations, enabling researchers to carry out detailed theoretical models to study the effects of varying strain on the dynamics of diffusion flames. Experimentally, the spinning disk burner provides an ideal configuration to precisely control the strain rates over a wide range. Our original motivation at the NASA Glenn Research Center to study these flames arose from a need to understand the flammability characteristics of solid fuels in microgravity where slow, subbuoyant flows can exist, producing very small strain rates. In a recent work (ref. 1), we showed that the flammability boundaries are wider and the minimum oxygen index (below which flames cannot be sustained) is lower for the von Karman flow configuration in comparison to a stagnation-point flow. Adding a small forced convection to the swirling flow pushes the flame into regions of higher strain and, thereby, decreases the range of flammable strain rates. Experiments using downward facing, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) disks spinning in air revealed that, close to the extinction boundaries, the flat diffusion flame breaks up into rotating spiral flames (refs. 2 and 3). Remarkably, the dynamics of these spiral flame edges exhibit a number of similarities to spirals observed in biological systems, such as the electric pulses in cardiac muscles and the aggregation of slime-mold amoeba. The tail of the spiral rotates rigidly while the tip executes a compound, meandering motion sometimes observed in Belousov-Zhabotinskii reactions.

Influence of a Simple Heat Loss Profile on a Pure Diffusion Flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Anjan; Wichman, Indrek S.

1996-01-01

The presence of soot on the fuel side of a diffusion flame results in significant radiative heat losses. The influence of a fuel side heat loss zone on a pure diffusion flame established between a fuel and an oxidizer wall is investigated by assuming a hypothetical sech(sup 2) heat loss profile. The intensity and width of the loss zone are parametrically varied. The loss zone is placed at different distances from the Burke-Schumann flame location. The migration of the temperature and reactivity peaks are examined for a variety of situations. For certain cases the reaction zone breaks through the loss zone and relocates itself on the fuel side of the loss zone. In all cases the temperature and reactivity peaks move toward the fuel side with increased heat losses. The flame structure reveals that the primary balance for the energy equation is between the reaction term and the diffusion term. Extinction plots are generated for a variety of situations. The heat transfer from the flame to the walls and the radiative fraction is also investigated, and an analytical correlation formula, derived in a previous study, is shown to produce excellent predictions of our numerical results when an O(l) numerical multiplicative constant is employed.

Synthesis of Fullerenes in Low Pressure Benzene/Oxygen Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hebgen, Peter; Howard, Jack B.

1999-01-01

The interest in fullerenes is strongly increasing since their discovery by Kroto et al. in 1985 as products of the evaporation of carbon into inert gas at low pressure. Due to their all carbon closed-shell structure, fullerenes have many exceptional physical and chemical properties and a large potential for applications such as superconductors, sensors, catalysts, optical and electronic devices, polymers, high energy fuels, and biological and medical materials. This list is still growing, because the research on fullerenes is still at an early stage. Fullerenes can be formed not only in a system containing only carbon and an inert gas, but also in premixed hydrocarbon flames under reduced pressure and fuel rich conditions. The highest yields of fullerenes in flames are obtained under conditions of substantial soot formation. There is a need for more information on the yields of fullerenes under different conditions in order to understand the mechanisms of their formation and to enable the design of practical combustion systems for large-scale fullerene production. Little work has been reported on the formation of fullerenes in diffusion flames. In order to explore the yields of fullerenes and the effect of low pressure in diffusion flames, therefore we constructed and used a low pressure diffusion flame burner in this study.

Why does preferential diffusion strongly affect premixed turbulent combustion?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuznetsov, Vadim R.

1993-01-01

Combustion of premixed reactants in a turbulent flow is a classical but unresolved problem. The key problem is to explain the following data: the maximal turbulent and laminar burning velocities u(sub t) and u(sub L) occur at different equivalence ratios Phi. It is known that the equivalence ratio varies along a curved flame if molecular diffusivity D(sub fuel) does not equal D(sub oxygen). However, the mean flame radius of curvature is much larger than the laminar flame thickness delta-L. Therefore, significant influence of preferential diffusion should occur only if the flame propagation speed varies with flame curvature. This conclusion agrees with Zel'dovich's long-standing idea about the important role of leading points of a flame. The main objective of this paper is to prove Zel'dovich's hypothesis. An equation for the mean flame surface area density (MFSAD) is employed for this purpose. The second objective of this paper is to suggest a different approach to the derivation of the equation for MFSAD. It is based on the pdf equation for the reaction progress variable C and the relation between the pdf and MFSAD. This treatment suggests an entirely different closure assumption.

Flame-vortex interactions imaged in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driscoll, James F.; Dahm, Werner J. A.; Sichel, Martin

1995-01-01

The scientific objective is to obtain high quality color-enhanced digital images of a vortex exerting aerodynamic strain on premixed and nonpremixed flames with the complicating effects of buoyancy removed. The images will provide universal (buoyancy free) scaling relations that are required to improve several types of models of turbulent combustion, including KIVA-3, discrete vortex, and large-eddy simulations. The images will be used to help quantify several source terms in the models, including those due to flame stretch, flame-generated vorticity, flame curvature, and preferential diffusion, for a range of vortex sizes and flame conditions. The experiment is an ideal way to study turbulence-chemistry interactions and isolate the effect of vortices of different sizes and strengths in a repeatable manner. A parallel computational effort is being conducted which considers full chemistry and preferential diffusion.

Buoyancy Effects on Flow Transition in Hydrogen Gas Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albers, Burt W.; Agrawal, Ajay K.; Griffin, DeVon (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Experiments were performed in earth-gravity to determine how buoyancy affected transition from laminar to turbulent flow in hydrogen gas jet diffusion flames. The jet exit Froude number characterizing buoyancy in the flame was varied from 1.65 x 10(exp 5) to 1.14 x 10(exp 8) by varying the operating pressure and/or burner inside diameter. Laminar fuel jet was discharged vertically into ambient air flowing through a combustion chamber. Flame characteristics were observed using rainbow schlieren deflectometry, a line-of-site optical diagnostic technique. Results show that the breakpoint length for a given jet exit Reynolds number increased with increasing Froude number. Data suggest that buoyant transitional flames might become laminar in the absence of gravity. The schlieren technique was shown as effective in quantifying the flame characteristics.

Structure of turbulent non-premixed flames modeled with two-step chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, J. H.; Mahalingam, S.; Puri, I. K.; Vervisch, L.

1992-01-01

Direct numerical simulations of turbulent diffusion flames modeled with finite-rate, two-step chemistry, A + B yields I, A + I yields P, were carried out. A detailed analysis of the turbulent flame structure reveals the complex nature of the penetration of various reactive species across two reaction zones in mixture fraction space. Due to this two zone structure, these flames were found to be robust, resisting extinction over the parameter ranges investigated. As in single-step computations, mixture fraction dissipation rate and the mixture fraction were found to be statistically correlated. Simulations involving unequal molecular diffusivities suggest that the small scale mixing process and, hence, the turbulent flame structure is sensitive to the Schmidt number.

Structure of diffusion flames from a vertical burner

Treesearch

Mark A. Finney; Dan Jimenez; Jack D. Cohen; Isaac C. Grenfell; Cyle Wold

2010-01-01

Non-steady and turbulent flames are commonly observed to produce flame contacts with adjacent fuels during fire spread in a wide range of fuel bed depths. A stationary gas-fired burner (flame wall) was developed to begin study of flame edge variability along an analagous vertical fuel source. This flame wall is surrogate for a combustion interface at the edge of a deep...

Forced and natural convection in laminar-jet diffusion flames. [normal-gravity, inverted-gravity and zero-gravity flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haggard, J. B., Jr.

1981-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted on methane, laminar-jet, diffusion flames with coaxial, forced-air flow to examine flame shapes in zero-gravity and in situations where buoyancy aids (normal-gravity flames) or hinders (inverted-gravity flames) the flow velocities. Fuel nozzles ranged in size from 0.051 to 0.305 cm inside radius, while the coaxial, convergent, air nozzle had a 1.4 cm inside radius at the fuel exit plane. Fuel flows ranged from 1.55 to 10.3 cu cm/sec and air flows from 0 to 597 cu cm/sec. A computer program developed under a previous government contract was used to calculate the characteristic dimensions of normal and zero-gravity flames only. The results include a comparison between the experimental data and the computed axial flame lengths for normal gravity and zero gravity which showed good agreement. Inverted-gravity flame width was correlated with the ratio of fuel nozzle radius to average fuel velocity. Flame extinguishment upon entry into weightlessness was studied, and it was found that relatively low forced-air velocities (approximately 10 cm/sec) are sufficient to sustain methane flame combustion in zero gravity. Flame color is also discussed.

On the Structure and Stabilization Mechanisms of Planar and Cylindrical Premixed Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eng, James A.; Zhu, Delin; Law, Chung K.

1993-01-01

The configurational simplicity of the stationary one-dimensional flames renders them intrinsically attractive for fundamental flame structure studies. The possibility and fidelity of studies of such flames on earth, however, have been severely restricted by the unidirectional nature of the gravity vector. To demonstrate these complications, let us first consider the premixed flame. Here a stationary, one-dimensional flame can be established by using the flat-flame burner. We next consider nonpremixed flames. First it may be noted that in an unbounded gravity-free environment, the only stationary one-dimensional flame is the spherical flame. Indeed, this is a major motivation for the study of microgravity droplet combustion, in which the gas-phase processes can be approximated to be quasi-steady because of the significant disparity between the gas and liquid densities for subcritical combustion. In view of the above considerations, an experimental and theoretical program on cylindrical and spherical premixed and nonpremixed flames in microgravity has been initiated. For premixed flames, we are interested in: (1) assessing the heat loss versus flow divergence as the dominant stabilization mechanism; (2) determining the laminar flame speed by using this configuration; and (3) understanding the development of flamefront instability and the effects of the flame curvature on the burning intensity.

KINETIC MODELING OF COUNTERFLOW DIFFUSION FLAMES OF BUTADIENE. (R828193)

EPA Science Inventory

A comprehensive, semi-detailed kinetic scheme was used to simulate the chemical structures of counterflow diffusion and fuel-rich premixed 1,3-butadiene flames, to better understand the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The results showed that model predicti...

TRAJECTORY AND INCINERATION OF ROGUE DROPLETS IN A TURBULENT DIFFUSION FLAME

EPA Science Inventory

The trajectory and incineration efficiency of individual droplet streams of a fuel mixture injected into a swirling gas turbulent diffusion flame were measured as a function of droplet size, droplet velocity, interdroplet spacing, and droplet injection angle. Additional experimen...

Strain-induced extinction of hydrogen-air counterflow diffusion flames - Effects of steam, CO2, N2, and O2 additives to air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellett, G. L.; Northam, G. B.; Wilson, L. G.

1992-01-01

A fundamental study was performed using axisymmetric nozzle and tubular opposed jet burners to measure the effects of laminar plug flow and parabolic input velocity profiles on the extinction limits of H2-air counterflow diffusion flames. Extinction limits were quantified by 'flame strength', (average axial air jet velocity) at blowoff of the central flame. The effects of key air contaminants, on the extinction limits, are characterized and analyzed relative to utilization of combustion contaminated vitiated air in high enthalpy supersonic test facilities.

Alternative Bio-Derived JP-8 Class Fuel and JP-8 Fuel: Flame Tube Combustor Test Results Compared using a GE TAPS Injector Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hicks, Yolanda R.; Anderson, Robert; Tedder, Sarah

2016-01-01

This paper presents results from tests in a NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) flame tube facility, where a bio-derived alternate fuel was compared with JP-8 for emissions and general combustion performance. A research version of General Electric Aviation (GE) TAPS injector was used for the tests. Results include 2D, planar laser-based imaging as well as basic flow visualization of the flame. Four conditions were selected that simulate various engine power conditions relevant to NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Supersonics and Environmentally Responsible Aviation Projects were tested.

Prediction of the blowout of jet diffusion flames in a coflowing stream of air

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karbasi, M.; Wierzba, I.

1995-12-31

The blowout limits of a lifted diffusion flame in a coflowing stream of air are estimated using a simple model for extinction, for a range of fuels, jet diameters and co-flowing stream velocities. The proposed model uses a parameter which relates to the ratio of a time associated with the mixing processes in a turbulent jet to a characteristic chemical time. The Kolmogorov microscale of time is used as time scale in this model. It is shown that turbulent diffusion flames are quenched by excessive turbulence for a critical value of this parameter. The predicted blowout velocity of diffusion flamesmore » obtained using this model is in good agreement with the available experimental data.« less

The Effects of Buoyancy and Dilution on the Structure and Lift-Off of Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, Kevin T.; Long, Marshall B.; Smooke, Mitchell D.

1999-01-01

The ability to predict the coupled effects of complex transport phenomena with detailed chemical kinetics in diffusion flames is critical in the modeling of turbulent reacting flows and in understanding the processes by which soot formation and radiative transfer take place. In addition, an understanding of those factors that affect flame extinction in diffusion flames is critical in the suppression of fires and in improving engine efficiency. A goal of this work is to bring to microgravity flame studies the detailed experimental and numerical tools that have been used to study ground-based systems. This will lead to a more detailed understanding of the interaction of convection, diffusion and chemistry in a nonbuoyant environment. To better understand these phenomena, experimental and computational studies of a coflow laminar diffusion flame have been carried out. To date, these studies have focused on a single set of flow conditions, in which a nitrogen-diluted methane fuel stream (65% methane by volume) was surrounded by an air coflow, with exit velocities matched at 35 cm/s. Of particular interest is the change in flame shape due to the absence of buoyant forces, as well as the amount of diluent in the fuel stream and the coflow velocity. As a sensitive marker of changes in the flame shape, the number densities of excited-state CH (A(exp 2 delta) denoted CH*), and excited-state OH (A(exp 2 sigma, denoted OH*) are measured. CH* and OH* number densities are deconvoluted from line-of-sight chemiluminescence measurements made on the NASA KC135 reduced-gravity aircraft. Measured signal levels are calibrated, post-flight, with Rayleigh scattering. In extending the study to microgravity conditions, improvements to the computational model have been made and new calculations performed for a range of gravity conditions. In addition, modifications to the experimental approach were required as a consequence of the constraints imposed by existing microgravity facilities. Results from the computations and experiments are presented.

Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements and Modeling of Nitric Oxide in Counterflow Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravikrishna, Rayavarapu V.

2000-01-01

The feasibility of making quantitative nonintrusive NO concentration ([NO]) measurements in nonpremixed flames has been assessed by obtaining laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements of [NO] in counterflow diffusion flames at atmospheric and higher pressures. Comparisons at atmospheric pressure between laser-saturated fluorescence (LSF) and linear LIF measurements in four diluted ethane-air counterflow diffusion flames with strain rates from 5 to 48/s yielded excellent agreement from fuel-lean to moderately fuel-rich conditions, thus indicating the utility of a model-based quenching correction technique, which was then extended to higher pressures. Quantitative LIF measurements of [NO] in three diluted methane-air counterflow diffusion flames with strain rates from 5 to 35/s were compared with OPPDIF model predictions using the GRI (version 2.11) chemical kinetic mechanism. The comparisons revealed that the GRI mechanism underpredicts prompt-NO by 30-50% at atmospheric pressure. Based on these measurements, a modified reaction rate coefficient for the prompt-NO initiation reaction was proposed which causes the predictions to match experimental data. Temperature measurements using thin filament pyrometry (TFP) in conjunction with a new calibration method utilizing a near-adiabatic H2-air Hencken burner gave very good comparisons with model predictions in these counterflow diffusion flames. Quantitative LIF measurements of [NO] were also obtained in four methane-air counterflow partially-premixed flames with fuel-side equivalence ratios (phi(sub B)) of 1.45, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0. The measurements were in excellent agreement with model predictions when accounting for radiative heat loss. Spatial separation between regions dominated by the prompt and thermal NO mechanisms was observed in the phi(sub B) = 1.45 flame. The modified rate coefficient proposed earlier for the prompt-NO initiation reaction improved agreement between code predictions and measurements in the region where prompt-NO dominates. Finally, LIF measurements of NO were obtained in counterflow diffusion flames at 2 to 5 atm. Comparisons between [NO] measurements and predictions show that the GRI mechanism underpredicts prompt-NO by a factor of two to three at all pressures. In general, the results indicate a need for refinement of the CH chemistry, especially the pressure-dependent CH formation and destruction reactions.

The jet engine design that can drastically reduce oxides of nitrogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferri, A.; Agnone, A.

1977-01-01

The NOx pollution problem of hydrogen fueled turbojets and supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) was investigated to determine means of substantially alleviating the problem. Since the NOx reaction rates are much slower than the energy producing reactions, the NOx production depends mainly on the maximum local temperatures in the combustor and the NOx concentration is far from equilibrium at the end of a typical combustor (L approximately 1 ft). In diffusion flames, as used in present turbojets and scramjets combustor designs, the maximum local temperature occurs at the flame and is equal to the stoichiometric value. Whereas, in the heat conduction flames, wherein the flame propagates due to a heat conduction process away from the flame to the cooler oncoming premixed unburnt gases, the maximum temperature is lower than in the diffusion flame. Hence the corresponding pollution index is also lower.

Effects of Structure and Hydrodynamics on the Sooting Behavior of Spherical Microgravity Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Axelbaum, R. L.; Urban, D. L.

1999-01-01

Recent experimental, numerical and analytical work has shown that the stoichiometric mixture fraction (Z(sub st)) can have a profound effect on soot formation in diffusion flames. These findings were obtained at constant flame temperature (T(sub ad)), employing the approach described in Du and Axelbaum (1995, 1996). For example, a fuel mixture containing 1 mole of ethylene and 11.28 moles of nitrogen burning in pure oxygen ((Z(sub st)) = 0.78) has the same adiabatic flame temperature (2370 K) as that of pure ethylene burning in air ((Z(sub st)) = 0.064). An important finding of these works was that at sufficiently high (Z(sub st)), flames remain blue as strain rate approaches zero in counterflow flames, or as flame height and residence time approach infinity in coflowing flames. Lin and Faeth (1996a) coined the term permanently blue to describe such flames. Two theories have been proposed to explain the appearance of permanently-blue flames at high (Z(sub st)). They are based on (1) hydrodynamics and (2) flame structure. Previous experimental studies in normal gravity are not definitive as to which, if either, mechanism is dominant because both hydrodynamics and structure suppress soot formation at high (Z(sub st)) in coflowing and counterflowing diffusion flames. In counterflow flames with (Z(sub st)) < 0.5 streamlines at the flame sheet are directed toward the fuel. Newly formed soot is convected into richer regions, favoring soot growth over oxidation. For (Z(sub st)) > 0.5, convection at the flame is toward the oxidizer, thus enhancing soot oxidization. Thus, in counterflow flames, hydrodynamics causes soot to be convected towards the oxidizer at high (Z(sub st)) which suppresses soot formation. Axelbaum and co-workers maintain that while the direction of convection can impact soot growth and oxidation, these processes alone cannot cause permanently-blue flames. Soot growth and oxidation are dependent on the existence of soot particles and the presence of soot is invariably accompanied by yellow luminosity. Soot-particle inception, on the other hand, arises from gas-phase reactions and its dependence on flow direction is weak, similar to that of other gas-phase reactions in flames. For example, when the flame moves across the stagnation plane no significant changes in flame chemistry are observed. Furthermore, since the soot-inception zone has a finite thickness, soot has been produced in counterflow flames with (Z(sub st)) > 0.5. For large (Z(sub st)) the fuel concentration decreases and oxygen concentration increases in the soot forming regions of the flame. This yields a shift in the OH profile toward the fuel side of the flame, and this shift can dramatically influence soot inception because it essentially narrows the soot inception zone. Soot-free (permanently-blue) conditions can be realized when the structure of the flame is adjusted to the extent that significant oxidizing species exist on the fuel side of the flame at temperatures above the critical temperature for soot inception, ca. 1250 K. In previously considered flames it was impossible to independently vary flame structure and convection direction. In contrast, spherical diffusion flames (which generally require microgravity) allow both properties to be varied independently. We altered structure (Z(sub st)) by exchanging inert between the oxidizer and the fuel and we independently varied convection direction at the flame sheet by interchanging the injected and ambient gases. In this work we established four flames: (a) ethylene issuing into air, (b) diluted ethylene issuing into oxygen, (c) air issuing into ethylene, and (d) oxygen issuing into diluted ethylene. (Z(sub st)) is 0.064 in flames (a) and (c) and 0.78 in flames (b) and (d). The convection direction is from fuel to oxidizer in flames (a) and (b) and from oxidizer to fuel in flames (c) and (d). Under the assumption of equal diffusivities of all species and heat, the stoichiometric contours of these flames have identical temperatures and nitrogen concentrations.

Propagation of intense laser radiation through a diffusion flame of burning oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvozdev, S. V.; Glova, A. F.; Dubrovskii, V. Yu; Durmanov, S. T.; Krasyukov, A. G.; Lysikov, A. Yu; Smirnov, G. V.; Pleshkov, V. M.

2015-06-01

We report the results of measuring the absorption coefficient of radiation from a cw ytterbium fibre single-mode laser with the power up to 1.5 kW by a diffusion flame of oil, burning in the atmosphere air at normal pressure on a free surface. For the constant length (30 mm) and width (30 mm) of the flame and the distance 10 mm between the laser beam axis and the oil surface the dependence of the absorption coefficient, averaged over the flame length, on the mean radiation intensity (varied from 4.5 × 103 to 1.2 × 106 W cm-2) entering the flame is obtained. The qualitative explanation of nonmonotonic behaviour of the absorption coefficient versus the intensity is presented.

Effects of water-contaminated air on blowoff limits of opposed jet hydrogen-air diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellett, Gerald L.; Jentzen, Marilyn E.; Wilson, Lloyd G.; Northam, G. Burton

1988-01-01

The effects of water-contaminated air on the extinction and flame restoration of the central portion of N2-diluted H2 versus air counterflow diffusion flames are investigated using a coaxial tubular opposed jet burner. The results show that the replacement of N2 contaminant in air by water on a mole for mole basis decreases the maximum sustainable H2 mass flow, just prior to extinction, of the flame. This result contrasts strongly with the analogous substitution of water for N2 in a relatively hot premixed H2-O2-N2 flame, which was shown by Koroll and Mulpuru (1986) to lead to a significant, kinetically controlled increase in laminar burning velocity.

An experimental study of the stable and unstable operation of an LPP gas turbine combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhanuka, Sulabh Kumar

A study was performed to better understand the stable operation of an LPP combustor and formulate a mechanism behind the unstable operation. A unique combustor facility was developed at the University of Michigan that incorporates the latest injector developed by GE Aircraft Engines and enables operation at elevated pressures with preheated air at flow-rates reflective of actual conditions. The large optical access has enabled the use of a multitude of state-of-the-art laser diagnostics such as PIV and PLIF, and has shed invaluable light not only into the GE injector specifically but also into gas turbine combustors in general. Results from Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) have illustrated the role of velocity, instantaneous vortices, and key recirculation zones that are all critical to the combustor's operation. It was found that considerable differences exist between the iso-thermal and reacting flows, and between the instantaneous and mean flow fields. To image the flame, Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) of the formaldehyde radical was successfully utilized for the first time in a Jet-A flame. Parameters regarding the flame's location and structure have been obtained that assist in interpreting the velocity results. These results have also shown that some of the fuel injected from the main fuel injectors actually reacts in the diffusion flame of the pilot. The unstable operation of the combustor was studied in depth to obtain the stability limits of the combustor, behavior of the flame dynamics, and frequencies of the oscillations. Results from simultaneous pressure and high speed chemiluminescence images have shown that the low frequency dynamics can be characterized as flashback oscillations. The results have also shown that the stability of the combustor can be explained by simple and well established premixed flame stability mechanisms. This study has allowed the development of a model that describes the instability mechanism and accurately captures the frequencies of the oscillations. By demonstrating how these classical understandings can be applied to the extremely complicated flow within LPP gas turbine combustors, new insight has been provided that will aid in the development of the next generation of cleaner, more stable gas turbine combustors.

The effect of soot modeling on thermal radiation in buoyant turbulent diffusion flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snegirev, A.; Kokovina, E.; Tsoy, A.; Harris, J.; Wu, T.

2016-09-01

Radiative impact of buoyant turbulent diffusion flames is the driving force in fire development. Radiation emission and re-absorption is controlled by gaseous combustion products, mainly CO2 and H2O, and by soot. Relative contribution of gas and soot radiation depends on the fuel sooting propensity and on soot distribution in the flame. Soot modeling approaches incorporated in big commercial codes were developed and calibrated for momentum-dominated jet flames, and these approaches must be re-evaluated when applied to the buoyant flames occurring in fires. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the effect of the soot models available in ANSYS FLUENT on the predictions of the radiative fluxes produced by the buoyant turbulent diffusion flames with considerably different soot yields. By means of large eddy simulations, we assess capability of the Moss-Brooks soot formation model combined with two soot oxidation submodels to predict methane- and heptane-fuelled fires, for which radiative flux measurements are available in the literature. We demonstrate that the soot oxidation models could be equally important as soot formation ones to predict the soot yield in the overfire region. Contribution of soot in the radiation emission by the flame is also examined, and predicted radiative fluxes are compared to published experimental data.

A multi-probe thermophoretic soot sampling system for high-pressure diffusion flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vargas, Alex M.; Gülder, Ömer L.

Optical diagnostics and physical probing of the soot processes in high pressure combustion pose challenges that are not faced in atmospheric flames. One of the preferred methods of studying soot in atmospheric flames is in situ thermophoretic sampling followed by transmission electron microscopy imaging and analysis for soot sizing and morphology. The application of this method of sampling to high pressures has been held back by various operational and mechanical problems. In this work, we describe a rotating disk multi-probe thermophoretic soot sampling system, driven by a microstepping stepper motor, fitted into a high-pressure chamber capable of producing sooting laminarmore » diffusion flames up to 100 atm. Innovative aspects of the sampling system design include an easy and precise control of the sampling time down to 2.6 ms, avoidance of the drawbacks of the pneumatic drivers used in conventional thermophoretic sampling systems, and the capability to collect ten consecutive samples in a single experimental run. Proof of principle experiments were performed using this system in a laminar diffusion flame of methane, and primary soot diameter distributions at various pressures up to 10 atm were determined. High-speed images of the flame during thermophoretic sampling were recorded to assess the influence of probe intrusion on the flow field of the flame.« less

Nanoenergetics and High Hydrogen Content Materials for Space Propulsion

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

carried out in an effort to determine the mechanisms that account for the effect of catalysts. Diffusion flame lengths , crystal burn times, and...times. The diffusion flame length was found to increase proportionally with the propellant’s burning rate. The findings of this experimental study

Pulsed Turbulent Diffusion Flames in a Coflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usowicz, James E.; Hermanson, James C.; Johari, Hamid

2000-11-01

Fully modulated diffusion flames were studied experimentally in a co-flow combustor using unheated ethylene fuel at atmospheric pressure. A fast solenoid valve was used to fully modulate (completely shut-off) the fuel flow. The fuel was released from a 2 mm diameter nozzle with injection times ranging from 2 to 750 ms. The jet exit Reynolds number was 2000 to 10,000 with a co-flow air velocity of up to 0.02 times the jet exit velocity. Establishing the effects of co-flow for the small nozzle and short injection times is required for future tests of pulsed flames under microgravity conditions. The very short injection times resulted in compact, burning puffs. The compact puffs had a mean flame length as little as 20flame for the same Reynolds number. As the injection time and fuel volume increased, elongated flames resembling starting jets resulted with a flame length comparable to that of a steady flame. For short injection times, the addition of an air co-flow resulted in an increase in flame length of nearly 50flames with longer injection times was correspondingly smaller. The effects of interaction of successive pulses on the flame length were most pronounced for the compact puffs. The emissions of unburned hydrocarbon and NOx from the pulsed flames were examined.

Multi-angular Flame Measurements and Analysis in a Supersonic Wind Tunnel Using Fiber-Based Endoscopes

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-14

angular Flame Measurements and Analysis in a Supersonic Wind Tunnel Using Fiber-Based Endoscopes This paper reports new measurements and analysis made in...the Research Cell 19 super- sonic wind -tunnel facility housed at the Air Force Research Laboratory. The measure- ments include planar chemiluminescence...ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR GAS TURBINES AND POWER. Manuscript received July 14, 2015; final manuscript received July 30

Field Effects of Buoyancy on a Premixed Turbulent Flame Studied by Particle Image Velocimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Robert K.

2003-01-01

Typical laboratory flames for the scientific investigation of flame/turbulence interactions are prone to buoyancy effects. Buoyancy acts on these open flame systems and provides upstream feedbacks that control the global flame properties as well as local turbulence/flame interactions. Consequently the flame structures, stabilization limits, and turbulent reaction rates are directly or indirectly coupled with buoyancy. The objective of this study is to characterize the differences between premixed turbulent flames pointing upwards (1g), pointing downwards (-1g), and in microgravity (mg). The configuration is an inverted conical flame stabilized by a small cone-shaped bluff body that we call CLEAN Flames (Cone-Stabilized Lean Flames). We use two laser diagnostics to capture the velocity and scalar fields. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measures the mean and root mean square velocities and planar imaging by the flame fronts method outlines the flame wrinkle topology. The results were obtained under typical conditions of small domestic heating systems such as water heaters, ovens, and furnaces. Significant differences between the 1g and -1g flames point to the need for including buoyancy contributions in theoretical and numerical calculations. In Earth gravity, there is a complex coupling of buoyancy with the turbulent flow and heat release in the flame. An investigation of buoyancy-free flames in microgravity will provide the key to discern gravity contributions. Data obtained in microgravity flames will provide the benchmark for interpreting and analyzing 1g and -1g flame results.

Laminar Soot Processes Experiment Shedding Light on Flame Radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.

1998-01-01

The Laminar Soot Processes (LSP) experiment investigated soot processes in nonturbulent, round gas jet diffusion flames in still air. The soot processes within these flames are relevant to practical combustion in aircraft propulsion systems, diesel engines, and furnaces. However, for the LSP experiment, the flames were slowed and spread out to allow measurements that are not tractable for practical, Earth-bound flames.

Effects of Buoyancy in Hydrogen Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agrawal, A. K.; Al-Ammar, K.; Gollahalli, S. R.; Griffin, D. W.

1999-01-01

This project was carried out to understand the effects of heat release and buoyancy on the flame structure of diffusion flames. Experiments were conducted at atmospheric pressure in both normal gravity and microgravity conditions in the NASA LeRC 2.2 s drop tower. Experiments were also conducted in a variable pressure combustion facility in normal gravity to scale buoyancy and thus, to supplement the drop tower experiments. Pure H2 or H2 mixed with He was used as the jet fluid to avoid the complexities associated with soot formation. Fuel jet burning in quiescent air was visualized and quantified by the Rainbow Schlieren Deflectometry (RSD) to obtain scalar profiles (temperature, oxygen concentration) within the flame. Burner tube diameter (d) was varied from 0.3 to 1.19 mm producing jet exit Reynolds numbers ranging from 40 to 1900, and generating flames encompassing laminar and transitional (laminar to turbulent) flow structure. Some experiments were also complemented with the CFD analysis. In a previous paper, we have presented details of the RSD technique, comparison of computed and measured scalar distributions, and effects of buoyancy on laminar and transitional H2 gas-jet diffusion flames. Results obtained from the RSD technique, variable pressure combustion chamber, and theoretical models have been published. Subsequently, we have developed a new drop rig with improved optical and image acquisition. In this set up, the schlieren images are acquired in real time and stored digitally in RAM of an onboard computer. This paper deals with laminar diffusion flames of pure H2 in normal and microgravity.

Flame and Soot Boundaries of Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; Dai, Z.; Faeth, G. M.; Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor); Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The shapes (flame-sheet and luminous-flame boundaries) or steady weakly buoyant round hydrocarbon-fueled laminar-jet diffusion flames in still and coflowing air were studied both experimentally and theoretically. Flame-sheet shapes were measured from photographs using a CH optical filter to distinguish flame-sheet boundaries in the presence of blue CO2 and OH emissions and yellow continuum radiation from soot. Present experimental conditions included acetylene-, methane-, propane-, and ethylene-fueled flames having initial reactant temperatures of 300 K. ambient pressures of 4-50 kPa, jet-exit Reynolds numbers of 3-54, initial air/fuel velocity ratios of 0-9, and luminous flame lengths of 5-55 mm; earlier measurements for propylene- and 1,3-butadiene-fueled flames for similar conditions were considered as well. Nonbuoyant flames in still air were observed at microgravity conditions; essentially nonbuoyant flames in coflowing air were observed at small pressures to control effects of buoyancy. Predictions of luminous flame boundaries from soot luminosity were limited to laminar smoke-point conditions, whereas predictions of flame-sheet boundaries ranged from soot-free to smoke-point conditions. Flame-shape predictions were based on simplified analyses using the boundary-layer approximations along with empirical parameters to distinguish flame-sheet and luminous-flame (at the laminar smoke point) boundaries. The comparison between measurements and predictions was remarkably good and showed that both flame-sheet and luminous-flame lengths are primarily controlled by fuel flow rates with lengths in coflowing air approaching 2/3 of the lengths in still air as coflowing air velocities are increased. Finally, luminous flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were roughly twice as long as flame-sheet lengths at comparable conditions because of the presence of luminous soot particles in the fuel-lean region of the flames.

Flame Shapes of Nonbuoyant Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; Dai, Z.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z. G. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The shapes (flame-sheet and luminous-flame boundaries) of steady nonbuoyant round hydrocarbon-fueled laminar-jet diffusion flames in still and coflowing air were studied both experimentally and theoretically. Flame-sheet shapes were measured from photographs using a CH optical filter to distinguish flame-sheet boundaries in the presence of blue CO2 and OH emissions and yellow continuum radiation from soot. Present experimental conditions included acetylene-, methane-, propane-, and ethylene-fueled flames having initial reactant temperatures of 300 K, ambient pressures of 4-50 kPa, jet exit Reynolds number of 3-54, initial air/fuel velocity ratios of 0-9 and luminous flame lengths of 5-55 mm; earlier measurements for propylene- and 1,3-butadiene-fueled flames for similar conditions were considered as well. Nonbuoyant flames in still air were observed at micro-gravity conditions; essentially nonbuoyant flames in coflowing air were observed at small pressures to control effects of buoyancy. Predictions of luminous flame boundaries from soot luminosity were limited to laminar smokepoint conditions, whereas predictions of flame-sheet boundaries ranged from soot-free to smokepoint conditions. Flame-shape predictions were based on simplified analyses using the boundary layer approximations along with empirical parameters to distinguish flame-sheet and luminous flame (at the laminar smoke point) boundaries. The comparison between measurements and predictions was remarkably good and showed that both flame-sheet and luminous-flame lengths are primarily controlled by fuel flow rates with lengths in coflowing air approaching 2/3 lengths in still air as coflowing air velocities are increased. Finally, luminous flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were roughly twice as long as flame-sheet lengths at comparable conditions due to the presence of luminous soot particles in the fuel-lean region of the flames.

Flame Shapes of Nonbuoyant Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix K

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The shapes (flame-sheet and luminous-flame boundaries) of steady nonbuoyant round hydrocarbon-fueled laminar-jet diffusion flames in still and coflowing air were studied both experimentally and theoretically. Flame-sheet shapes were measured from photographs using a CH optical filter to distinguish flame-sheet boundaries in the presence of blue C02 and OH emissions and yellow continuum radiation from soot. Present experimental conditions included acetylene-, methane-, propane-, and ethylene-fueled flames having initial reactant temperatures of 300 K, ambient pressures of 4-50 kPa, jet exit Reynolds number of 3-54, initial air/fuel velocity ratios of 0-9 and luminous flame lengths of 5-55 mm; earlier measurements for propylene- and 1,3-butadiene-fueled flames for similar conditions were considered as well. Nonbuoyant flames in still air were observed at micro-gravity conditions; essentially nonbuoyant flames in coflowing air were observed at small pressures to control effects of buoyancy. Predictions of luminous flame boundaries from soot luminosity were limited to laminar smoke-point conditions, whereas predictions of flame-sheet boundaries ranged from soot-free to smoke-point conditions. Flame-shape predictions were based on simplified analyses using the boundary layer approximations along with empirical parameters to distinguish flame-sheet and luminous-flame (at the laminar smoke point) boundaries. The comparison between measurements and predictions was remarkably good and showed that both flame-sheet and luminous-flame lengths are primarily controlled by fuel flow rates with lengths in coflowing air approaching 2/3 lengths in still air as coflowing air velocities are increased. Finally, luminous flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were roughly twice as long as flame-sheet lengths at comparable conditions due to the presence of luminous soot particles in the fuel-lean region of the flames.

A study of hydrogen diffusion flames using PDF turbulence model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, Andrew T.

1991-01-01

The application of probability density function (pdf) turbulence models is addressed. For the purpose of accurate prediction of turbulent combustion, an algorithm that combines a conventional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) flow solver with the Monte Carlo simulation of the pdf evolution equation was developed. The algorithm was validated using experimental data for a heated turbulent plane jet. The study of H2-F2 diffusion flames was carried out using this algorithm. Numerical results compared favorably with experimental data. The computations show that the flame center shifts as the equivalence ratio changes, and that for the same equivalence ratio, similarity solutions for flames exist.

A study of hydrogen diffusion flames using PDF turbulence model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, Andrew T.

1991-01-01

The application of probability density function (pdf) turbulence models is addressed in this work. For the purpose of accurate prediction of turbulent combustion, an algorithm that combines a conventional CFD flow solver with the Monte Carlo simulation of the pdf evolution equation has been developed. The algorithm has been validated using experimental data for a heated turbulent plane jet. The study of H2-F2 diffusion flames has been carried out using this algorithm. Numerical results compared favorably with experimental data. The computuations show that the flame center shifts as the equivalence ratio changes, and that for the same equivalence ratio, similarity solutions for flames exist.

Application of Shear Plate Interferometry to Jet Diffusion Flame Temperature Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanDerWege, Brad A.; OBrien, Chris J.; Hochgreb, Simone

1997-01-01

The recent ban on the production of bromotrifluoromethane (CF3Br) because of its high stratospheric ozone depletion potential has led to interest in finding alternative agents for fire extinguishing applications. Some of the promising alternatives are fluorinated hydrocarbons. A clear understanding of the effects of CF3Br and alternative chemical suppressants on diffusion flames is therefore necessary in the selection of alternative suppressants for use in normal and microgravity. The flame inhibition effects of halogen compounds have been studied extensively in premixed systems. The effect of addition of halocarbons (carbon-halogen compounds) to diffusion flames has been studied experimentally in coflow configurations and in counterflow gaseous and liquid-pool flames. Halogenated compounds are believed to inhibit combustion by scavenging hydrogen radicals to form the relatively unreactive compound HF, or through a catalytic recombination cycle involving HBr to form H2. Comparisons between halogens show that bromine inhibition is significantly more effective than chlorine or fluorine. Although fluorinated compounds are only slightly more effective inhibitors on a mass basis than nitrogen, they are more effective on a volume basis and are easily stored in liquid form. The objectives of this study are (a) to determine the stability limits of laminar jet diffusion flames with respect to inhibitor concentration in both normal and microgravity, and (b) to investigate the structure of halocarbon-inhibited flames. In the initial phase of this project, visual diagnostics were used to observe the structure and behavior of normal and microgravity flames. The initial observations showed significant changes in the structure of the flames with the addition of halocarbons to the surrounding environment, as discussed below. Furthermore, the study established that the flames are more stable relative to the addition of halocarbons in microgravity than in normal gravity. Visual diagnostics of flames are, however, necessarily limited to detection of radiative emission in the visible range, and offer only qualitative information about the nature of the processes in the flame. In particular, the study sought to understand the structure of the inhibitor-perturbed flames with regard to temperature and species concentration in the outer region of the flame. Whereas thermocouple measurements can be used in ground based studies, their implementation in drop-tower rigs is limited. A possible approach to determine the temperature field around the flame is to use interferometric techniques. The implementation and testing of a shear-plate interferometry technique is described below.

POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON FORMATION IN OPPOSED FLOW DIFFUSION FLAMES OF ETHANE. (R825412)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

The effect of fuel-side carbon density on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) formation in atmospheric pressure, opposed flow, ethane diffusion flames has been studied using heated micro-probe sampling and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (...

The Reynolds-stress tensor in diffusion flames; An experimental and theoretical investigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schneider, F.; Janicka, J.

1990-07-01

The authors present measurements and predictions of Reynolds-stress components and mean velocities in a CH{sub 4}-air diffusion flame. A reference beam LDA technique is applied for measuring all Reynolds-stress components. A hologram with dichromated gelatine as recording medium generates strictly coherent reference beams. The theoretical part describes a Reynolds-stress model based on Favre-averaged quantities, paying special attention to modeling the pressure-shear correlation and the dissipation equation in flames. Finally, measurement/prediction comparisons are presented.

Fluorescence-correlation spectroscopy study of molecular transport within reversed-phase chromatographic particles compared to planar model surfaces.

PubMed

Cooper, Justin; Harris, Joel M

2014-12-02

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) is a widely used technique for molecular separations. Stationary-phase materials for RPLC generally consist of porous silica-gel particles functionalized with n-alkane ligands. Understanding motions of molecules within the interior of these particles is important for developing efficient chromatographic materials and separations. To characterize these dynamics, time-resolved spectroscopic methods (photobleach recovery, fluorescence correlation, single-molecule imaging) have been adapted to measure molecular diffusion rates, typically at n-alkane-modified planar silica surfaces, which serve as models of chromatographic interfaces. A question arising from these studies is how dynamics of molecules on a planar surface relate to motions of molecules within the interior of a porous chromatographic particle. In this paper, imaging-fluorescence-correlation spectroscopy is used to measure diffusion rates of a fluorescent probe molecule 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3'3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) within authentic RPLC porous silica particles and compared with its diffusion at a planar C18-modified surface. The results show that surface diffusion on the planar C18 substrate is much faster than the diffusion rate of the probe molecule through a chromatographic particle. Surface diffusion within porous particles, however, is governed by molecular trajectories along the tortuous contours of the interior surface of the particles. By accounting for the greater surface area that a molecule must explore to diffuse macroscopic distances through the particle, the molecular-scale diffusion rates on the two surfaces can be compared, and they are virtually identical. These results provide support for the relevance of surface-diffusion measurements made on planar model surfaces to the dynamic behavior of molecules on the internal surfaces of porous chromatographic particles.

Two-dimensional numerical simulation of boron diffusion for pyramidally textured silicon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ma, Fa-Jun, E-mail: Fajun.Ma@nus.edu.sg; Duttagupta, Shubham; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117576

2014-11-14

Multidimensional numerical simulation of boron diffusion is of great relevance for the improvement of industrial n-type crystalline silicon wafer solar cells. However, surface passivation of boron diffused area is typically studied in one dimension on planar lifetime samples. This approach neglects the effects of the solar cell pyramidal texture on the boron doping process and resulting doping profile. In this work, we present a theoretical study using a two-dimensional surface morphology for pyramidally textured samples. The boron diffusivity and segregation coefficient between oxide and silicon in simulation are determined by reproducing measured one-dimensional boron depth profiles prepared using different boronmore » diffusion recipes on planar samples. The established parameters are subsequently used to simulate the boron diffusion process on textured samples. The simulated junction depth is found to agree quantitatively well with electron beam induced current measurements. Finally, chemical passivation on planar and textured samples is compared in device simulation. Particularly, a two-dimensional approach is adopted for textured samples to evaluate chemical passivation. The intrinsic emitter saturation current density, which is only related to Auger and radiative recombination, is also simulated for both planar and textured samples. The differences between planar and textured samples are discussed.« less

Size and Shape of Solid Fuel Diffusion Flames in Very Low Speed Flows. M.S. Thesis. Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foutch, David W.

1987-01-01

The effect of very low speed forced flows on the size and shape of a solid fuel diffusion flame are investigated experimentally. Flows due to natural convection are eliminated by performing the experiment in low gravity. The range of velocities tested is 1.5 cm/s to 6.3 cm/s and the mole fraction of oxygen in the O2/N2 atmosphere ranges from 0.15 to 0.19. The flames did not reach steady state in the 5.2 sec to which the experiment was limited. Despite limited data, trends in the transient flame temperature and, by means of extrapolation, the steady state flame size are deduced. As the flow velocity is reduced, the flames move farther from the fuel surface, and the transient flame temperature is lowered. As the oxygen concentration is reduced the flames move closer to the fuel sample and the transient flame temperature is reduced. With stand off distances up to 8.5 + or - 0.7 mm and thicknesses around 1 or 2 mm, these flames are much weaker than flames observed at normal gravity. Based on the performance of the equipment and several qualitative observations, suggestions for future work are made.

Light collection device for flame emission detectors

DOEpatents

Woodruff, Stephen D.; Logan, Ronald G.; Pineault, Richard L.

1990-01-01

A light collection device for use in a flame emission detection system such as an on-line, real-time alkali concentration process stream monitor is disclosed which comprises a sphere coated on its interior with a highly diffuse reflective paint which is positioned over a flame emission source, and one or more fiber optic cables which transfer the light generated at the interior of the sphere to a detecting device. The diffuse scattering of the light emitted by the flame uniformly distributes the light in the sphere, and the collection efficiency of the device is greater than that obtainable in the prior art. The device of the present invention thus provides enhanced sensitivity and reduces the noise associated with flame emission detectors, and can achieve substantial improvements in alkali detection levels.

Laminar Flame Velocity and Temperature Exponent of Diluted DME-Air Mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naseer Mohammed, Abdul; Anwar, Muzammil; Juhany, Khalid A.; Mohammad, Akram

2017-03-01

In this paper, the laminar flame velocity and temperature exponent diluted dimethyl ether (DME) air mixtures are reported. Laminar premixed mixture of DME-air with volumetric dilutions of carbon dioxides (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) are considered. Experiments were conducted using a preheated mesoscale high aspect-ratio diverging channel with inlet dimensions of 25 mm × 2 mm. In this method, flame velocities are extracted from planar flames that were stabilized near adiabatic conditions inside the channel. The flame velocities are then plotted against the ratio of mixture temperature and the initial reference temperature. A non-linear power law regression is observed suitable. This regression analysis gives the laminar flame velocity at the initial reference temperature and temperature exponent. Decrease in the laminar flame velocity and increase in temperature exponent is observed for CO2 and N2 diluted mixtures. The addition of CO2 has profound influence when compared to N2 addition on both flame velocity and temperature exponent. Numerical prediction of the similar mixture using a detailed reaction mechanism is obtained. The computational mechanism predicts higher magnitudes for laminar flame velocity and smaller magnitudes of temperature exponent compared to experimental data.

Buoyancy Effects in Fully-Modulated, Turbulent Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hermanson, J. C.; Johari, H.; Ghaem-Maghami, E.; Stocker, D. P.; Hegde, U. G.; Page, K. L.

2003-01-01

Pulsed combustion appears to have the potential to provide for rapid fuel/air mixing, compact and economical combustors, and reduced exhaust emissions. The objective of this experiment (PuFF, for Pulsed-Fully Flames) is to increase the fundamental understanding of the fuel/air mixing and combustion behavior of pulsed, turbulent diffusion flames by conducting experiments in microgravity. In this research the fuel jet is fully-modulated (i.e., completely shut off between pulses) by an externally controlled valve system. This gives rise to drastic modification of the combustion and flow characteristics of flames, leading to enhanced fuel/air mixing compared to acoustically excited or partially-modulated jets. Normal-gravity experiments suggest that the fully-modulated technique also has the potential for producing turbulent jet flames significantly more compact than steady flames with no increase in exhaust emissions. The technique also simplifies the combustion process by avoiding the acoustic forcing generally present in pulsed combustors. Fundamental issues addressed in this experiment include the impact of buoyancy on the structure and flame length, temperatures, radiation, and emissions of fully-modulated flames.

Structure and Soot Properties of Nonbuoyant Ethylene/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix E; Repr. from AIAA Journal, v. 36 p 1346-1360

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Sunderland, P. B.; Linteris, G. T.; Voss, J. E.; Lin, K.-C.; Dai, Z.; Sun, K.; Faeth, G. M.; Ross, Howard D. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The structure and soot properties of round, soot-emitting, nonbuoyant, laminar jet diffusion flames are described, based on long-duration (175-230-s) experiments at microgravity carried out on orbit in the Space Shuttle Columbia. Experimental conditions included ethylene-fueled flames burning in still air at nominal pressures of 50 and 100 kPa and an ambient temperature of 300 K with luminous flame lengths of 49-64 mm Measurements included luminous flame shapes using color video imaging soot concentration (volume fraction) distributions using deconvoluted laser extinction imaging, soot temperature distributions using deconvoluted multiline emission imaging, gas temperature distributions at fuel-lean (plume) conditions using thermocouple probes, soot structure distributions using thermophoretic sampling and analysis by transmission electron microscopy, and flame radiation using a radiometer.The present flames were larger, and emitted soot more readily, than comparable flames observed during ground-based microgravity experiments due to closer approach to steady conditions resulting from the longer test times and the reduced gravitational disturbances of the space-based experiments.

Temporally resolved planar measurements of transient phenomena in a partially pre-mixed swirl flame in a gas turbine model combustor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boxx, I.; Stoehr, M.; Meier, W.

This paper presents observations and analysis of the time-dependent behavior of a 10 kW partially pre-mixed, swirl-stabilized methane-air flame exhibiting self-excited thermo-acoustic oscillations. This analysis is based on a series of measurements wherein particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of the OH radical were performed simultaneously at 5 kHz repetition rate over durations of 0.8 s. Chemiluminescence imaging of the OH{sup *} radical was performed separately, also at 5 kHz over 0.8 s acquisition runs. These measurements were of sufficient sampling frequency and duration to extract usable spatial and temporal frequency information on the medium to large-scalemore » flow-field and heat-release characteristics of the flame. This analysis is used to more fully characterize the interaction between the self-excited thermo-acoustic oscillations and the dominant flow-field structure of this flame, a precessing vortex core (PVC) present in the inner recirculation zone. Interpretation of individual measurement sequences yielded insight into various physical phenomena and the underlying mechanisms driving flame dynamics. It is observed for this flame that location of the reaction zone tracks large-scale fluctuations in axial velocity and also conforms to the passage of large-scale vortical structures through the flow-field. Local extinction of the reaction zone in regions of persistently high principal compressive strain is observed. Such extinctions, however, are seen to be self healing and thus do not induce blowout. Indications of auto-ignition in regions of unburned gas near the exit are also observed. Probable auto-ignition events are frequently observed coincident with the centers of large-scale vortical structures, suggesting the phenomenon is linked to the enhanced mixing and longer residence times associated with fluid at the core of the PVC as it moves through the flame. (author)« less

Polydisperse effects in jet spray flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinberg, Noam; Greenberg, J. Barry

2018-01-01

A laminar jet polydisperse spray diffusion flame is analysed mathematically for the first time using an extension of classical similarity solutions for gaseous jet flames. The analysis enables a comparison to be drawn between conditions for flame stability or flame blow-out for purely gaseous flames and for spray flames. It is found that, in contrast to the Schmidt number criteria relevant to gas flames, droplet size and initial spray polydispersity play a critical role in determining potential flame scenarios. Some qualitative agreement for lift-off height is found when comparing predictions of the theory and sparse independent experimental evidence from the literature.

Initiation and Modification of Reaction by Energy Addition: Kinetic and Transport Phenomena

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-01

ignition- delay time ranges from about 2 to 100 ps. The results of a computer- modeling calcu- lation of the chemical kinetics suggest that the...Page PROGRAM INFORMATION iii 1.0 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 2.0 ANALYSIS 2 3.0 EXPERIMENT 7 REFERENCES 8 APPENDIX I. Evaluating a Simple Model for Laminar...Flame-Propagation I-1 Rates. I. Planar Geometry. APPENDIX II. Evaluating a Simple Model for Laminar-Flame-Propagation II-1 Rates. II. Spherical

Intensification of the Process of Flame Combustion of a Pulverized Coal Fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, V. I.

2017-11-01

Consideration is given to a method of mechanoactivation intensification of the flame combustion of a pulverized coal fuel through the formation of a stressed state for the microstructure of its particles; the method is based on the use of the regularities of their external (diffusion) and internal (relaxation) kinetics. A study has been made of mechanoactivation nonequilibrium processes that occur in fuel particles during the induced relaxation of their stressed state with a resumed mobility of the microstructure of the particles and intensify diffusion-controlled chemical reactions in them under the assumption that the time of these reactions is much shorter than the times of mechanical action on a particle and of stress relaxation in it. The influence of the diffusion and relaxation factors on the burnup time of a fuel particle and on the flame distance has been analyzed. Ranges of variation in the parameters of flame combustion have been singled out in which the flame distance is determined by the mechanisms of combustion of the fuel and of mixing of combustion products.

Detection of iron atoms by emission spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence in solid propellant flames.

PubMed

Vilmart, G; Dorval, N; Orain, M; Lambert, D; Devillers, R; Fabignon, Y; Attal-Tretout, B; Bresson, A

2018-05-10

Planar laser-induced fluorescence on atomic iron is investigated in this paper, and a measurement strategy is proposed to monitor the fluorescence of iron atoms with good sensitivity. A model is proposed to fit the experimental fluorescence spectra, and good agreement is found between simulated and experimental spectra. Emission and laser-induced fluorescence measurements are performed in the flames of ammonium perchlorate composite propellants containing iron-based catalysts. A fluorescence signal from iron atoms after excitation at 248 nm is observed for the first time in propellant flames. Images of the spatial distribution of iron atoms are recorded in the flame in which turbulent structures are generated. Iron fluorescence is detected up to 1.0 MPa, which opens the way to application in propellant combustion.

CARS Temperature Measurements in Sooting, Laminar Diffusion Flames.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-30

the flame. In preliminary calculations with coarse axial and radial grids, the flames all reached their respective AFT’s, and flame lengths were just...welded to the outside of the tube. Such rugenerative heat feedback is not part of the K? model. Calculated flame length is seen on Figure 11 to increase...heights in the measurements, Figure 6, and the calculated flame lengths , Figure 11, is seen to be reduced substantially with increasing dilution. When

Effects of Flame Structure and Hydrodynamics on Soot Particle Inception and Flame Extinction in Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Axelbaum, R. L.; Chen, R.; Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Liu, S.; Chao, B. H.

2001-01-01

This paper summarizes recent studies of the effects of stoichiometric mixture fraction (structure) and hydrodynamics on soot particle inception and flame extinction in diffusion flames. Microgravity experiments are uniquely suited for these studies because, unlike normal gravity experiments, they allow structural and hydrodynamic effects to be independently studied. As part of this recent flight definition program, microgravity studies have been performed in the 2.2 second drop tower. Normal gravity counterflow studies also have been employed and analytical and numerical models have been developed. A goal of this program is to develop sufficient understanding of the effects of flame structure that flames can be "designed" to specifications - consequently, the program name Flame Design. In other words, if a soot-free, strong, low temperature flame is required, can one produce such a flame by designing its structure? Certainly, as in any design, there will be constraints imposed by the properties of the available "materials." For hydrocarbon combustion, the base materials are fuel and air. Additives could be considered, but for this work only fuel, oxygen and nitrogen are considered. Also, the structure of these flames is "designed" by varying the stoichiometric mixture fraction. Following this line of reasoning, the studies described are aimed at developing the understanding of flame structure that is needed to allow for optimum design.

The Effects of Flame Structure on Extinction of CH4-O2-N2 Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Du, J.; Axelbaum, R. L.; Gokoglu, S. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

The effects of flame structure on the extinction limits of CH4-O2-N2 counterflow diffusion flames were investigated experimentally and numerically by varying the stoichiometric mixture fraction Z(sub st), Z(sub st) was varied by varying free-stream concentrations, while the adiabatic flame temperature T(sub ad) was held fixed by maintaining a fixed amount of nitrogen at the flame. Z(sub st) was varied between 0.055 (methane-air flame) and 0.78 (diluted- methane-oxygen flame). The experimental results yielded an extinction strain rate K(sub ext) of 375/s for the methane-air flame, increasing monotonically to 1042/s for the diluted-methane-oxygen flame. Numerical results with a 58-step Cl mechanism yielded 494/s and 1488/s, respectively. The increase in K(sub ext) with Z(sub st) for a fixed T(sub ad) is explained by the shift in the O2 profile toward the region of maximum temperature and the subsequent increase in rates for chain-branching reactions. The flame temperature at extinction reached a minimum at Z(sub st) = 0.65, where it was 200 C lower than that of the methane-air flame. This significant increase in resistance to extinction is seen to correspond to the condition in which the OH and O production zones are centered on the location of maximum temperature.

Laser-induced incandescence calibration via gravimetric sampling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, M. Y.; Vander Wal, R. L.; Zhou, Z.

1996-01-01

Absolute calibration of laser-induced incandescence (LII) is demonstrated via comparison of LII signal intensities with gravimetrically determined soot volume fractions. This calibration technique does not rely upon calculated or measured optical characteristics of soot. The variation of the LII signal with gravimetrically measured soot volume fractions ranging from 0.078 to 1.1 ppm established the linearly of the calibration. With the high spatial and temporal resolution capabilities of laser-induced incandescence (LII), the spatial and temporal fluctuations of the soot field within a gravimetric chimney were characterized. Radial uniformity of the soot volume fraction, f(sub v) was demonstrated with sufficient averaging of the single laser-shot LII images of the soot field thus confirming the validity of the calibration method for imaging applications. As illustration, instantaneous soot volume fractions within a Re = 5000 ethylene/air diffusion flame measured via planar LII were established quantitatively with this calibration.

Scale-Invariant Forms of Conservation Equations in Reactive Fields and a Modified Hydro-Thermo-Diffusive Theory of Laminar Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sohrab, Siavash H.; Piltch, Nancy (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A scale-invariant model of statistical mechanics is applied to present invariant forms of mass, energy, linear, and angular momentum conservation equations in reactive fields. The resulting conservation equations at molecular-dynamic scale are solved by the method of large activation energy asymptotics to describe the hydro-thermo-diffusive structure of laminar premixed flames. The predicted temperature and velocity profiles are in agreement with the observations. Also, with realistic physico-chemical properties and chemical-kinetic parameters for a single-step overall combustion of stoichiometric methane-air premixed flame, the laminar flame propagation velocity of 42.1 cm/s is calculated in agreement with the experimental value.

Hydrodynamic Suppression of Soot Formation in Laminar Coflowing Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dai, Z.; Faeth, G. M.; Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor); Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Effects of flow (hydrodynamic) properties on limiting conditions for soot-free laminar non-premixed hydrocarbon/air flames (called laminar soot-point conditions) were studied, emphasizing non-buoyant laminar coflowing jet diffusion flames. Effects of air/fuel-stream velocity ratios were of particular interest; therefore, the experiments were carried out at reduced pressures to minimize effects of flow acceleration due to the intrusion of buoyancy. Test conditions included reactant temperatures of 300 K; ambient pressures of 3.7-49 8 kPa; methane-, acetylene-, ethylene-, propane-, and methane-fueled flames burning in coflowing air with fuel-port diameters of 1.7, 3.2, and 6.4 mm, fuel jet Reynolds numbers of 18-121; air coflow velocities of 0-6 m/s; and air/fuel-stream velocity ratios of 0.003-70. Measurements included laminar soot-point flame lengths, laminar soot-point fuel flow rates, and laminar liftoff conditions. The measurements show that laminar soot-point flame lengths and fuel flow rates can be increased, broadening the range of fuel flow rates where the flames remain soot free, by increasing air/fuel-stream velocity ratios. The mechanism of this effect involves the magnitude and direction of flow velocities relative to the flame sheet where increased air/fuel-stream velocity ratios cause progressive reduction of flame residence times in the fuel-rich soot-formation region. The range of soot-free conditions is limited by both liftoff, particularly at low pressures, and the intrusion of effects of buoyancy on effective air/fuel-stream velocity ratios, particularly at high pressures. Effective correlations of laminar soot- and smoke-point flame lengths were also found in terms of a corrected fuel flow rate parameter, based on simplified analysis of laminar jet diffusion flame structure. The results show that laminar smoke-point flame lengths in coflowing air environments are roughly twice as long as soot-free (blue) flames under comparable conditions due to the presence of luminous soot particles under fuel-lean conditions when smoke-point conditions are approached. This is very similar to earlier findings concerning differences between laminar smoke- and sootpoint flame lengths in still environments.

Measurements and Modeling of Nitric Oxide Formation in Counterflow, Premixed CH4/O2/N2 Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomsen, D. Douglas; Laurendeau, Normand M.

2000-01-01

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements of NO concentration in a variety of CH4/O2/N2 flames are used to evaluate the chemical kinetics of NO formation. The analysis begins with previous measurements in flat, laminar, premixed CH4/O2/N2 flames stabilized on a water-cooled McKenna burner at pressures ranging from 1 to 14.6 atm, equivalence ratios from 0.5 to 1.6, and volumetric nitrogen/oxygen dilution ratios of 2.2, 3.1 and 3.76. These measured results are compared to predictions to determine the capabilities and limitations of the comprehensive kinetic mechanism developed by the Gas Research Institute (GRI), version 2.11. The model is shown to predict well the qualitative trends of NO formation in lean-premixed flames, while quantitatively underpredicting NO concentration by 30-50%. For rich flames, the model is unable to even qualitatively match the experimental results. These flames were found to be limited by low temperatures and an inability to separate the flame from the burner surface. In response to these limitations, a counterflow burner was designed for use in opposed premixed flame studies. A new LIF calibration technique was developed and applied to obtain quantitative measurements of NO concentration in laminar, counterflow premixed, CH4/O2/N2 flames at pressures ranging from 1 to 5.1 atm, equivalence ratios of 0.6 to 1.5, and an N2/O2 dilution ratio of 3.76. The counterflow premixed flame measurements are combined with measurements in burner-stabilized premixed flames and counterflow diffusion flames to build a comprehensive database for analysis of the GRI kinetic mechanism. Pathways, quantitative reaction path and sensitivity analyses are applied to the GRI mechanism for these flame conditions. The prompt NO mechanism is found to severely underpredict the amount of NO formed in rich premixed and nitrogen-diluted diffusion flames. This underprediction is traced to uncertainties in the CH kinetics as well as in the nitrogen oxidation chemistry. Suggestions are made which significantly improve the predictive capability of the GRI mechanism in near-stoichiometric, rich, premixed flames and in atmospheric-pressure, diffusion flames. However, the modified reaction mechanism is unable to model the formation of NO in ultra-rich, premixed or in high-pressure, nonpremixed flames, thus indicating the need for additional study under these conditions.

Spherical Ethylene/Air Diffusion Flames Subject to Concentric DC Electric Field in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuan, Z. -G.; Hegde, U.; Faeth, G. M.

2001-01-01

It is well known that microgravity conditions, by eliminating buoyant flow, enable many combustion phenomena to be observed that are not possible to observe at normal gravity. One example is the spherical diffusion flame surrounding a porous spherical burner. The present paper demonstrates that by superimposing a spherical electrical field on such a flame, the flame remains spherical so that we can study the interaction between the electric field and flame in a one-dimensional fashion. Flames are susceptible to electric fields that are much weaker than the breakdown field of the flame gases owing to the presence of ions generated in the high temperature flame reaction zone. These ions and the electric current of the moving ions, in turn, significantly change the distribution of the electric field. Thus, to understand the interplay between the electric field and the flame is challenging. Numerous experimental studies of the effect of electric fields on flames have been reported. Unfortunately, they were all involved in complex geometries of both the flow field and the electric field, which hinders detailed study of the phenomena. In a one-dimensional domain, however, the electric field, the flow field, the thermal field and the chemical species field are all co-linear. Thus the problem is greatly simplified and becomes more tractable.

Flame Structure of Vitiated Fuel-Rich Inverse Diffusion Flames in a Cross-Flow (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

downstream of the slot. The flame length increases as the blowing ratio increases as a result of the greater mass of air which reacts. Ignition of...attributed to the greater penetration of the jet into the cross-stream. It is noted that the flame lengths are similar for the different blowing ratios

Laminar Soot Processes (LSP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dai, Z.; El-Leathy, A. M.; Kim, C. H.; Krishnan, S. S.; Lin, K.-C.; Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.

2002-01-01

This is the final report of a research program considering the structure and the soot surface reaction properties of laminar nonpremixed (diffusion) flames. The study was limited to ground-based measurements of buoyant laminar jet diffusion flames at pressures of 0.1-1.0 atm. The motivation for the research is that soot formation in flames is a major unresolved problem of combustion science that influences the pollutant emissions, durability and performance of power and propulsion systems, as well as the potential for developing computational combustion. The investigation was divided into two phases considering the structure of laminar soot-containing diffusion flames and the soot surface reaction properties (soot surface growth and oxidation) of these flames, in turn. The first phase of the research addressed flame and soot structure properties of buoyant laminar jet diffusion flames at various pressures. The measurements showed that H, OH and O radical concentrations were generally in superequilibrium concentrations at atmospheric pressure but tended toward subequilibrium concentrations as pressures decreased. The measurements indicated that the original fuel decomposed into more robust compounds at elevated temperatures, such as acetylene (unless the original fuel was acetylene) and H, which are the major reactants for soot surface growth, and that the main effect of the parent fuel on soot surface growth involved its yield of acetylene and H for present test conditions. The second phase of the research addressed soot surface reaction properties, e.g., soot surface growth and surface oxidation. It was found that soot surface growth rates in both laminar premixed and diffusion flames were in good agreement, that these rates were relatively independent of fuel type, and that these rates could be correlated by the Hydrogen-Abstraction/Carbon-Addition (HACA) mechanisms of Colket and Hall (1994), Frenklach et al. (1990,1994), and Kazakov et al. (1995). It was also found that soot surface oxidation rates were relatively independent of fuel type, were not correlated with O2, CO2, H2O and O collision rates but were correlated with the collision rates of OH with a collision efficiency of 0.14, in agreement with the early measurements in premixed flames of Neoh et al. (1980), after allowing for oxidation by O2 via the classical rate expression of Nagle and Strickland-Constable (1962).

A theoretical study of a laminar diffusion flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frair, K. L.

1978-01-01

Theoretical models of an axisymmetric laminar diffusion flame are discussed, with an emphasis on the behavior of such flames at increasing pressures. The flame-sheet or Burke-Schumann model (in terms of Bessel functions) and various boundary layer numerical solutions are presented and their results compared with experimental data. The most promising theoretical model combines the numerical flow field solution of the Patankar-Spalding computer code with the Pratt-Wormeck chemical reaction subroutine. The flame shapes for pressures of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 atmospheres were computed and agree remarkably well with experimental data. There is a noticeable shape change with pressure, believed to be a result of buoyancy effects. The chemical concentration profiles do not exhibit much dependence on pressure, a reflection of the fact that only one chemical mechanism was utilized at all pressures.

Near-limit flame structures at low Lewis number

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronney, Paul D.

1990-01-01

The characteristics of premixed gas flames in mixtures with low Lewis numbers near flammability limits were studied experimentally using a low-gravity environment to reduce buoyant convection. The behavior of such flames was found to be dominated by diffusive-thermal instabilities. For sufficiently reactive mixtures, cellular structures resulting from these instabilities were observed and found to spawn new cells in regular patterns. For less reactive mixtures, cells formed shortly after ignition but did not spawn new cells; instead these cells evolved into a flame structure composed of stationary, apparently stable spherical flamelets. Experimental observations are found to be in qualitative agreement with elementary analytical models based on the interaction of heat release due to chemical reaction, differential diffusion of thermal energy and mass, flame front curvature, and volumetric heat losses due to gas and/or soot radiation.

Full numerical simulation of coflowing, axisymmetric jet diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahalingam, S.; Cantwell, B. J.; Ferziger, J. H.

1990-01-01

The near field of a non-premixed flame in a low speed, coflowing axisymmetric jet is investigated numerically using full simulation. The time-dependent governing equations are solved by a second-order, explicit finite difference scheme and a single-step, finite rate model is used to represent the chemistry. Steady laminar flame results show the correct dependence of flame height on Peclet number and reaction zone thickness on Damkoehler number. Forced simulations reveal a large difference in the instantaneous structure of scalar dissipation fields between nonbuoyant and buoyant cases. In the former, the scalar dissipation marks intense reaction zones, supporting the flamelet concept; however, results suggest that flamelet modeling assumptions need to be reexamined. In the latter, this correspondence breaks down, suggesting that modifications to the flamelet modeling approach are needed in buoyant turbulent diffusion flames.

Flame balls dynamics in divergent channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fursenko, R.; Minaev, S.

2011-12-01

A three-dimensional reaction-diffusion model for lean low-Lewis-number premixed flames with radiative heat losses propagating in divergent channel is studied numerically. Effects of inlet gas velocity and heat-loss intensity on flame structure at low Lewis numbers are investigated. It is found that continuous flame front exists at small heat losses and the separate flame balls settled within restricted domain inside the divergent channel at large heat losses. It is shown that the time averaged flame balls coordinate may be considered as important characteristic analogous to coordinate of continuous flame stabilized in divergent channel.

Spatial investigation of plasma emission from laminar diffusion methanol, ethanol, and n-propanol alcohol flames using LIBS method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghezelbash, Mahsa; Majd, Abdollah Eslami; Darbani, Seyyed Mohammad Reza; Mousavi, Seyyed Jabbar; Ghasemi, Ali; Tehrani, Masoud Kavosh

2017-01-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique is used to record some plasma emissions of different laminar diffusion methanol, ethanol, and n-propanol alcohol flames, to investigate the shapes, structures (i.e., reactants and products zones), kind, and quality of burning in different areas. For this purpose, molecular bands of CH, CH*, C2, CN, and CO as well as atomic and ionic lines of C, H, N, and O are identified, simultaneously. Experimental results indicate that the CN and C2 emissions have highest intensity in LIBS spectrum of n-propanol flame and the lowest in methanol. In addition, lowest content of CO pollution and better quality of burning process in n-propanol fuel flame toward ethanol and methanol are confirmed by comparison between their CO molecular band intensities. Moreover, variation of the signal intensity from these three flames with that from a known area of burner plate is compared. Our findings in this research advance the prior results in time-integrated LIBS combustion application and suggesting that LIBS can be used successfully with the CCD detector as a non-gated analytical tool, given its simple instrumentation needs, real-time capability applications of molecular detection in laminar diffusion flame samples, requirements.

Smoke-Point Properties of Nonbuoyant Round Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Sunderland, R. B.; Lin, K.-C.; Dai, Z.; Faeth, G. M.

2000-01-01

The laminar smoke-point properties of nonbuoyant round laminar jet diffusion flames were studied emphasizing results from long duration (100-230 s) experiments at microgravity carried -out on- orbit in the Space Shuttle Columbia. Experimental conditions included ethylene-and propane-fueled flames burning in still air at an ambient temperature of 300 K, initial jet exit diameters of 1.6 and 2.7 mm, jet exit velocities of 170-1630 mm/s, jet exit Reynolds numbers of 46-172, characteristic flame residence times of 40-302 ms, and luminous flame lengths of 15-63 mm. The onset of laminar smoke-point conditions involved two flame configurations: closed-tip flames with first soot emissions along the flame axis and open-tip flames with first soot emissions from an annular ring about the flame axis. Open-tip flames were observed at large characteristic flame residence times with the onset of soot emissions associated with radiative quenching near the flame tip; nevertheless, unified correlations of laminar smoke-point properties were obtained that included both flame configurations. Flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were well-correlated in terms of a corrected fuel flow rate suggested by a simplified analysis of flame shape. The present steady and nonbuoyant flames emitted soot more readily than earlier tests of nonbuoyant flames at microgravity using ground-based facilities and of buoyant flames at normal gravity due to reduced effects of unsteadiness, flame disturbances and buoyant motion. For example, laminar smoke-point flame lengths from ground-based microgravity measurements were up to 2.3 times longer and from buoyant flame measurements were up to 6.4 times longer than the present measurements at comparable conditions. Finally, present laminar smoke-point flame lengths were roughly inversely proportional to pressure, which is a somewhat slower variation than observed during earlier tests both at microgravity using ground-based facilities and at normal gravity.

Smoke-Point Properties of Non-Buoyant Round Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix J

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Sunderland, P. B.; Lin, K.-C.; Dai, Z.; Faeth, G. M.

2000-01-01

The laminar smoke-point properties of non-buoyant round laminar jet diffusion flames were studied emphasizing results from long-duration (100-230 s) experiments at microgravity carried out in orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Experimental conditions included ethylene- and propane-fueled flames burning in still air at an ambient temperature of 300 K, pressures of 35-130 kPa, jet exit diameters of 1.6 and 2.7 mm, jet exit velocities of 170-690 mm/s, jet exit Reynolds numbers of 46-172, characteristic flame residence times of 40-302 ms, and luminous flame lengths of 15-63 mm. Contrary to the normal-gravity laminar smoke point, in microgravity, the onset of laminar smoke-point conditions involved two flame configurations: closed-tip flames with soot emissions along the flame axis and open-tip flames with soot emissions from an annular ring about the flame axis. Open-tip flames were observed at large characteristic flame residence times with the onset of soot emissions associated with radiative quenching near the flame tip: nevertheless, unified correlations of laminar smoke-point properties were obtained that included both flame configurations. Flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were well correlated in terms of a corrected fuel flow rate suggested by a simplified analysis of flame shape. The present steady and non-buoyant flames emitted soot more readily than non-buoyant flames in earlier tests using ground-based microgravity facilities and than buoyant flames at normal gravity, as a result of reduced effects of unsteadiness, flame disturbances, and buoyant motion. For example, present measurements of laminar smoke-point flame lengths at comparable conditions were up to 2.3 times shorter than ground-based microgravity measurements and up to 6.4 times shorter than buoyant flame measurements. Finally, present laminar smoke-point flame lengths were roughly inversely proportional to pressure to a degree that is a somewhat smaller than observed during earlier tests both at microgravity (using ground-based facilities) and at normal gravity.

Smoke-Point Properties of Nonbuoyant Round Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Sunderland, P. B.; Lin, K.-C.; Dai, Z.; Faeth, G. M.; Ross, H. D. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The laminar smoke-point properties of non-buoyant round laminar jet diffusion flames were studied emphasizing results from long-duration (100-230 s) experiments at microgravity carried out in orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Experimental conditions included ethylene- and propane-fueled flames burning in still air at an ambient temperature of 300 K, pressures of 35-130 kPa, jet exit diameters of 1.6 and 2.7 mm, jet exit velocities of 170-690 mm/s, jet exit Reynolds numbers of 46-172, characteristic flame residence times of 40-302 ms, and luminous flame lengths of 15-63 mm. Contrary to the normal-gravity laminar smoke point, in microgravity the onset of laminar smoke-point conditions involved two flame configurations: closed-tip flames with soot emissions along the flame axis and open-tip flames with soot emissions from an annular ring about the flame axis. Open-tip flames were observed at large characteristic flame residence times with the onset of soot emissions associated with radiative quenching near the flame tip: nevertheless, unified correlations of laminar smoke-point properties were obtained that included both flame configurations. Flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were well correlated in terms of a corrected fuel flow rate suggested by a simplified analysis of flame shape. The present steady and nonbuoyant flames emitted soot more readily than non-buoyant flames in earlier tests using ground-based microgravity facilities and than buoyant flames at normal gravity, as a result of reduced effects of unsteadiness, flame disturbances, and buoyant motion. For example, present measurements of laminar smokepoint flame lengths at comparable conditions were up to 2.3 times shorter than ground-based microgravity measurements and up to 6.4 times shorter than buoyant flame measurements. Finally, present laminar smoke-point flame lengths were roughly inversely proportional to pressure to a degree that is a somewhat smaller than observed during earlier tests both at microgravity (using ground-based facilities) and at normal gravity,

Excitation/Detection Strategies for OH Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements in the Presence of Interfering Fuel Signal and Absorption Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heath, Christopher M.; Anderson, Robert C.; Hicks, Yolanda R.

2011-01-01

Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) excitation/detection methods have been applied to obtain spatial distributions of the hydroxyl [OH] reacting intermediary and hydrocarbon [HC] primary species in laminar and turbulent combustion reactions. In this report, broadband and narrowband excitation/filtering techniques are explored to identify an optimal experimental configuration yielding significant fluorescent signal with low absorption losses. The combustion environments analyzed include 1) a laminar non-premixed methane/air flame and 2) a turbulent, non-premixed Jet-A/air fueled flame within a lean flame tube combustor. Hydrocarbon-based fuel and OH were excited via the R1 (1), R1(10) and R2(7) transitions of the A(sup 2)Epsilon(+) X(sup 2)pi(1,0) band using a broadband Nd:YAG pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and narrowband Nd:YAG/dye laser with ultraviolet frequency extension (UVX) package. Variables tested for influence on fluorescent signal and absorption characteristics were excitation line, laser energy, exciting linewidth, combustion reactants, and test flow conditions. Results are intended to guide the transition from a dye/UVX laser to an OPO system for performing advanced diagnostics of low-emission combustion concepts.

EFFECT OF OXYGEN ADDITION ON POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON FORMATION IN 1,3 BUTADIENE COUNTER-FLOW DIFFUSION FLAMES. (R828193)

EPA Science Inventory

The effect of 3% O₂ addition to the fuel on detailed chemical structure of a 1,3 butadiene counter-flow diffusion flame has been investigated by using heated microprobe sampling and online gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Centerline gas temperature and species ...

Effects of preheated combustion air on laminar coflow diffusion flames under normal and microgravity conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaderi Yeganeh, Mohammad

Global energy consumption has been increasing around the world, owing to the rapid growth of industrialization and improvements in the standard of living. As a result, more carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide are being released into the environment. Therefore, techniques for achieving combustion at reduced carbon dioxide and nitric oxide emission levels have drawn increased attention. Combustion with a highly preheated air and low-oxygen concentration has been shown to provide significant energy savings, reduce pollution and equipment size, and uniform thermal characteristics within the combustion chamber. However, the fundamental understanding of this technique is limited. The motivation of the present study is to identify the effects of preheated combustion air on laminar coflow diffusion flames. Combustion characteristics of laminar coflow diffusion flames are evaluated for the effects of preheated combustion air temperature under normal and low-gravity conditions. Experimental measurements are conducted using direct flame photography, particle image velocimetry (PIV) and optical emission spectroscopy diagnostics. Laminar coflow diffusion flames are examined under four experimental conditions: normal-temperature/normal-gravity (case I), preheated-temperature/normal gravity (case II), normal-temperature/low-gravity (case III), and preheated-temperature/low-gravity (case IV). Comparisons between these four cases yield significant insights. In our studies, increasing the combustion air temperature by 400 K (from 300 K to 700 K), causes a 37.1% reduction in the flame length and about a 25% increase in peak flame temperature. The results also show that a 400 K increase in the preheated air temperature increases CH concentration of the flame by about 83.3% (CH is a marker for the rate of chemical reaction), and also increases the C2 concentration by about 60% (C2 is a marker for the soot precursor). It can therefore be concluded that preheating the combustion air increases the energy release intensity, flame temperature, C2 concentration, and, presumably, NOx production. Our work is the first to consider preheated temperature/low-gravity combustion. The results of our experiments reveal new insights. Where as increasing the temperature of the combustion air reduces the laminar flame width under normal gravity, we find that, in a low-gravity environment, increasing the combustion air temperature causes a significant increase in the flame width.

Models And Experiments Of Laminar Diffusion Flames In Non-Uniform Magnetic Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, J.; Varagani, R.; Saito, K.

2003-01-01

Non-uniform magnetic fields affect laminar diffusion flames as a result of the paramagnetic and diamagnetic properties of the products and reactants. Paramagnetism is the weak attraction to a magnetic field a material exhibits as a result of permanent magnetic dipole moments in the atoms of the material. Diamagnetism is the weak repulsion to a magnetic field exhibited by a material due to the lack of permanent magnetic dipole moments in the atoms of a material. The forces associated with paramagnetic and diamagnetism are several orders of magnitude less than the forces associated with the more familiar ferromagnetism. A typical example of a paramagnetic gas is oxygen while hydrocarbon fuels and products of combustion are almost always diamagnetic. The fact that magnets can affect flame behavior has been recognized for more than one hundred years. Early speculation was that such behavior was due to the magnetic interaction with the ionized gases associated with a flame. Using a scaling analysis, it was later shown that for laminar diffusion flames the magnetic field/ionized gas interaction was insignificant to the paramagnetic and diamagnetic influences. In this effort, the focus has been on examining laminar diffusion slot flames in the presence of non-uniform upward decreasing magnetic fields produced using permanent magnets. The principal reason for choosing slot flames was mathematical models of such flames show an explicit dependence on gravitational body forces, in the buoyancy-controlled regime, and an applied magnetic field would also impose a body force. In addition, the behavior of such flames was more easily visualized while maintaining the symmetry of the two-dimensional problem whereas it would have been impossible to obtain a symmetric magnetic field around a circular flame and still visually record the flame height and shape along the burner axis. The motivation for choosing permanent magnets to produce the magnetic fields was the assumption that space-related technologies based on the knowledge gained during this investigation would more likely involve permanent magnets as opposed to electromagnets. While no analysis has been done here to quantify the impact that an electric field, associated with an electromagnetic, would have relative to the paramagnetic and diamagnetic interactions, by using permanent magnets this potential effect was completely eliminated and thus paramagnetic and diamagnetic effects were isolated.

Study of skin model and geometry effects on thermal performance of thermal protective fabrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Fanglong; Ma, Suqin; Zhang, Weiyuan

2008-05-01

Thermal protective clothing has steadily improved over the years as new materials and improved designs have reached the market. A significant method that has brought these improvements to the fire service is the NFPA 1971 standard on structural fire fighters’ protective clothing. However, this testing often neglects the effects of cylindrical geometry on heat transmission in flame resistant fabrics. This paper deals with methods to develop cylindrical geometry testing apparatus incorporating novel skin bioheat transfer model to test flame resistant fabrics used in firefighting. Results show that fabrics which shrink during the test can have reduced thermal protective performance compared with the qualities measured with a planar geometry tester. Results of temperature differences between skin simulant sensors of planar and cylindrical tester are also compared. This test method provides a new technique to accurately and precisely characterize the thermal performance of thermal protective fabrics.

Fully Modulated Turbulent Diffusion Flames in Microgravity*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangras, Ravikiran; Hermanson, James C.; Johari, Hamid; Stocker, Dennis P.; Hegde, Uday G.

2001-11-01

Fully modulated, turbulent diffusion flames are studied in microgravity in 2.2 s drop-tower tests with a co-flow combustor. The fuel consists of pure ethylene or a 50/50 mixture with nitrogen; the oxidizer is either normal air or up to 40% oxygen in nitrogen. A fast solenoid valve is used to fully modulate (completely shut off) the fuel flow. The injection times range from 5 to 400 ms with a duty-cycle of 0.1 - 0.5. The fuel nozzle is 2 mm in diameter with a jet Reynolds number of 5000. The shortest injection times yield compact puffs with a mean flame length as little as 20% of that of the steady-state flame. The reduction in flame length appears to be somewhat greater in microgravity than in normal gravity. As the injection time increases, elongated flames result with a mean flame length comparable to that of a steady flame. The injection time for which the steady-state flame length is approached is shorter for lower air/fuel ratios. For a given duty-cycle, the separation between puffs is greater in microgravity than in normal gravity. For compact puffs, increasing the duty-cycle appears to increase the flame length more in microgravity than in normal gravity. The microgravity flame puffs do not exhibit the vortex-ring-like structure seen in normal gravity.

Smoke Point in Co-flow Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.; Sunderland, Peter B.; Yuan, Zeng-Guang

2009-01-01

The Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment (SPICE) determines the point at which gas-jet flames (similar to a butane-lighter flame) begin to emit soot (dark carbonaceous particulate formed inside the flame) in microgravity. Studying a soot emitting flame is important in understanding the ability of fires to spread and in control of soot in practical combustion systems space. Previous experiments show that soot dominates the heat emitted from flames in normal gravity and microgravity fires. Control of this heat emission is critical for prevention of the spread of fires on Earth and in space for the design of efficient combustion systems (jet engines and power generation boilers). The onset of soot emission from small gas jet flames (similar to a butane-lighter flame) will be studied to provide a database that can be used to assess the interaction between fuel chemistry and flow conditions on soot formation. These results will be used to support combustion theories and to assess fire behavior in microgravity. The Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment (SPICE) will lead to a o improved design of practical combustors through improved control of soot formation; o improved understanding of and ability to predict heat release, soot production and emission in microgravity fires; o improved flammability criteria for selection of materials for use in the next generation of spacecraft. The Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment (SPICE) will continue the study of fundamental phenomena related to understanding the mechanisms controlling the stability and extinction of jet diffusion flames begun with the Laminar Soot Processes (LSP) on STS-94. SPICE will stabilize an enclosed laminar flame in a co-flowing oxidizer, measure the overall flame shape to validate the theoretical and numerical predictions, measure the flame stabilization heights, and measure the temperature field to verify flame structure predictions. SPICE will determine the laminar smoke point properties of non-buoyant jet diffusion flames (i.e., the properties of the largest laminar jet diffusion flames that do not emit soot) for several fuels under different nozzle diameter/co-flow velocity configurations. Luminous flame shape measurements would also be made to verify models of the flame shapes under co-flow conditions. The smoke point is a simple measurement that has been found useful to study the influence of flow and fuel properties on the sooting propensity of flames. This information would help support current understanding of soot processes in laminar flames and by analogy in turbulent flames of practical interest.

NO{sub x}-abatement potential of lean-premixed GT combustors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sattelmayer, T.; Polifke, W.; Winkler, D.

1998-01-01

The influence of the structure of perfectly premixed flames on NO{sub x} formation is investigated theoretically. Since a network of reaction kinetics modules and model flames is used for this purpose, the results obtained are independent of specific burner geometries. Calculations are presented for a mixture temperature of 630 K, an adiabatic flame temperature of 1840 K, and 1 and 15 bars combustor pressure. In particular, the following effects are studied separately from each other: molecular diffusion of temperature and species, flame strain, local quench in highly strained flames and subsequent reignition, turbulent diffusion (no preferential diffusion), and small scalemore » mixing (stirring) in the flame front. Either no relevant influence or an increase in NO{sub x} burners is to avoid excessive turbulent stirring in the flame front. Turbulent flames that exhibit locally and instantaneously near laminar structures (flamelets) appear to be optimal. Using the same methodology, the scope of the investigation is extended to lean-lean staging, since a higher NO{sub x}-abatement potential can be expected in principle. As long as the chemical reactions of the second stage take place in the boundary between the fresh mixture of the second stage and the combustion products from upstream, no advantage can be expected from lean-lean staging. Only if the preliminary burner exhibits much poorer mixing than the second stage can lean-lean staging be beneficial. In contrast, if full mixing between the two stages prior to afterburning can be achieved (lean-mix-lean technique), the combustor outlet temperature can in principle be increased somewhat without NO penalty.« less

Counterflow diffusion flames: effects of thermal expansion and non-unity Lewis numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koundinyan, Sushilkumar P.; Matalon, Moshe; Stewart, D. Scott

2018-05-01

In this work we re-examine the counterflow diffusion flame problem focusing in particular on the flame-flow interactions due to thermal expansion and its influence on various flame properties such as flame location, flame temperature, reactant leakage and extinction conditions. The analysis follows two different procedures: an asymptotic approximation for large activation energy chemical reactions, and a direct numerical approach. The asymptotic treatment follows the general theory of Cheatham and Matalon, which consists of a free-boundary problem with jump conditions across the surface representing the reaction sheet, and is well suited for variable-density flows and for mixtures with non-unity and distinct Lewis numbers for the fuel and oxidiser. Due to density variations, the species and energy transport equations are coupled to the Navier-Stokes equations and the problem does not possess an analytical solution. We thus propose and implement a methodology for solving the free-boundary problem numerically. Results based on the asymptotic approximation are then verified against those obtained from the 'exact' numerical integration of the governing equations, comparing predictions of the various flame properties.

Sooting Limits Of Microgravity Spherical Diffusion Flames. [conducted in the NASA Glenn 2.2-second drop tower

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Stocker, D. P.; Chao, B.-H.; Axelbaum, Richard L.; Salzman, Jack (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Limiting conditions for soot-particle inception were studied in microgravity spherical diffusion flames burning ethylene at atmospheric pressure. Nitrogen was supplied in the fuel and/or oxidizer to obtain the broadest range of stoichiometric mixture fraction. Both normal flames (oxygen in ambience) and inverted flames (fuel in ambience) were considered. Microgravity was obtained in the NASA Glenn 2.2-second drop tower. The flames were observed with a color video camera and sooting conditions were defined as conditions for which yellow emission was present throughout the duration of the drop. Sooting limit results were successfully correlated in terms of adiabatic flame temperature and stoichiometric mixture fraction. Soot free conditions were favored by increased stoichiometric mixture fractions. No statistically significant effect of convection direction on sooting limits was observed. The relationship between adiabatic flame temperature and stoichiometric mixture fraction at the sooting limits was found to be in qualitative agreement with a simple theory based on the assumption that soot inception can occur only where temperature and local C/O ratio exceed threshold values (circa 1250 K and 1, respectively).

Effect of gravity on the stability and structure of lean hydrogen-air flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, G.; Kailasanath, K.

1991-01-01

Detailed, time-dependent, 2D numerical simulations with full hydrogen-oxygen chemistry are used to investigate the effects of gravity on the stability and structure of laminar flames in lean, premixed hydrogen-air mixtures. The calculations show that the effects of gravity becomes more important as the lean flammability limit is approached. In a 12 percent hydrogen-air mixture, gravity plays only a secondary role in determining the multidimensional structure of the flame with the stability and structure of the flame controlled primarily by the thermo-diffusive instability mechanism. However, in leaner hydrogen-air mixtures gravity becomes more important. Upward-propagating flames are highly curved and evolve into a bubble rising upwards in the tube. Downward-propagating flames are flat or even oscillate between structures with concave and convex curvatures. The zero-gravity flame shows only cellular structures. Cellular structures which are present in zero gravity can be suppressed by the effect of buoyancy for mixtures leaner than 11 percent hydrogen. These observations are explained on the basis of an interaction between the processes leading to buoyancy-induced Rayleigh-Taylor instability and the thermo-diffusive instability.

Effects of Buoyancy on Lean Premixed V-Flames Part I: Laminar and Turblent Flame Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Robert K.; Bedat, Benoit; Kostiuk, Larry W.

1998-01-01

Laser schlieren and planar laser-induced fluorescence techniques have been used to investigate laminar and turbulent v-flames in +g, -g, and micro g under flow conditions that span the regimes of momentum domination (Ri < 0. 1) and buoyancy domination (Ri > 0.1). Overall flame features shown by schlieren indicate that buoyancy dominates the entire flow field for conditions close to Ri = 1. With decreasing Ri, buoyancy effects are observed only in the far-field regions. Analyses of the mean flame angles demonstrate that laminar and turbulent flames do not have similar responses to buoyancy. Difference in the laminar +g and -g flame angles decrease with Ri (i.e., increasing Re) and converge to the microgravity flame angle at the momentum limit (Ri - 0). This is consistent with the notion that the effects of buoyancy diminish with increasing flow momentum. The +g and -g turbulent flame angles, however, do not converge at Ri = 0. As shown by OH-PLIF images, the inconsistency in +g and -g turbulent flame angles is associated with the differences in flame wrinkles. Turbulent flame wrinkles evolve more slowly in +g than in -g. The difference in flame wrinkle structures, however, cannot be explained in terms of buoyancy effects on flame instability mechanisms. It seems to be associated with the field effects of buoyancy that stretches the turbulent flame brushes in +g and compresses the flame brush in -g. Flame wrinkling offers a mechanism through which the flame responds to the field effects of buoyancy despite increasing flow momentum. These observations point to the need to include both upstream and downstream contributions in theoretical analysis of flame turbulence interactions.

Absorption and scattering of laser radiation by the diffusion flame of aviation kerosene

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gvozdev, S V; Glova, A F; Dubrovskii, V Yu

2012-04-30

The absorption coefficient of the radiation of a repetitively pulsed Nd : YAG laser with an average output power up to 6 W and of a cw ytterbium optical fibre laser with an output power up to 3 kW was measured in the diffusion flame of aviation kerosene burning on a free surface in the atmospheric air. The absorption coefficient as a function of flame length, radiation power, and radiation intensity, which was varied in the {approx}10{sup 3} - 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} W cm{sup -2} range, was obtained for two distances (1 and 2 cm) between the laser beammore » axis and the surface. The coefficient of radiation absorption by kerosene flame was compared with that in ethanol and kerosene - ethanol mixture flames. The radiation power scattered by a small segment of the kerosene flame irradiated by Nd : YAG laser radiation was measured as a function of longitudinal and azimuthal coordinates. An estimate was made of the total scattered radiation power.« less

Dynamic behavior of turbulent flow in a widely-spaced co-axial jet diffusion flame combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturgess, G. J.; Syed, S. A.

1983-01-01

Reacting flows in a bluff-body stabilized diffusion flame research combustor operated by the Wright Aeronautical Propulsion Laboratory exhibit the presence of coherent structures where, because of dynamic behavior the flame consists of large, discrete flame eddies passing down the combustion tunnel separated in time by axial regions where no flame is visible. It is proposed that the formation of these structures and their subsequent behavior are the result of vortex-shedding from the flameholder and, in the main, interaction with the organ-pipe natural frequencies of the long combustion tunnel. A simulation of the flow is made based on a finite difference solution of the time-average, steady state, elliptic form of the Reynolds equations using the two-equation turbulence model and a 'mixed is burned' combustion model for closure. The simulation of the eddies and, in conjunction with a universal Strouhal number-Reynolds number correlation, provides successful prediction of the flame frequencies.

Absorption and scattering of laser radiation by the diffusion flame of aviation kerosene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvozdev, S. V.; Glova, A. F.; Dubrovskii, V. Yu; Durmanov, S. T.; Krasyukov, A. G.; Lysikov, A. Yu; Smirnov, G. V.; Solomakhin, V. B.

2012-04-01

The absorption coefficient of the radiation of a repetitively pulsed Nd : YAG laser with an average output power up to 6 W and of a cw ytterbium optical fibre laser with an output power up to 3 kW was measured in the diffusion flame of aviation kerosene burning on a free surface in the atmospheric air. The absorption coefficient as a function of flame length, radiation power, and radiation intensity, which was varied in the ~103 — 5×104 W cm-2 range, was obtained for two distances (1 and 2 cm) between the laser beam axis and the surface. The coefficient of radiation absorption by kerosene flame was compared with that in ethanol and kerosene — ethanol mixture flames. The radiation power scattered by a small segment of the kerosene flame irradiated by Nd : YAG laser radiation was measured as a function of longitudinal and azimuthal coordinates. An estimate was made of the total scattered radiation power.

Structure and Soot Properties of Nonbuoyant Ethylene/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix I

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Sunderland, P. B.; Linteris, G. T.; Voss, J. E.; Lin, K.-C.; Dai, Z.; Sun, K.; Faeth, G. M.; Ross, Howard D. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The structure and soot properties of round, soot-emitting, nonbuoyant, laminar jet diffusion flames are described, based on long-duration (175-230/s) experiments at microgravity carried out on orbit In the Space Shuttle Columbia. Experiments] conditions included ethylene-fueled flames burning in still air at nominal pressures of 50 and 100 kPa and an ambient temperature of 300 K with luminous Annie lengths of 49-64 mm. Measurements included luminous flame shapes using color video imaging, soot concentration (volume fraction) distributions using deconvoluted laser extinction imaging, soot temperature distributions using deconvoluted multiline emission imaging, gas temperature distributions at fuel-lean (plume) conditions using thermocouple probes, not structure distributions using thermophoretic sampling and analysis by transmission electron microscopy, and flame radiation using a radiometer. The present flames were larger, and emitted soot men readily, than comparable observed during ground-based microgravity experiments due to closer approach to steady conditions resulting from the longer test times and the reduced gravitational disturbances of the space-based experiments.

Analysis of Flame Extinguishment and Height in Low Frequency Acoustically Excited Methane Jet Diffusion Flame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zong, Ruowen; Kang, Ruxue; Liu, Chen; Zhang, Zhiyang; Zhi, Youran

2018-01-01

The exploration of microgravity conditions in space is increasing and existing fire extinguishing technology is often inadequate for fire safety in this special environment. As a result, improving the efficiency of portable extinguishers is of growing importance. In this work, a visual study of the effects on methane jet diffusion flames by low frequency sound waves is conducted to assess the extinguishing ability of sound waves. With a small-scale sound wave extinguishing bench, the extinguishing ability of certain frequencies of sound waves are identified, and the response of the flame height is observed and analyzed. Results show that the flame structure changes with disturbance due to low frequency sound waves of 60-100 Hz, and quenches at effective frequencies in the range of 60-90 Hz. In this range, 60 Hz is considered to be the quick extinguishing frequency, while 70-90 Hz is the stable extinguishing frequency range. For a fixed frequency, the flame height decreases with sound pressure level (SPL). The flame height exhibits the greatest sensitivity to the 60 Hz acoustic waves, and the least to the 100 Hz acoustic waves. The flame height decreases almost identically with disturbance by 70-90 Hz acoustic waves.

Buoyant Low Stretch Diffusion Flames Beneath Cylindrical PMMA Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, S. L.; Tien, J. S.

1999-01-01

A unique new way to study low gravity flames in normal gravity has been developed. To study flame structure and extinction characteristics in low stretch environments, a normal gravity low-stretch diffusion flame is generated using a cylindrical PMMA sample of varying large radii. Burning rates, visible flame thickness, visible flame standoff distance, temperature profiles in the solid and gas, and radiative loss from the system were measured. A transition from the blowoff side of the flammability map to the quenching side of the flammability map is observed at approximately 6-7/ sec, as determined by curvefits to the non-monotonic trends in peak temperatures, solid and gas-phase temperature gradients, and non-dimensional standoff distances. A surface energy balance reveals that the fraction of heat transfer from the flame that is lost to in-depth conduction and surface radiation increases with decreasing stretch until quenching extinction is observed. This is primarily due to decreased heat transfer from the flame, while the magnitude of the losses remains the same. A unique local extinction flamelet phenomena and associated pre-extinction oscillations are observed at very low stretch. An ultimate quenching extinction limit is found at low stretch with sufficiently high induced heat losses.

Analysis of Flame Extinguishment and Height in Low Frequency Acoustically Excited Methane Jet Diffusion Flame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zong, Ruowen; Kang, Ruxue; Liu, Chen; Zhang, Zhiyang; Zhi, Youran

2018-05-01

The exploration of microgravity conditions in space is increasing and existing fire extinguishing technology is often inadequate for fire safety in this special environment. As a result, improving the efficiency of portable extinguishers is of growing importance. In this work, a visual study of the effects on methane jet diffusion flames by low frequency sound waves is conducted to assess the extinguishing ability of sound waves. With a small-scale sound wave extinguishing bench, the extinguishing ability of certain frequencies of sound waves are identified, and the response of the flame height is observed and analyzed. Results show that the flame structure changes with disturbance due to low frequency sound waves of 60-100 Hz, and quenches at effective frequencies in the range of 60-90 Hz. In this range, 60 Hz is considered to be the quick extinguishing frequency, while 70-90 Hz is the stable extinguishing frequency range. For a fixed frequency, the flame height decreases with sound pressure level (SPL). The flame height exhibits the greatest sensitivity to the 60 Hz acoustic waves, and the least to the 100 Hz acoustic waves. The flame height decreases almost identically with disturbance by 70-90 Hz acoustic waves.

Time-dependent computational studies of flames in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oran, Elaine S.; Kailasanath, K.

1989-01-01

The research performed at the Center for Reactive Flow and Dynamical Systems in the Laboratory for Computational Physics and Fluid Dynamics, at the Naval Research Laboratory, in support of the NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Program is described. The primary focus was on investigating fundamental questions concerning the propagation and extinction of premixed flames in Earth gravity and in microgravity environments. The approach was to use detailed time-dependent, multispecies, numerical models as tools to simulate flames in different gravity environments. The models include a detailed chemical kinetics mechanism consisting of elementary reactions among the eight reactive species involved in hydrogen combustion, coupled to algorithms for convection, thermal conduction, viscosity, molecular and thermal diffusion, and external forces. The external force, gravity, can be put in any direction relative to flame propagation and can have a range of values. A combination of one-dimensional and two-dimensional simulations was used to investigate the effects of curvature and dilution on ignition and propagation of flames, to help resolve fundamental questions on the existence of flammability limits when there are no external losses or buoyancy forces in the system, to understand the mechanism leading to cellular instability, and to study the effects of gravity on the transition to cellular structure. A flame in a microgravity environment can be extinguished without external losses, and the mechanism leading to cellular structure is not preferential diffusion but a thermo-diffusive instability. The simulations have also lead to a better understanding of the interactions between buoyancy forces and the processes leading to thermo-diffusive instability.

The development of kilohertz planar laser diagnostics for applications in high power turbulent flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slabaugh, Carson Daniel

In modern gas-turbine combustors, flame stabilization is achieved by inducing exhaust gas circulation within the flame zone through swirl-induced vortex breakdown. Swirling flows exhibit strong shear regions resulting in high turbulence and effective mixing. In combustion, these flows are characterized by complex unsteady interactions between turbulent flow structures and chemical reactions. Developments in high-resolution, quantitative, experimental measurement techniques must continue to improve fundamental understanding and support modeling efforts. This work describes the development of a gas turbine combustion experiment to support the application of advanced optical measurement techniques in flames operating at realistic engine conditions. Facility requirements are addressed, including instrumentation and control needs for remote operation when working with high energy flows. The methodology employed in the design of the optically-accessible combustion chamber is elucidated, including window considerations and thermal management of the experimental hardware under extremely high heat loads. Experimental uncertainties are also quantified. The stable operation of the experiment is validated using multiple techniques and the boundary conditions are verified. The successful prediction of operating conditions by the design analysis is documented and preliminary data is shown to demonstrate the capability of the experiment to produce high-fidelity datasets for advanced combustion research. Building on this experimental infrastructure, simultaneous measurements of velocity and scalar fields were performed in turbulent nonpremixed flames at gas turbine engine operating conditions using 5 kHz Particle-Image Velocimetry (PIV) and OH Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (OH-PLIF). The experimental systems and the challenges associated with acquiring useful data at high pressures and high thermal powers are discussed. The quality of the particle scattering images used in the two-dimensional, two-component velocity field measurements is discussed. The effects of high flame luminosity and particle defocusing on the signal-to-noise ratio are discussed. Laser sheet absorption effects, which have been reported to be severe in many previous high pressure OH-PLIF attempts, were not observed to be significant in this work. The time-averaged peak and (spatial) mean signal to noise ratios were 12.7 and 6.3, respectively, at the flame B operating condition; 550 kW total thermal power and 1.0 MPa combustion chamber pressure. Simultaneous 5 kHz PIV and OH-PLIF measurements showed good agreement between single-shot flow-flame interactions, but unresolved, out-of-plane velocity components restricted the interpretation of the temporal context. At a 5 kHz interrogation frequency, the temporal resolution of the measurements was found to be sufficient for only the largest scales within the turbulent flame. The development of an analysis library for the extraction of physical data from highly-resolved planar measurements is also described. The resolution of the measurements, in space and time, is described with respect to the integral scales of the flow. The mean flow structure and its resultant effect on flame behavior is discussed. A method to perform mass-weighted averaging of flow variables was developed for direct comparison of turbulent flow properties between experimental measurements and computations. Conditional statistical sampling and length-scale filtering were used to elucidate details of flow-flame interactions as they pertain to sub-grid modeling in large-eddy simulations.

An experimental and theoretical study of radiative extinction of diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wichman, Indrek S.; Atreya, A.

1994-01-01

Our work was primarily theoretical and numerical. We investigated the simplified modeling of heat losses in diffusion flames, then we 'ramped up' the level of complexity in each successive study until the final chapter discussed the general problem of soot/flame interaction. With regard to the specific objective of studying radiative extinction, we conclude that in the steady case a self-extinguishing zero-g flame is unlikely to occur. The soot volume fractions are too small. On the other hand, our work does provide rational means for assessing the mixture of chemical energy release and radiative heat release. It also provides clues for suitable 'tailoring' this balance. Thus heat fluxes to surrounding surfaces can be substantially increased by exploiting and modifying its sooting capability.

Laser Raman Diagnostics in Subsonic and Supersonic Turbulent Jet Diffusion Flames.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Tsarng-Sheng

1991-02-01

UV spontaneous vibrational Raman scattering combined with laser-induced predissociative fluorescence (LIPF) is developed for temperature and multi-species concentration measurements. For the first time, simultaneous measurements of temperature, major species (H_2, O_2, N_2, H_2O), and minor species (OH) concentrations are made with a "single" narrowband KrF excimer laser in subsonic and supersonic lifted turbulent hydrogen-air diffusion flames. The UV Raman system is calibrated with a flat -flame diffusion burner operated at several known equivalence ratios from fuel-lean to fuel-rich. Temperature measurements made by the ratio of Stokes/anti-Stokes signal and by the ideal gas law are compared. Single-shot uncertainties for temperature and concentration measurements are analyzed with photon statistics. Calibration constants and bandwidth factors are used in the data reduction program to arrive at temperature and species concentration measurements. UV Raman measurements in the subsonic lifted turbulent diffusion flame indicate that fuel and oxidizer are in rich, premixed, and unignited conditions in the center core of the lifted flame base. The unignited mixtures are due to rapid turbulent mixing that affects chemical reaction. Combustion occurs in an intermittent annular turbulent flame brush with strong finite-rate chemistry effects. The OH radical exists in sub-equilibrium and super-equilibrium concentrations. Major species and temperature are found with non-equilibrium values. Further downstream the super-equilibrium OH radicals decay toward equilibrium through slow three-body recombination reactions. In the supersonic lifted flame, a little reaction occurs upstream of the flame base, due to shock wave interactions and mixing with hot vitiated air. The strong turbulent mixing and total enthalpy fluctuations lead to temperature, major, and minor species concentrations with non-equilibrium values. Combustion occurs farther downstream of the lifted region. Slow three-body recombination reactions result in super-equilibrium OH concentrations that depress temperature below the equilibrium values. Near the equilibrium region, ambient air entrainment contaminates flame properties. These simultaneous measurements of temperature and multi-species concentrations allow a better understanding of the complex turbulence-chemistry interactions and provide information for the input and validation of CFD models.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karpetis, Adionos N.; Chen, J. Y.; Barlow, Robert S.

Previously unpublished results from multiscalar point measurements in the series of piloted CH{sub 4}/air jet flames [R.S. Barlow, J.H. Frank, Proc. Combust. Inst. 27 (1998) 1087-1095] are presented and analyzed. The emphasis is on features of the data that reveal the relative importance of molecular diffusion and turbulent transport in these flames. The complete series A-F is considered. This includes laminar, transitional, and turbulent flames spanning a range in Reynolds number from 1100 to 44,800. Results on conditional means of species mass fractions, the differential diffusion parameter, and the state of the water-gas shift reaction all show that there ismore » an evolution in these flames from a scalar structure dominated by molecular diffusion to one dominated by turbulent transport. Long records of 6000 single-point samples at each of several selected locations in flame D are used to quantify the cross-stream (radial) dependence of conditional statistics of measured scalars. The cross-stream dependence of the conditional scalar dissipation is determined from 6000-shot, line-imaging measurements at selected locations. The cross-stream dependence of reactive scalars, which is most significant in the near field of the jet flame, is attributed to radial differences in both convective and local time scales of the flow. Results illustrate some potential limitations of common modeling assumptions when applied to laboratory-scale flames and, thus, provide a more complete context for interpretation of comparisons between experiments and model calculations.« less

Propagation of intense laser radiation through a diffusion flame of burning oil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gvozdev, S V; Glova, A F; Dubrovskii, V Yu

2015-06-30

We report the results of measuring the absorption coefficient of radiation from a cw ytterbium fibre single-mode laser with the power up to 1.5 kW by a diffusion flame of oil, burning in the atmosphere air at normal pressure on a free surface. For the constant length (30 mm) and width (30 mm) of the flame and the distance 10 mm between the laser beam axis and the oil surface the dependence of the absorption coefficient, averaged over the flame length, on the mean radiation intensity (varied from 4.5 × 10{sup 3} to 1.2 × 10{sup 6} W cm{sup -2})more » entering the flame is obtained. The qualitative explanation of nonmonotonic behaviour of the absorption coefficient versus the intensity is presented. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

A simple reaction-rate model for turbulent diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bangert, L. H.

1975-01-01

A simple reaction rate model is proposed for turbulent diffusion flames in which the reaction rate is proportional to the turbulence mixing rate. The reaction rate is also dependent on the mean mass fraction and the mean square fluctuation of mass fraction of each reactant. Calculations are compared with experimental data and are generally successful in predicting the measured quantities.

Prediction and validation of blowout limits of co-flowing jet diffusion flames -- effect of dilution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karbasi, M.; Wierzba, I.

1996-10-01

The blowout limits of a co-flowing turbulent methane jet diffusion flame with addition of diluent in either jet fuel or surrounding air stream is studied both analytically and experimentally. Helium, nitrogen and carbon dioxide were employed as the diluents. Experiments indicated that an addition of diluents to the jet fuel or surrounding air stream decreased the stability limit of the jet diffusion flames. The strongest effect was observed with carbon dioxide as the diluent followed by nitrogen and then by helium. A model of extinction based on recognized criterion of the mixing time scale to characteristic combustion time scale ratiomore » using experimentally derived correlations is proposed. It is capable of predicting the large reduction of the jet blowout velocity due to a relatively small increase in the co-flow stream velocity along with an increase in the concentration of diluent in either the jet fuel or surrounding air stream. Experiments were carried out to validate the model. The predicted blowout velocities of turbulent jet diffusion flames obtained using this model are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data.« less

An Optical Study of Processes in Hydrogen Flame in a Tube

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-07-01

growth of the hydrogen- flame length with the hydrogen flow rate was observed, whereas for a turbulent hydrogen jet (Reynolds number Re > 104 [5]), the... flame length remained almost constant and varied only weakly with the flow rate of hydrogen. For a subsonic jet flow, flame images display an...There are some data in the literature which show how the diffusive- flame length varies with the rate of hydrogen flow [4, 7]. The length of a

An Analytical Model for Non-Uniform Magnetic Field Effects on Two-Dimensional Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calvert, M. E.; Baker, J.; Saito, K.; VanderWal, R. L.

2001-01-01

In 1846, Michael Faraday found that permanent magnets could cause candle flames to deform into equatorial disks. He believed that the change in flame shape was caused by the presence of charged particles within the flames interacting with the magnetic fields. Later researchers found that the interaction between the flame ions and the magnetic fields were much too small to cause the flame deflection. Through a force analysis, von Engel and Cozens showed that the change in the flame shape could be attributed to the diamagnetic flame gases in the paramagnetic atmosphere. Paramagnetism occurs in materials composed of atoms with permanent magnetic dipole moments. In the presence of magnetic field gradients, the atoms align with the magnetic field and are drawn into the direction of increasing magnetic field. Diamagnetism occurs when atoms have no net magnetic dipole moment. In the presence of magnetic gradient fields, diamagnetic substances are repelled towards areas of decreasing magnetism. Oxygen is an example of a paramagnetic substance. Nitrogen, carbon monoxide and dioxide, and most hydrocarbon fuels are examples of diamagnetic substances. In order to evaluate the usefulness of these magnets in altering flame behavior, a study has been undertaken to develop an analytical model to describe the change in the flame length of a laminar diffusion jet in the presence of a nonuniform magnetic field.

The International Workshop on Flame Chemistry (1st) Held in Warsaw, Poland on 28-29 July 2012

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

National Lab, USA) Frederick L. Dryer (Princeton University, USA) 12:15 – 13:30 Lunch Session 3: Uncertainty Quantification... Dryer , and Ju, CF 2010 N-decane Toluene 0 300 600 900 1200 1500 1800 -2.00E-04 -1.50E-04 -1.00E-04 -5.00E-05 0.00E+00 5.00E-05 1.00E-04 1.50E-04...diffusion flames 0.1 mm Won, Sun, Dooley, Dryer , and Ju, CF 2010 H Diffusion loss High pressure hydrogen kinetics: ignition and flames 0.00 0.20

Combustion of Metals in Carbon Dioxide and Reduced-Gravity Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Branch, M. C.; Abbud-Madrid, A.; Modak, A.; Dreyer, C. B.; Daily, J. W.

2001-01-01

Ongoing exploration and future mission2001110444 s to Mars have given impetus to research on the use of natural resources of the planet. Since carbon dioxide (CO2) constitutes approximately 95% of the Mars atmosphere and since it reacts directly and vigorously with several metals, this investigation focuses on metal-CO2 reactions as a possible combination for rocket-propellant production and energy generation. Magnesium (Mg) has been initially selected as the metal fuel owing to its low ignition temperature and high specific impulse and burning rate in CO2. Our studies in this field started with low gravity (g) combustion tests of Mg in O2, CO2, and CO. Reduced gravity provided a clear picture of the burning phenomena by eliminating the intrusive buoyant flows in high-temperature metal reactions and by removing the destructive effect of gravity on the shape of molten metal samples. Suspended cylindrical metal samples of 2, 3, and 4-mm in diameter and length were radiatively ignited in low-g to generate free-floating samples exhibiting a spherically symmetric flame with increasing metal-oxide accumulation in an outer shell. For the Mg-CO2 combination, burning times twice as long as in normal-g and five times longer than in Mg-O2 flames were observed, revealing a diffusion-controlled reaction. The burning time is proportional to the square of the sample diameter. In tests conducted with pure CO, combustion was not possible without constant heating of the sample due to the formation of a thick carbon-containing coating around the Mg sample generated by surface reactions. The following work presents two new studies that attempt to explain some of the low-g experimental observations. First, a simplified one-dimensional, quasi-steady numerical model is developed to obtain temperature, species concentrations, and burning rates of the spherically symmetric diffusion flame around the Mg sample burning in O2 and CO2. Second, a Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) technique is implemented to provide spatially resolved measurements of magnesium oxide (MgO) in the reaction zone of Mg samples burning in O2 and CO2. These experiments reveal fundamental differences between the two combustion systems.

A Numerical and Experimental Study of Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames: Effects of Gravity and Inlet Velocity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cao, S.; Bennett, B. A. V.; Ma, B.; Giassi, D.; Stocker, D. P.; Takahashi, F.; Long, M. B.; Smooke, M. D.

2015-01-01

In this work, the influence of gravity, fuel dilution, and inlet velocity on the structure, stabilization, and sooting behavior of laminar coflow methane-air diffusion flames was investigated both computationally and experimentally. A series of flames measured in the Structure and Liftoff in Combustion Experiment (SLICE) was assessed numerically under microgravity and normal gravity conditions with the fuel stream CH4 mole fraction ranging from 0.4 to 1.0. Computationally, the MC-Smooth vorticity-velocity formulation of the governing equations was employed to describe the reactive gaseous mixture; the soot evolution process was considered as a classical aerosol dynamics problem and was represented by the sectional aerosol equations. Since each flame is axisymmetric, a two-dimensional computational domain was employed, where the grid on the axisymmetric domain was a nonuniform tensor product mesh. The governing equations and boundary conditions were discretized on the mesh by a nine-point finite difference stencil, with the convective terms approximated by a monotonic upwind scheme and all other derivatives approximated by centered differences. The resulting set of fully coupled, strongly nonlinear equations was solved simultaneously using a damped, modified Newton's method and a nested Bi-CGSTAB linear algebra solver. Experimentally, the flame shape, size, lift-off height, and soot temperature were determined by flame emission images recorded by a digital camera, and the soot volume fraction was quantified through an absolute light calibration using a thermocouple. For a broad spectrum of flames in microgravity and normal gravity, the computed and measured flame quantities (e.g., temperature profile, flame shape, lift-off height, and soot volume fraction) were first compared to assess the accuracy of the numerical model. After its validity was established, the influence of gravity, fuel dilution, and inlet velocity on the structure, stabilization, and sooting tendency of laminar coflow methane-air diffusion flames was explored further by examining quantities derived from the computational results.

Evanescent field refractometry in planar optical fiber.

PubMed

Holmes, Christopher; Jantzen, Alexander; Gray, Alan C; Gow, Paul C; Carpenter, Lewis G; Bannerman, Rex H S; Gates, James C; Smith, Peter G R

2018-02-15

This Letter demonstrates a refractometer in integrated optical fiber, a new optical platform that planarizes fiber using flame hydrolysis deposition (FHD). The unique advantage of the technology is survivability in harsh environments. The platform is mechanically robust, and can survive elevated temperatures approaching 1000°C and exposure to common solvents, including acetone, gasoline, and methanol. For the demonstrated refractometer, fabrication was achieved through wet etching an SMF-28 fiber to a diameter of 8 μm before FHD planarization. An external refractive index was monitored using fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), written into the core of the planarized fiber. A direct comparison to alternative FBG refractometers is made, for which the developed platform is shown to have comparable sensitivity, with the added advantage of survivability in harsh environments.

Numerical Study of Buoyancy and Different Diffusion Effects on the Structure and Dynamics of Triple Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Jyh-Yuan; Echekki, Tarek

2001-01-01

Numerical simulations of 2-D triple flames under gravity force have been implemented to identify the effects of gravity on triple flame structure and propagation properties and to understand the mechanisms of instabilities resulting from both heat release and buoyancy effects. A wide range of gravity conditions, heat release, and mixing widths for a scalar mixing layer are computed for downward-propagating (in the same direction with the gravity vector) and upward-propagating (in the opposite direction of the gravity vector) triple flames. Results of numerical simulations show that gravity strongly affects the triple flame speed through its contribution to the overall flow field. A simple analytical model for the triple flame speed, which accounts for both buoyancy and heat release, is developed. Comparisons of the proposed model with the numerical results for a wide range of gravity, heat release and mixing width conditions, yield very good agreement. The analysis shows that under neutral diffusion, downward propagation reduces the triple flame speed, while upward propagation enhances it. For the former condition, a critical Froude number may be evaluated, which corresponds to a vanishing triple flame speed. Downward-propagating triple flames at relatively strong gravity effects have exhibited instabilities. These instabilities are generated without any artificial forcing of the flow. Instead disturbances are initiated by minute round-off errors in the numerical simulations, and subsequently amplified by instabilities. A linear stability analysis on mean profiles of stable triple flame configurations have been performed to identify the most amplified frequency in spatially developed flows. The eigenfunction equations obtained from the linearized disturbance equations are solved using the shooting method. The linear stability analysis yields reasonably good agreements with the observed frequencies of the unstable triple flames. The frequencies and amplitudes of disturbances increase with the magnitude of the gravity vector. Moreover, disturbances appear to be most amplified just downstream of the premixed branches. The effects of mixing width and differential diffusion are investigated and their roles on the flame stability are studied.

The Stability and Structure of Lean Hydrogen-Air Flames: Effects of Gravity

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-17

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 MULTIDIMENSIONAL FLAME MODEL ...combustion, molecular diffusion between the reactants, intermediates, and products, thermal conduction, convection, and gravity. Such a detailed model allows...instabil- ity, generally called the Rayleigh-Taylor instability5 . A numerical model of the premixed hydrogen flame that includes all the physical

Characteristics of a Strongly-Pulsed Non-Premixed Jet Flame in Cross-flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamba, Mirko; Clemens, Noel T.; Ezekoye, Ofodike A.

2006-11-01

The effects of large-amplitude, high-frequency harmonic forcing of turbulent nonpremixed hydrogen/methane jet flames in cross-flow (JFICF) are investigated experimentally. Flame lengths, penetration lengths, and mixing characteristics are studied using flame luminosity imaging, planar laser Mie scattering visualization and particle image velocimetry. Mean jet Reynolds numbers of 1,600 and 3,250 (peak Re ˜2,500--6,500) with corresponding mean momentum flux ratios, r, of 1.9 and 3.7 (peak r ˜2.6--8.3) are considered. Forcing frequencies of 100 Hz and 300 Hz with amplitudes of ˜60%--300% are investigated. Consistent with previous work, a drastic decrease in flame length and soot emission, an increase in flame penetration and an improved jet fuel/cross-flow air mixing are observed for the larger forcing amplitude cases. Partial pre-mixing induced by near-field reverse flow, near-field vortex/vortex interaction and large-scale stirring, rendered stronger by large forcing amplitudes and frequencies, are thought to play a key role on the observed effects.

Flame-conditioned turbulence modeling for reacting flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macart, Jonathan F.; Mueller, Michael E.

2017-11-01

Conventional approaches to turbulence modeling in reacting flows rely on unconditional averaging or filtering, that is, consideration of the momentum equations only in physical space, implicitly assuming that the flame only weakly affects the turbulence, aside from a variation in density. Conversely, for scalars, which are strongly coupled to the flame structure, their evolution equations are often projected onto a reduced-order manifold, that is, conditionally averaged or filtered, on a flame variable such as a mixture fraction or progress variable. Such approaches include Conditional Moment Closure (CMC) and related variants. However, recent observations from Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) have indicated that the flame can strongly affect turbulence in premixed combustion at low Karlovitz number. In this work, a new approach to turbulence modeling for reacting flows is investigated in which conditionally averaged or filtered equations are evolved for the momentum. The conditionally-averaged equations for the velocity and its covariances are derived, and budgets are evaluated from DNS databases of turbulent premixed planar jet flames. The most important terms in these equations are identified, and preliminary closure models are proposed.

Quantitative Studies on the Propagation and Extinction of Near-Limit Premixed Flames under Normal- and Micro-gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egolfopoulos, F. N.; Dong, Y.; Spedding, G.; Cuenot, B.; Poinsot, T.

2001-01-01

Strained laminar flames have been systematically studied, as the understanding of their structure and dynamic behavior is of relevance to turbulent combustion.. Most of these studies have been conducted in opposed-jet, stagnation-type flow configurations. Studies at high strain rates are important in quantifying and understanding the response of vigorously burning flames and determine extinction states. Studies of weakly strained flames can be of particular interest for all stoichiometries. For example, the laminar flame speeds, S(sup o)(sub u), can be accurately determined by using the counterflow technique only if measurements are obtained at very low strain rates. Furthermore, near-limit flames are stabilized by weak strain rates. Previous studies have shown that near-limit flames are particularly sensitive to chain mechanisms, thermal radiation, and unsteadiness. The stabilization and study of weakly strained flames is complicated by the presence of buoyancy that can render the flames unstable to the point of extinction. Thus, the use of microgravity (mu-g) becomes essential in order to provide meaningful insight into this important combustion regime. In our past studies the laminar flame speeds and extinction strain rates were directly measured at ultra-low strain rates. The laminar flame speeds were measured by having a positively strained planar flame undergoing a transition to a negatively strained Bunsen flame and by measuring the propagation speed during that transition. The extinction strain rates of near-limit flames were measured in mu-g. Results obtained for CH4/air and C3H8/air mixtures are in agreement with those obtained by Maruta et al.

Detailed Multidimensional Simulations of the Structure and Dynamics of Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, G.; Kailasanath, K.

1999-01-01

Numerical simulations in which the various physical and chemical processes can be independently controlled can significantly advance our understanding of the structure, stability, dynamics and extinction of flames. Therefore, our approach has been to use detailed time-dependent, multidimensional, multispecies numerical models to perform carefully designed computational experiments of flames on Earth and in microgravity environments. Some of these computational experiments are complementary to physical experiments performed under the Microgravity Program while others provide a fundamental understanding that cannot be obtained from physical experiments alone. In this report, we provide a brief summary of our recent research highlighting the contributions since the previous microgravity combustion workshop. There are a number of mechanisms that can cause flame instabilities and result in the formation of dynamic multidimensional structures. In the past, we have used numerical simulations to show that it is the thermo-diffusive instability rather than an instability due to preferential diffusion that is the dominant mechanism for the formation of cellular flames in lean hydrogen-air mixtures. Other studies have explored the role of gravity on flame dynamics and extinguishment, multi-step kinetics and radiative losses on flame instabilities in rich hydrogen-air flames, and heat losses on burner-stabilized flames in microgravity. The recent emphasis of our work has been on exploring flame-vortex interactions and further investigating the structure and dynamics of lean hydrogen-air flames in microgravity. These topics are briefly discussed after a brief discussion of our computational approach for solving these problems.

Large-scale vortex structures and local heat release in lean turbulent swirling jet-flames under vortex breakdown conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chikishev, Leonid; Lobasov, Aleksei; Sharaborin, Dmitriy; Markovich, Dmitriy; Dulin, Vladimir; Hanjalic, Kemal

2017-11-01

We investigate flame-flow interactions in an atmospheric turbulent high-swirl methane/air lean jet-flame at Re from 5,000 to 10,000 and equivalence ratio below 0.75 at the conditions of vortex breakdown. The focus is on the spatial correlation between the propagation of large-scale vortex structures, including precessing vortex core, and the variations of the local heat release. The measurements are performed by planar laser-induced fluorescence of hydroxyl and formaldehyde, applied simultaneously with the stereoscopic particle image velocimetry technique. The data are processed by the proper orthogonal decomposition. The swirl rate exceeded critical value for the vortex breakdown resulting in the formation of a processing vortex core and secondary helical vortex filaments that dominate the unsteady flow dynamics both of the non-reacting and reacting jet flows. The flame front is located in the inner mixing layer between the recirculation zone and the annular swirling jet. A pair of helical vortex structures, surrounding the flame, stretch it and cause local flame extinction before the flame is blown away. This work is supported by Russian Science Foundation (Grant No 16-19-10566).

Candle flames in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dietrich, D. L.; Ross, H. D.; Tien, J. S.

1995-01-01

The candle flame in both normal and microgravity is non-propagating. In microgravity, however, the candle flame is also non-convective where (excepting Stefan flow) pure diffusion is the only transport mode. It also shares many characteristics with another classical problem, that of isolated droplet combustion. Given their qualitatively similar flame shapes and the required heat feedback to condensed-phase fuels, the gas-phase flow and temperature fields should be relatively similar for a droplet and a candle in reduced gravity. Unless the droplet diameter is maintained somehow through non-intrusive replenishment of fuel, the quasi-steady burning characteristics of a droplet can be maintained for only a few seconds. In contrast, the candle flame in microgravity may achieve a nearly steady state over a much longer time and is therefore ideal for examining a number of combustion-related phenomena. In this paper, we examine candle flame behavior in both short-duration and long-duration, quiescent, microgravity environments. Interest in this type of flame, especially 'candle flames in weightlessness', is demonstrated by very frequent public inquiries. The question is usually posed as 'will a candle flame burn in zero gravity', or, 'will a candle burn indefinitely (or steadily) in zero gravity in a large volume of quiescent air'. Intuitive speculation suggests to some that, in the absence of buoyancy, the accumulation of products in the vicinity of the flame will cause flame extinction. The classical theory for droplet combustion with its spherically-shaped diffusion flame, however, shows that steady combustion is possible in the absence of buoyancy if the chemical kinetics are fast enough. Previous experimental studies of candle flames in reduced and microgravity environments showed the flame could survive for at least 5 seconds, but did not reach a steady state in the available test time.

A Computational and Experimental Study of Coflow Laminar Methane/Air Diffusion Flames: Effects of Fuel Dilution, Inlet Velocity, and Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cao, S.; Ma, B.; Bennett, B. A. V.; Giassi, D.; Stocker, D. P.; Takahashi, F.; Long, M. B.; Smooke, M. D.

2014-01-01

The influences of fuel dilution, inlet velocity, and gravity on the shape and structure of laminar coflow CH4-air diffusion flames were investigated computationally and experimentally. A series of nitrogen-diluted flames measured in the Structure and Liftoff in Combustion Experiment (SLICE) on board the International Space Station was assessed numerically under microgravity (mu g) and normal gravity (1g) conditions with CH4 mole fraction ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 and average inlet velocity ranging from 23 to 90 cm/s. Computationally, the MC-Smooth vorticity-velocity formulation was employed to describe the reactive gaseous mixture, and soot evolution was modeled by sectional aerosol equations. The governing equations and boundary conditions were discretized on a two-dimensional computational domain by finite differences, and the resulting set of fully coupled, strongly nonlinear equations was solved simultaneously at all points using a damped, modified Newton's method. Experimentally, flame shape and soot temperature were determined by flame emission images recorded by a digital color camera. Very good agreement between computation and measurement was obtained, and the conclusions were as follows. (1) Buoyant and nonbuoyant luminous flame lengths are proportional to the mass flow rate of the fuel mixture; computed and measured nonbuoyant flames are noticeably longer than their 1g counterparts; the effect of fuel dilution on flame shape (i.e., flame length and flame radius) is negligible when the flame shape is normalized by the methane flow rate. (2) Buoyancy-induced reduction of the flame radius through radially inward convection near the flame front is demonstrated. (3) Buoyant and nonbuoyant flame structure is mainly controlled by the fuel mass flow rate, and the effects from fuel dilution and inlet velocity are secondary.

Effect of Wind Velocity on Flame Spread in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, Kuldeep; Olson, Sandra L.; Nakamura, Yuji; Fujita, Osamu; Nishizawa, Katsuhiro; Ito, Kenichi; Kashiwagi, Takashi; Simons, Stephen N. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A three-dimensional, time-dependent model is developed describing ignition and subsequent transition to flame spread over a thermally thin cellulosic sheet heated by external radiation in a microgravity environment. A low Mach number approximation to the Navier Stokes equations with global reaction rate equations describing combustion in the gas phase and the condensed phase is numerically solved. The effects of a slow external wind (1-20 cm/s) on flame transition are studied in an atmosphere of 35% oxygen concentration. The ignition is initiated at the center part of the sample by generating a line-shape flame along the width of the sample. The calculated results are compared with data obtained in the 10s drop tower. Numerical results exhibit flame quenching at a wind speed of 1.0 cm/s, two localized flames propagating upstream along the sample edges at 1.5 cm/s, a single line-shape flame front at 5.0 cm/s, three flames structure observed at 10.0 cm/s (consisting of a single line-shape flame propagating upstream and two localized flames propagating downstream along sample edges) and followed by two line-shape flames (one propagating upstream and another propagating downstream) at 20.0 cm/s. These observations qualitatively compare with experimental data. Three-dimensional visualization of the observed flame complex, fuel concentration contours, oxygen and reaction rate isosurfaces, convective and diffusive mass flux are used to obtain a detailed understanding of the controlling mechanism, Physical arguments based on lateral diffusive flux of oxygen, fuel depletion, oxygen shadow of the flame and heat release rate are constructed to explain the various observed flame shapes.

Fire Suppression in Low Gravity Using a Cup Burner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Linteris, Gregory T.; Katta, Viswanath R.

2004-01-01

Longer duration missions to the moon, to Mars, and on the International Space Station increase the likelihood of accidental fires. The goal of the present investigation is to: (1) understand the physical and chemical processes of fire suppression in various gravity and O2 levels simulating spacecraft, Mars, and moon missions; (2) provide rigorous testing of numerical models, which include detailed combustion suppression chemistry and radiation sub-models; and (3) provide basic research results useful for advances in space fire safety technology, including new fire-extinguishing agents and approaches. The structure and extinguishment of enclosed, laminar, methane-air co-flow diffusion flames formed on a cup burner have been studied experimentally and numerically using various fire-extinguishing agents (CO2, N2, He, Ar, CF3H, and Fe(CO)5). The experiments involve both 1g laboratory testing and low-g testing (in drop towers and the KC-135 aircraft). The computation uses a direct numerical simulation with detailed chemistry and radiative heat-loss models. An agent was introduced into a low-speed coflowing oxidizing stream until extinguishment occurred under a fixed minimal fuel velocity, and thus, the extinguishing agent concentrations were determined. The extinguishment of cup-burner flames, which resemble real fires, occurred via a blowoff process (in which the flame base drifted downstream) rather than the global extinction phenomenon typical of counterflow diffusion flames. The computation revealed that the peak reactivity spot (the reaction kernel) formed in the flame base was responsible for attachment and blowoff of the trailing diffusion flame. Furthermore, the buoyancy-induced flame flickering in 1g and thermal and transport properties of the agents affected the flame extinguishment limits.

Fire Suppression in Low Gravity Using a Cup Burner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Linteris, Gregory T.; Katta, Viswanath R.

2004-01-01

Longer duration missions to the moon, to Mars, and on the International Space Station increase the likelihood of accidental fires. The goal of the present investigation is to: (1) understand the physical and chemical processes of fire suppression in various gravity and O2 levels simulating spacecraft, Mars, and moon missions; (2) provide rigorous testing of numerical models, which include detailed combustion-suppression chemistry and radiation sub-models; and (3) provide basic research results useful for advances in space fire safety technology, including new fire-extinguishing agents and approaches.The structure and extinguishment of enclosed, laminar, methane-air co-flow diffusion flames formed on a cup burner have been studied experimentally and numerically using various fire-extinguishing agents (CO2, N2, He, Ar, CF3H, and Fe(CO)5). The experiments involve both 1g laboratory testing and low-g testing (in drop towers and the KC-135 aircraft). The computation uses a direct numerical simulation with detailed chemistry and radiative heat-loss models. An agent was introduced into a low-speed coflowing oxidizing stream until extinguishment occurred under a fixed minimal fuel velocity, and thus, the extinguishing agent concentrations were determined. The extinguishment of cup-burner flames, which resemble real fires, occurred via a blowoff process (in which the flame base drifted downstream) rather than the global extinction phenomenon typical of counterflow diffusion flames. The computation revealed that the peak reactivity spot (the reaction kernel) formed in the flame base was responsible for attachment and blowoff of the trailing diffusion flame. Furthermore, the buoyancy-induced flame flickering in 1g and thermal and transport properties of the agents affected the flame extinguishment limits.

On the Structure of Premixed Flames Subjected to Extreme Levels of Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skiba, Aaron William

Developing next-generation propulsion and energy production devices that are efficient, cost-effective, and generate little to no harmful emissions will require highly-accurate, robust, yet computationally tractable turbulent combustion models. Models that accurately simulate turbulent premixed combustion problems are particularly important due to the fact that burning in a premixed mode can reduce exhaust emissions. A common tool employed to identify when a particular model might be more appropriate than others is the theoretical Borghi Diagram, which possesses boundaries that are meant to separate various regimes of combustion (i.e. where a particular model is superior to others). However, the derivations of these boundaries are merely based upon intuition and dimensional reasoning, rather than experimental evidence. This thesis aims to provide such evidence; furthermore, it proposes novel approaches to delineating regimes of combustion that are consistent with experimental results. To this end, high-fidelity flame structure measurements were applied to premixed methane-air Bunsen flames subjected to extreme levels of turbulence. Specifically, 28 cases were studied with turbulence levels (u'/S L) as high as 246, longitudinal integral length scales ( Lx) as large as 43 mm, and turbulent Karlovitz ( KaT) and Reynolds (ReT) numbers up to 533 and 99,000, respectively. Two techniques were employed to measure the preheat and reaction layer thicknesses of these flames. One consisted of planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging of CH radicals, while the other involved taking the product of simultaneously acquired PLIF images of formaldehyde (CH2O) and hydroxyl (OH) to produce "overlap-layers." Average preheat layer thicknesses are found to increase with increasing u'/SL and with axial distance from the burner (x/D). In contrast, average reaction layer thicknesses did not vary appreciably with either u'/SL or x/D. The reaction layers are also observed to remain continuous; that is, local extinction events are rarely observed. The results of this study, as well as those from prior investigations, display inconsistencies with predictions made by the theoretical Borghi Diagram. Therefore, a new Measured Regime Diagram is proposed wherein the Klimov-Williams criterion is replaced by a metric that relates the turbulent diffusivity (D T = u'L) to the molecular diffusivity within the preheat layer (D* = SLdeltaFL). Specifically, the line defined by DT/D* ≈ 180 does a substantially better job of separating thin flamelets from those with broadened preheat yet thin reaction layers (i.e. BP-TR flames). Additionally, the results suggest that the BP-TR regime extends well beyond what was previously theorized since neither broken nor broadened reaction layers were observed under conditions with Karlovitz numbers as high as 533. Overall, these efforts provide tremendous insights into the fundamental properties of extremely turbulent premixed flames. Ultimately, these insights will assist with the development and proper selection of accurate and robust numerical models.

An experimental and numerical study of diffusion flames in cross-flow and quiescent environment at smoke point condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goh, Sien Fong

An experimental and numerical study of a turbulent smoke point diffusion flame in a quiescent and cross-flow condition was performed. The fuel mass flow rate of a turbulent smoke point flame was determined at a quiescent condition and in cross-flow with velocity ranging from 2 to 4 m/s. This fuel mass flow rate is defined as the Critical Fuel Mass Flow Rate (CFMFR). At a fuel mass flow rate below the CFMFR the flame produces smoke. In the dilution study, an amount of inert gas (nitrogen) was added to the fuel stream to achieve the smoke point condition for ten different fractions of CFMFR. From this dilution study, three regions were defined, the chemically-dominated region, transition region, and momentum-dominated region. The first objective of this study was to determine the factors behind the distinction of these three regions. The second objective was to understand the effect of cross-flow velocity on the smoke point flame structure. The flame temperature, radiation, geometrical dimension of flame, velocity, and global emissions and in-flame species concentration were measured. The third objective was to study a numerical model that can simulate the turbulent smoke point flame structure. The dilution study showed that the flames in quiescent condition and in the 3.5 and 4 m/s cross-flow condition had the chemically-dominated region at 5% to 20% CFMFR, the transition region at 20% to 40% CFMFR, and the momentum-dominated region at 40% to 100% CFMFR. On the other hand, the flame in cross-flow of 2 to 3 m/s showed the chemically-dominated region at 5% to 10% CFMFR, the transition region at 10% to 30% CFMFR, and the momentum-dominated region at 30% to 100% CFMFR. The chemically-dominated flame had a sharp dual-peak structure for the flame temperature, CO2 and NO concentration profiles at 25% and 50% flame length. However, the momentum-dominated region flame exhibited a dual peak structure only at 25% flame length. The decrease of flow rate from 30% to 10% CFMFR showed an increase of flame length. The LII study showed that the soot concentration increased with the decrease of the turbulence intensity in the momentum dominated region (tested on the 100% and 60% CFMFR). The cross-flow velocity had a non-monotonic effects on the flame. The evidences could be observed from the flame length and the soot concentration results. The flame length showed a decrease when the cross-flow velocity increased from 2 to 3 m/s. The numerical model was fairly adequate in qualitatively predicting a smoke point turbulent diffusion flame structure in a cross-flow and quiescent condition. The model failed in the prediction of a laminar flame. The model showed a good agreement between experimental and numerical results for O 2 concentration and flame temperature. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Computational Investigation of Soot and Radiation in Turbulent Reacting Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lalit, Harshad

This study delves into computational modeling of soot and infrared radiation for turbulent reacting flows, detailed understanding of both of which is paramount in the design of cleaner engines and pollution control. In the first part of the study, the concept of Stochastic Time and Space Series Analysis (STASS) as a numerical tool to compute time dependent statistics of radiation intensity is introduced for a turbulent premixed flame. In the absence of high fidelity codes for large eddy simulation or direct numerical simulation of turbulent flames, the utility of STASS for radiation imaging of reacting flows to understand the flame structure is assessed by generating images of infrared radiation in spectral bands dominated by radiation from gas phase carbon dioxide and water vapor using an assumed PDF method. The study elucidates the need for time dependent computation of radiation intensity for validation with experiments and the need for accounting for turbulence radiation interactions for correctly predicting radiation intensity and consequently the flame temperature and NOx in a reacting fluid flow. Comparison of single point statistics of infrared radiation intensity with measurements show that STASS can not only predict the flame structure but also estimate the dynamics of thermochemical scalars in the flame with reasonable accuracy. While a time series is used to generate realizations of thermochemical scalars in the first part of the study, in the second part, instantaneous realizations of resolved scale temperature, CO2 and H2O mole fractions and soot volume fractions are extracted from a large eddy simulation (LES) to carry out quantitative imaging of radiation intensity (QIRI) for a turbulent soot generating ethylene diffusion flame. A primary motivation of the study is to establish QIRI as a computational tool for validation of soot models, especially in the absence of conventional flow field and measured scalar data for sooting flames. Realizations of scalars from the LES are used in conjunction with the radiation heat transfer equation and a narrow band radiation model to compute time dependent and time averaged images of infrared radiation intensity in spectral bands corresponding to molecular radiation from gas phase carbon dioxide and soot particles exclusively. While qualitative and quantitative comparisons with measured images in the CO2 radiation band show that the flame structure is correctly computed, images computed in the soot radiation band illustrate that the soot volume fraction is under predicted by the computations. The effect of the soot model and cause of under prediction is investigated further by correcting the soot volume fraction using an empirical state relationship. By comparing default simulations with computations using the state relation, it is shown that while the soot model under-estimates the soot concentration, it correctly computes the intermittency of soot in the flame. The study of sooting flames is extended further by performing a parametric analysis of physical and numerical parameters that affect soot formation and transport in two laboratory scale turbulent sooting flames, one fueled by natural gas and the other by ethylene. The study is focused on investigating the effect of molecular diffusion of species, dilution of fuel with hydrogen gas and the effect of chemical reaction mechanism on the soot concentration in the flame. The effect of species Lewis numbers on soot evolution and transport is investigated by carrying out simulations, first with the default equal diffusivity (ED) assumption and then by incorporating a differential diffusion (DD) model. Computations using the DD model over-estimate the concentration of the soot precursor and soot oxidizer species, leading to inconsistencies in the estimate of the soot concentration. The linear differential diffusion (LDD) model, reported previously to consistently model differential diffusion effects is implemented to correct the over prediction effect of the DD model. It is shown that the effect of species Lewis number on soot evolution is a secondary phenomenon and that soot is primarily transported by advection of the fluid in a turbulent flame. The effect of hydrogen dilution on the soot formation and transport process is also studied. It is noted that the decay of soot volume fraction and flame length with hydrogen addition follows trends observed in laminar sooting flame measurements. While hydrogen enhances mixing shown by the laminar flamelet solutions, the mixing effect does not significantly contribute to differential molecular diffusion effects in the soot nucleation regions downstream of the flame and has a negligible effect on soot transport. The sensitivity of computations of soot volume fraction towards the chemical reaction mechanism is shown. It is concluded that modeling reaction pathways of C3 and C4 species that lead up to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) molecule formation is paramount for accurate predictions of soot in the flame. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

In situ measurements of oxide particles in boron-containing diffusion flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Turns, S.R.; Funari, M.J.; Khan, A.

1989-02-01

Particulate matter in axisymmetric laminar diffusion flames produced by burning mixtures of either CO and trimethylborate (TMB) or CH/sub 4/ and TMB with air were investigated using laser light-scattering techniques. Boron oxide particle sizes and number densities were determined at various heights in the flames using polarization ratio and relative intensity measurements, respectively. In the CO/TMB flames, two distinct particle-laden regions were found. The first region was located on the rich side of the luminous flame zone and initially appeared as a narrow annulus, which grew in width downstream until the particles filled the core. A second thin annular zonemore » appeared on the air side of the flame zone, starting approximately at the height of the luminous green flame tip and continuing to grow downstream. Particle sizes did not vary significantly with location in the flames, with diameters of approximately 0.09 and 0.15 ..mu..m in the 95% CO/5% TMB and 90% CO/10% TMB flames, respectively. Corresponding peak number densities were approximately 1.5 X 10/sup 10/ and 6 X 10/sup 9/ cm/sup -3/. The CH/sub 4//TMB flames were considerably different than the CO/TMB flames. The presence of significant quantities of water vapor presumably contributed to the formation of HBO/sub 2/(g) in favor of condensed-phase B/sub 2/O/sub 3/. At locations where oxide particles did form, they were closer to the flame centerline than the soot-containing regions. Computations of equilibrium yields of condensed-phase oxide were in qualitative agreement with the experimental results.« less

Kinetics of Chemical Reactions in Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeldovich, Y.; Semenov, N.

1946-01-01

In part I of the paper the theory of flame propagation is developed along the lines followed by Frank-Kamenetsky and one of the writers. The development of chain processes in flames is considered. A basis is given for the application of the method of stationary concentrations to reactions in flames; reactions with branching chains are analyzed. The case of a diffusion coefficient different from the coefficient of temperature conductivity is considered.

An Investigation of Fully Modulated, Turbulent Diffusion Flames in Reduced Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hermanson, J. C.; Johari, H.; Usowicz, J. E.; Sangras, R.; Stocker, D. P.; Hegde, U. G.; Nagashima, T.; Obata, S.

2001-01-01

Pulsed combustion appears to have the potential to provide for rapid fuel/air mixing, compact and economical combustors, and reduced exhaust emissions. The objective of this Flight-Definition experiment (PuFF, for Pulsed-Fully Flames) is to increase the fundamental understanding of the fuel/air mixing and combustion behavior of pulsed, turbulent diffusion flames by conducting experiments in microgravity. In this research the fuel jet is fully modulated (i.e., completely shut off between pulses) by an externally controlled valve system. This gives rise to drastic modification of the combustion and flow characteristics of flames, leading to enhanced fuel/air mixing mechanisms not operative for the case of acoustically excited or partially-modulated jets. The fully-modulated injection approach also simplifies the combustion process by avoiding the acoustic forcing generally present in pulsed combustors. Relatively little is known about the behavior of turbulent flames in reduced-gravity conditions, even in the absence of pulsing. Fundamental issues addressed in this experiment include the impact of buoyancy on the fuel/air mixing and combustion characteristics of fully-modulated flames. It is also important for the planned space experiments to establish the effects of confinement and oxidizer co-flow on these flames.

Radiation pressure of standing waves on liquid columns and small diffusion flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiessen, David B.; Marr-Lyon, Mark J.; Wei, Wei; Marston, Philip L.

2002-11-01

The radiation pressure of standing ultrasonic waves in air is demonstrated in this investigation to influence the dynamics of liquid columns and small flames. With the appropriate choice of the acoustic amplitude and wavelength, the natural tendency of long columns to break because of surface tension was suppressed in reduced gravity [M. J. Marr-Lyon, D. B. Thiessen, and P. L. Marston, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2293-2296 (2001); 87(20), 9001(E) (2001)]. Evaluation of the radiation force shows that narrow liquid columns are attracted to velocity antinodes. The response of a small vertical diffusion flame to ultrasonic radiation pressure in a horizontal standing wave was observed in normal gravity. In agreement with our predictions of the distribution of ultrasonic radiation stress on the flame, the flame is attracted to a pressure antinode and becomes slightly elliptical with the major axis in the plane of the antinode. The radiation pressure distribution and the direction of the radiation force follow from the dominance of the dipole scattering for small flames. Understanding radiation stress on flames is relevant to the control of hot fluid objects. [Work supported by NASA.

PIV Measurements in Weakly Buoyant Gas Jet Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, Peter B.; Greenbberg, Paul S.; Urban, David L.; Wernet, Mark P.; Yanis, William

2001-01-01

Despite numerous experimental investigations, the characterization of microgravity laminar jet diffusion flames remains incomplete. Measurements to date have included shapes, temperatures, soot properties, radiative emissions and compositions, but full-field quantitative measurements of velocity are lacking. Since the differences between normal-gravity and microgravity diffusion flames are fundamentally influenced by changes in velocities, it is imperative that the associated velocity fields be measured in microgravity flames. Velocity measurements in nonbuoyant flames will be helpful both in validating numerical models and in interpreting past microgravity combustion experiments. Pointwise velocity techniques are inadequate for full-field velocity measurements in microgravity facilities. In contrast, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) can capture the entire flow field in less than 1% of the time required with Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV). Although PIV is a mature diagnostic for normal-gravity flames , restrictions on size, power and data storage complicate these measurements in microgravity. Results from the application of PIV to gas jet flames in normal gravity are presented here. Ethane flames burning at 13, 25 and 50 kPa are considered. These results are presented in more detail in Wernet et al. (2000). The PIV system developed for these measurements recently has been adapted for on-rig use in the NASA Glenn 2.2-second drop tower.

Development of a numerical model for the electric current in burner-stabilised methane-air flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speelman, N.; de Goey, L. P. H.; van Oijen, J. A.

2015-03-01

This study presents a new model to simulate the electric behaviour of one-dimensional ionised flames and to predict the electric currents in these flames. The model utilises Poisson's equation to compute the electric potential. A multi-component diffusion model, including the influence of an electric field, is used to model the diffusion of neutral and charged species. The model is incorporated into the existing CHEM1D flame simulation software. A comparison between the computed electric currents and experimental values from the literature shows good qualitative agreement for the voltage-current characteristic. Physical phenomena, such as saturation and the diodic effect, are captured by the model. The dependence of the saturation current on the equivalence ratio is also captured well for equivalence ratios between 0.6 and 1.2. Simulations show a clear relation between the saturation current and the total number of charged particles created. The model shows that the potential at which the electric field saturates is strongly dependent on the recombination rate and the diffusivity of the charged particles. The onset of saturation occurs because most created charged particles are withdrawn from the flame and because the electric field effects start dominating over mass based diffusion. It is shown that this knowledge can be used to optimise ionisation chemistry mechanisms. It is shown numerically that the so-called diodic effect is caused primarily by the distance the heavier cations have to travel to the cathode.

An investigation of plasma enhanced combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Woo Kyung

This study examines the use of plasma discharges in flame stabilization. Three different types of plasma discharges are applied to a lifted jet diffusion flame in coflow, and evaluated for their abilities to enhance flame stabilization. A single electrode corona discharge (SECD) is found to maintain the flame at a 20 % higher coflow speed than that without the discharge. A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) results in flame stabilization at up to 50 % higher coflow speed. Finally, an ultra short-pulsed repetitive discharge (USRD) is found to increase the stability limit by nearly ten-fold. The stabilization process is sensitive to the positioning of the discharge in the flow field, and the optimal position of the discharge is mapped into mixture fraction space. The result shows that the local mixture fraction at the optimal position is much leaner than that of a conventional lifted jet flame. Parametric studies are conducted in a plasma-assisted methane/air premixed flame system using USRD. Criteria for optimal electrode selection are suggested. Platinum provides the best result at low frequency operation (< 20 kHz) but tungsten shows better performance at high frequency operation (> 20 kHz). The increase in the flame stability limit is also investigated. The flame stability limit extends from an equivalence ratio of 0.7 to 0.47. Nitric oxide (NO) concentration in the premixed flame is measured. The discharge is a potential source of NO. Under certain conditions, we observed the presence of a cold pre-flame, located between the discharge and the main flame. It is found that the pre-flame partially consumes some NO. The flame kernel structure and ignition mechanism of plasma-assisted premixed combustion are discussed. It is observed that the pre-flame has an abundance of OH radicals. The key physics of the flame ignition is the diffusion of an OH stream (from the pre-flame) into the surrounding combustible mixture to form the main flame. Lastly, the proposed flame kernel structure is numerically validated using the OPPDIF code. The simulation shows that possibly three reaction zones, one pre-flame and two main flames, exist in this flame configuration.

OH PLIF measurement in a spark ignition engine with a tumble flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Siddhartha; Moronuki, Tatsuya; Shimura, Masayasu; Minamoto, Yuki; Yokomori, Takeshi; Tanahashi, Mamoru; Strategic Innovation Program (SIP) Team

2017-11-01

Under lean conditions, high compression ratio and strong tumble flow; cycle-to-cycle variations of combustion in spark ignition (SI) engines is prominent, therefore, relation between flame propagation characteristics and increase of pressure needs to be clarified. The present study is aimed at exploring the spatial and temporal development of the flame kernel using OH planar laser-induced fluorescence (OH PLIF) in an optical SI engine. Equivalence ratio is changed at a fixed indicated mean effective pressure of 400 kPa. From the measurements taken at different crank angle degrees (CAD) after ignition, characteristics of flame behavior were investigated considering temporal evolution of in-cylinder pressure, and factors causing cycle-to-cycle variations are discussed. In addition, the effects of tumble flow intensity on flame propagation behavior were also investigated. This work is supported by the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Program (SIP), `Innovative Combustion Technology'.

INVESTIGATION OF THE PATHWAYS TO PCDDS/FS FROM AN ETHYLENE DIFFUSION FLAME: FORMATION FROM SOOT AND AROMATICS

EPA Science Inventory

The formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) has been shown to occur from the combustion products of fuels as complex as municipal solid waste and as relatively simple as a methane flame. PCDD/F emissions from flame carbon in th...

A Theoretical Study of Flow Structure and Radiation for Multiphase Turbulent Diffusion Flames

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

density function. According to the axial void fraction profile in Fig. 24, the flame length (the total penetration length) extends to x/d=150. By referring...temperature because of subcooling effect. Decreasing liquid temperature will increase condensation which in turn reduces the flame length as defined by

Dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma-assisted hydrogen diffusion flame. Part 1: Temperature, oxygen, and fuel measurements by one-dimensional fs/ps rotational CARS imaging

DOE PAGES

Retter, Jonathan E.; Elliott, Gregory S.; Kearney, Sean P.

2018-02-21

One-dimensional hybrid fs/ps CARS imaging provides single-laser-shot measurements of temperature, oxygen, and hydrogen in a plasma-assisted hydrogen diffusion flame. The coaxial dielectric-barrier-discharge burner collapses the Re ~50 hydrogen diffusion flame to within ~5 mm of the burner surface at an applied AC potential of 8.75 kV at 18 kHz, coinciding nicely with the full spatial extent of the 1D CARS measurements. Translating the burner through the measurement volume allowed for measurements at numerous radial locations in increments of 1 mm with a resolution of 140 µm × 30 µm × 600 µm, sufficient to resolve spatial gradients in this unsteadymore » flame. Longer probe delays, required for improved dynamic range in regions of high temperature fluctuations, proved difficult to model as a result of a nontrivial decay in the O 2 Raman coherence arising from complexities associated with the triplet ground electronic state of the O 2 molecule. Oxygen linewidths were treated empirically using the observed O 2 coherence decay in spectra acquired from the product gases of lean, near-adiabatic H 2/air flames stabilized on a Hencken flat-flame burner. While still leading to errors up to 10% at worst, the empirically determined Raman linewidth factors eliminated any systematic error in the O 2/N 2 measurements with probe delay. Temperature measurements in the Hencken Burner flames proved to be insensitive to probe pulse delay, providing robust thermometry. Here, demonstration of this technique in both the canonical Hencken burner flames and a new DBD burner validates its effectiveness in producing multiple spatially resolved measurements in combustion environments. Measurements in the DBD burner revealed an unsteady, counterflow flattened flame structure near the fuel orifice which became unsteady as the reaction zone curves towards the surface for larger radial positions. Lastly, fluctuations in the fuel concentration were largest at the source, as the large, plasma-generated, unsteady external toroidal vortex that dominates the transport in this flame provides enhanced ventilation of the flame surface in close proximity to the fuel tube.« less

Dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma-assisted hydrogen diffusion flame. Part 1: Temperature, oxygen, and fuel measurements by one-dimensional fs/ps rotational CARS imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Retter, Jonathan E.; Elliott, Gregory S.; Kearney, Sean P.

One-dimensional hybrid fs/ps CARS imaging provides single-laser-shot measurements of temperature, oxygen, and hydrogen in a plasma-assisted hydrogen diffusion flame. The coaxial dielectric-barrier-discharge burner collapses the Re ~50 hydrogen diffusion flame to within ~5 mm of the burner surface at an applied AC potential of 8.75 kV at 18 kHz, coinciding nicely with the full spatial extent of the 1D CARS measurements. Translating the burner through the measurement volume allowed for measurements at numerous radial locations in increments of 1 mm with a resolution of 140 µm × 30 µm × 600 µm, sufficient to resolve spatial gradients in this unsteadymore » flame. Longer probe delays, required for improved dynamic range in regions of high temperature fluctuations, proved difficult to model as a result of a nontrivial decay in the O 2 Raman coherence arising from complexities associated with the triplet ground electronic state of the O 2 molecule. Oxygen linewidths were treated empirically using the observed O 2 coherence decay in spectra acquired from the product gases of lean, near-adiabatic H 2/air flames stabilized on a Hencken flat-flame burner. While still leading to errors up to 10% at worst, the empirically determined Raman linewidth factors eliminated any systematic error in the O 2/N 2 measurements with probe delay. Temperature measurements in the Hencken Burner flames proved to be insensitive to probe pulse delay, providing robust thermometry. Here, demonstration of this technique in both the canonical Hencken burner flames and a new DBD burner validates its effectiveness in producing multiple spatially resolved measurements in combustion environments. Measurements in the DBD burner revealed an unsteady, counterflow flattened flame structure near the fuel orifice which became unsteady as the reaction zone curves towards the surface for larger radial positions. Lastly, fluctuations in the fuel concentration were largest at the source, as the large, plasma-generated, unsteady external toroidal vortex that dominates the transport in this flame provides enhanced ventilation of the flame surface in close proximity to the fuel tube.« less

Soot and Radiation Measurements in Microgravity Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ku, Jerry C.

1996-01-01

The subject of soot formation and radiation heat transfer in microgravity jet diffusion flames is important not only for the understanding of fundamental transport processes involved but also for providing findings relevant to spacecraft fire safety and soot emissions and radiant heat loads of combustors used in air-breathing propulsion systems. Our objectives are to measure and model soot volume fraction, temperature, and radiative heat fluxes in microgravity jet diffusion flames. For this four-year project, we have successfully completed three tasks, which have resulted in new research methodologies and original results. First is the implementation of a thermophoretic soot sampling technique for measuring particle size and aggregate morphology in drop-tower and other reduced gravity experiments. In those laminar flames studied, we found that microgravity soot aggregates typically consist of more primary particles and primary particles are larger in size than those under normal gravity. Comparisons based on data obtained from limited samples show that the soot aggregate's fractal dimension varies within +/- 20% of its typical value of 1.75, with no clear trends between normal and reduced gravity conditions. Second is the development and implementation of a new imaging absorption technique. By properly expanding and spatially-filtering the laser beam to image the flame absorption on a CCD camera and applying numerical smoothing procedures, this technique is capable of measuring instantaneous full-field soot volume fractions. Results from this technique have shown the significant differences in local soot volume fraction, smoking point, and flame shape between normal and reduced gravity flames. We observed that some laminar flames become open-tipped and smoking under microgravity. The third task we completed is the development of a computer program which integrates and couples flame structure, soot formation, and flame radiation analyses together. We found good agreements between model predictions and experimental data for laminar and turbulent flames under both normal and reduced gravity. We have also tested in the laboratory the techniques of rapid-insertion fine-wire thermocouples and emission pyrometry for temperature measurements. These techniques as well as laser Doppler velocimetry and spectral radiative intensity measurement have been proposed to provide valuable data and improve the modeling analyses.

OH Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) Measurements for the Study of High Pressure Flames: An Evaluation of a New Laser and a New Camera System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tedder, Sarah; Hicks, Yolanda

2012-01-01

Planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) is used by the Combustion Branch at the NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA Glenn) to assess the characteristics of the flowfield produced by aircraft fuel injectors. To improve and expand the capabilities of the PLIF system new equipment was installed. The new capabilities of the modified PLIF system are assessed by collecting OH PLIF in a methane/air flame produced by a flat flame burner. Specifically, the modifications characterized are the addition of an injection seeder to a Nd:YAG laser pumping an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and the use of a new camera with an interline CCD. OH fluorescence results using the injection seeded OPO laser are compared to results using a Nd:YAG pumped dye laser with ultraviolet extender (UVX). Best settings of the new camera for maximum detection of PLIF signal are reported for the controller gain and microchannel plate (MCP) bracket pulsing. Results are also reported from tests of the Dual Image Feature (DIF) mode of the new camera which allows image pairs to be acquired in rapid succession. This allows acquisition of a PLIF image and a background signal almost simultaneously. Saturation effects in the new camera were also investigated and are reported.

Tandem sulfur chemiluminescence and flame ionization detection with planar microfluidic devices for the characterization of sulfur compounds in hydrocarbon matrices.

PubMed

Luong, J; Gras, R; Shellie, R A; Cortes, H J

2013-07-05

The detection of sulfur compounds in different hydrocarbon matrices, from light hydrocarbon feedstocks to medium synthetic crude oil feeds provides meaningful information for optimization of refining processes as well as demonstration of compliance with petroleum product specifications. With the incorporation of planar microfluidic devices in a novel chromatographic configuration, sulfur compounds from hydrogen sulfide to alkyl dibenzothiophenes and heavier distributions of sulfur compounds over a wide range of matrices spanning across a boiling point range of more than 650°C can be characterized, using one single analytical configuration in less than 25min. In tandem with a sulfur chemiluminescence detector for sulfur analysis is a flame ionization detector. The flame ionization detector can be used to establish the boiling point range of the sulfur compounds in various hydrocarbon fractions for elemental specific simulated distillation analysis as well as profiling the hydrocarbon matrices for process optimization. Repeatability of less than 3% RSD (n=20) over a range of 0.5-1000 parts per million (v/v) was obtained with a limit of detection of 50 parts per billion and a linear range of 0.5-1000 parts per million with a correlation co-efficient of 0.998. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Negativly streched premixed flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krikunova, A. I.; Saveliev, A. S.; Son, E. E.

2018-01-01

An experimental study of gravity effect on the blow-off and flash-back borders of the conical methane-air flame (normal and ring-stabilized) was performed. The influence of the preferential diffusion on the flame behavior in vicinity of flash-back boundaries was observed. Under conditions at Lewis number Le > 1, the radius of curvature of the flame tip increased gradually approaching flash-back boundaries while for the lean methane-air flames (Le < 1) the radius decreased abruptly. It was shown that the burning velocity for lean flames is less than that for reach ones, so the flash-back occurs at higher strains.

Effects of H2O, CO2, and N2 air contaminants on critical airside strain rates for extinction of hydrogen-air counterflow diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellett, G. L.; Northam, G. B.; Wilson, L. G.; Guerra, Rosemary

1989-01-01

Dish-shaped counterflow diffusion flames centered by opposing laminar jets of H2 and clean and contaminant O2/N2 mixtures in an argon bath at 1 atm were used to study the effects of contaminants on critical airside strain. The jet velocities for both flame extinction and restoration are found for a wide range of contaminant and O2 concentrations in the air jet. The tests are also conducted for a variety of input H2 concentrations. The results are compared with those from several other studies.

Suppression of Low Strain Rate Nonpremixed Flames by an Agent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamins, A.; Bundy, M.; Puri, I. K.; McGrattan, K.; Park, W. C.

2001-01-01

The agent concentration required to achieve the suppression of low strain rate nonpremixed flames is an important consideration for fire protection in a microgravity environment such as a space platform. Currently, there is a lack of understanding of the structure and extinction of low strain rate (<20 s(exp -1)) nonpremixed flames. The exception to this statement is the study by Maruta et al., who reported measurements of low strain rate suppression of methane-air diffusion flames with N2 added to the fuel stream under microgravity conditions. They found that the nitrogen concentration required to achieve extinction increased as the strain rate decreased until a critical value was obtained. As the strain rate was further decreased, the required N2 concentration decreased. This phenomenon was termed "turning point" behavior and was attributed to radiation-induced nonpremixed flame extinction. In terms of fire safety, a critical agent concentration assuring suppression under all flow conditions represents a fundamental limit for nonpremixed flames. Counterflow flames are a convenient configuration for control of the flame strain rate. In high and moderately strained near-extinction nonpremixed flames, analysis of flame structure typically neglects radiant energy loss because the flames are nonluminous and the hot gas species are confined to a thin reaction zone. In counterflowing CH4-air flames, for example, radiative heat loss fractions ranging from 1 to 6 percent have been predicted and measured. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of radiative emission, flame strain, agent addition, and buoyancy on the structure and extinction of low strain rate nonpremixed flames through measurements and comparison with flame simulations. The suppression effectiveness of a number of suppressants (N2, CO2, or CF3Br) was considered as they were added to either the fuel or oxidizer streams of low strain rate methane-air diffusion flames.

Coupled nonequilibrium flow, energy and radiation transport for hypersonic planetary entry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frederick, Donald Jerome

An ever increasing demand for energy coupled with a need to mitigate climate change necessitates technology (and lifestyle) changes globally. An aspect of the needed change is a decrease in the amount of anthropogenically generated CO2 emitted to the atmosphere. The decrease needed cannot be expected to be achieved through only one source of change or technology, but rather a portfolio of solutions are needed. One possible technology is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which is likely to play some role due to its combination of mature and promising emerging technologies, such as the burning of hydrogen in gas turbines created by pre-combustion CCS separation processes. Thus research on effective methods of burning turbulent hydrogen jet flames (mimicking gas turbine environments) are needed, both in terms of experimental investigation and model development. The challenge in burning (and modeling the burning of) hydrogen lies in its wide range of flammable conditions, its high diffusivity (often requiring a diluent such as nitrogen to produce a lifted turbulent jet flame), and its behavior under a wide range of pressures. In this work, numerical models are used to simulate the environment of a gas turbine combustion chamber. Concurrent experimental investigations are separately conducted using a vitiated coflow burner (which mimics the gas turbine environment) to guide the numerical work in this dissertation. A variety of models are used to simulate, and occasionally guide, the experiment. On the fundamental side, mixing and chemistry interactions motivated by a H2/N2 jet flame in a vitiated coflow are investigated using a 1-D numerical model for laminar flows and the Linear Eddy Model for turbulent flows. A radial profile of the jet in coflow can be modeled as fuel and oxidizer separated by an initial mixing width. The effects of species diffusion model, pressure, coflow composition, and turbulent mixing on the predicted autoignition delay times and mixture composition at ignition are considered. We find that in laminar simulations the differential diffusion model allows the mixture to autoignite sooner and at a fuel-richer mixture than the equal diffusion model. The effect of turbulence on autoignition is classified in two regimes, which are dependent on a reference laminar autoignition delay and turbulence time scale. For a turbulence timescale larger than the reference laminar autoignition time, turbulence has little influence on autoignition or the mixture at ignition. However, for a turbulence timescale smaller than the reference laminar timescale, the influence of turbulence on autoignition depends on the diffusion model. Differential diffusion simulations show an increase in autoignition delay time and a subsequent change in mixture composition at ignition with increasing turbulence. Equal diffusion simulations suggest the effect of increasing turbulence on autoignition delay time and the mixture fraction at ignition is minimal. More practically, the stabilizing mechanism of a lifted jet flame is thought to be controlled by either autoignition, flame propagation, or a combination of the two. Experimental data for a turbulent hydrogen diluted with nitrogen jet flame in a vitiated coflow at atmospheric pressure, demonstrates distinct stability regimes where the jet flame is either attached, lifted, lifted-unsteady, or blown out. A 1-D parabolic RANS model is used, where turbulence-chemistry interactions are modeled with the joint scalar-PDF approach, and mixing is modeled with the Linear Eddy Model. The model only accounts for autoignition as a flame stabilization mechanism. However, by comparing the local turbulent flame speed to the local turbulent mean velocity, maps of regions where the flame speed is greater than the flow speed are created, which allow an estimate of lift-off heights based on flame propagation. Model results for the attached, lifted, and lifted-unsteady regimes show that the correct trend is captured. Additionally, at lower coflow equivalence ratios flame propagation appears dominant, while at higher coflow equivalence ratios autoignition appears dominant.

Autoignition of hydrogen and air using direct numerical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doom, Jeffrey; Mahesh, Krishnan

2008-11-01

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) is used to study to auto--ignition in laminar vortex rings and turbulent diffusion flames. A novel, all--Mach number algorithm developed by Doom et al (J. Comput. Phys. 2007) is used. The chemical mechanism is a nine species, nineteen reaction mechanism for H2 and Air from Mueller at el (Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 1999). The vortex ring simulations inject diluted H2 at ambient temperature into hot air, and study the effects of stroke ratio, air to fuel ratio and Lewis number. At smaller stroke ratios, ignition occurs in the wake of the vortex ring and propagates into the vortex core. At larger stroke ratios, ignition occurs along the edges of the trailing column before propagating towards the vortex core. The turbulent diffusion flame simulations are three--dimensional and consider the interaction of initially isotropic turbulence with an unstrained diffusion flame. The simulations examine the nature of distinct ignition kernels, the relative roles of chemical reactions, and the relation between the observed behavior and laminar flames and the perfectly stirred reactor problem. These results will be discussed.

Quantitative computational infrared imaging of buoyant diffusion flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newale, Ashish S.

Studies of infrared radiation from turbulent buoyant diffusion flames impinging on structural elements have applications to the development of fire models. A numerical and experimental study of radiation from buoyant diffusion flames with and without impingement on a flat plate is reported. Quantitative images of the radiation intensity from the flames are acquired using a high speed infrared camera. Large eddy simulations are performed using fire dynamics simulator (FDS version 6). The species concentrations and temperature from the simulations are used in conjunction with a narrow-band radiation model (RADCAL) to solve the radiative transfer equation. The computed infrared radiation intensities rendered in the form of images and compared with the measurements. The measured and computed radiation intensities reveal necking and bulging with a characteristic frequency of 7.1 Hz which is in agreement with previous empirical correlations. The results demonstrate the effects of stagnation point boundary layer on the upstream buoyant shear layer. The coupling between these two shear layers presents a model problem for sub-grid scale modeling necessary for future large eddy simulations.

Structure and Soot Formation Properties of Laminar Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Leathy, A. M.; Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.

2001-01-01

Soot formation within hydrocarbon-fueled flames is an important unresolved problem of combustion science for several reasons: soot emissions are responsible for more deaths than any other combustion-generated pollutant, thermal loads due to continuum radiation from soot limit the durability of combustors, thermal radiation from soot is mainly responsible for the growth and spread of unwanted fires, carbon monoxide emissions associated with soot emissions are responsible for most fire deaths, and limited understanding of soot processes in flames is a major impediment to the development of computational combustion. Motivated by these observations, soot processes within laminar premixed and nonpremixed (diffusion) flames are being studied during this investigation. The study is limited to laminar flames due to their experimental and computational tractability, noting the relevance of these results to practical flames through laminar flamelet concepts. Nonbuoyant flames are emphasized because buoyancy affects soot processes in laminar diffusion flames whereas effects of buoyancy are small for most practical flames. This study involves both ground- and space-based experiments, however, the following discussion will be limited to ground-based experiments because no space-based experiments were carried out during the report period. The objective of this work was to complete measurements in both premixed and nonpremixed flames in order to gain a better understanding of the structure of the soot-containing region and processes of soot nucleation and surface growth in these environments, with the latter information to be used to develop reliable ways of predicting soot properties in practical flames. The present discussion is brief, more details about the portions of the investigation considered here can be found in refs. 8-13.

Evaporation and combustion of LOX under supercritical and subcritical conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, A. S.; Hsieh, W. H.; Kuo, K. K.

1993-01-01

The objective is to study the evaporation and combustion of LOX under supercritical and subcritical conditions both experimentally and theoretically. In the evaporation studies, evaporation rate and surface temperature were measured when LOX vaporizing in helium environments at pressures ranging from 5 to 68 atm. A Varian 3700 gas chromatograph was employed to measure the oxygen concentration above the LOX surface. For the combustion tests, high-magnification video photography was used to record direct images of the flame shape of a LOX/H2/He laminar diffusion flame. The gas composition in the post-flame region is also being measured with the gas sampling and chromatography analysis. These data are being used to validate the theoretical model. A comprehensive theoretical model with the consideration of the solubility of ambient gases as well as variable thermophysical properties was formulated and solved numerically to study the gasification and burning of LOX at elevated pressures. The calculated flame shape agreed reasonably well with the edge of the observed luminous flame surface. The effect of gravity on the flame structure of laminar diffusion flames was found to be significant. In addition, the predicted results using the flame-sheet model were compared with those based upon full equilibrium calculations (which considered the formation of intermediate species) at supercritical pressures. Except at the flame front where temperature exceeded 2,800 K, the flame-sheet and equilibrium solutions in terms of temperature distributions were in very close agreement. The temperature deviation in the neighborhood of the flame front is caused by the effect of high-temperature dissociation.

Straining and wrinkling processes during turbulence-premixed flame interaction measured using temporally-resolved diagnostics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steinberg, Adam M.; Driscoll, James F.

2009-12-15

The dynamical processes of flame surface straining and wrinkling that occur as turbulence interacts with a premixed flame were measured using cinema-stereoscopic PIV (CS-PIV) and orthogonal-plane cinema-stereoscopic PIV (OPCS-PIV). These diagnostics provided temporally resolved measurements of turbulence-flame interaction at frame rates of up to 3 kHz and spatial resolutions as small as 280{mu} m. Previous descriptions of flame straining and wrinkling have typically been derived based on a canonical interaction between a pair of counter-rotating vortices and a planar flame surface. However, it was found that this configuration did not properly represent real turbulence-flame interaction. Interactions resembling the canonical configurationmore » were observed in less than 10% of the recorded frames. Instead, straining and wrinkling were generally caused more geometrically complex turbulence, consisting of large groups of structures that could be multiply curved and intertwined. The effect of the interaction was highly dependent on the interaction geometry. Furthermore, even when the turbulence did exist in the canonical geometry, the straining and wrinkling of the flame surface were not well characterized by the vortical structures. A new mechanistic description of the turbulence-flame interaction was therefore identified and confirmed by the measurements. In this description, flame surface straining is caused by coherent structures of fluid-dynamic strain-rate (strain-rate structures). The role of vortical structures is to curve existing flame surface, creating wrinkles. By simultaneously considering both forms of turbulent structure, turbulence-flame interactions in both the canonical configuration and more complex geometries could be understood. (author)« less

Three-dimensional recomposition of the absorption field inside a nonbuoyant sooting flame.

PubMed

Legros, Guillaume; Fuentes, Andrés; Ben-Abdallah, Philippe; Baillargeat, Jacques; Joulain, Pierre; Vantelon, Jean-Pierre; Torero, José L

2005-12-15

A remote scanning retrieval method was developed to investigate the soot layer produced by a laminar diffusion flame established over a flat plate burner in microgravity. Experiments were conducted during parabolic flights. This original application of an inverse problem leads to the three-dimensional recomposition by layers of the absorption field inside the flame. This technique provides a well-defined flame length that substitutes for other subjective definitions associated with emissions.

Three-dimensional recomposition of the absorption field inside a nonbuoyant sooting flame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legros, Guillaume; Fuentes, Andrés; Ben-Abdallah, Philippe; Baillargeat, Jacques; Joulain, Pierre; Vantelon, Jean-Pierre; Torero, José L.

2005-12-01

A remote scanning retrieval method was developed to investigate the soot layer produced by a laminar diffusion flame established over a flat plate burner in microgravity. Experiments were conducted during parabolic flights. This original application of an inverse problem leads to the three-dimensional recomposition by layers of the absorption field inside the flame. This technique provides a well-defined flame length that substitutes for other subjective definitions associated with emissions.

Problems in Catalytic Oxidation of Hydrocarbons and Detailed Simulation of Combustion Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Yuxuan

This dissertation research consists of two parts, with Part I on the kinetics of catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons and Part II on aspects on the detailed simulation of combustion processes. In Part I, the catalytic oxidation of C1--C3 hydrocarbons, namely methane, ethane, propane and ethylene, was investigated for lean hydrocarbon-air mixtures over an unsupported Pd-based catalyst, from 600 to 800 K and under atmospheric pressure. In Chapter 2, the experimental facility of wire microcalorimetry and simulation configuration were described in details. In Chapter 3 and 4, the oxidation rate of C1--C 3 hydrocarbons is demonstrated to be determined by the dissociative adsorption of hydrocarbons. A detailed surface kinetics model is proposed with deriving the rate coefficient of hydrocarbon dissociative adsorption from the wire microcalorimetry data. In Part II, four fundamental studies were conducted through detailed combustion simulations. In Chapter 5, self-accelerating hydrogen-air flames are studied via two-dimensional detailed numerical simulation (DNS). The increase in the global flame velocity is shown to be caused by the increase of flame surface area, and the fractal structure of the flame front is demonstrated by the box-counting method. In Chapter 6, skeletal reaction models for butane combustion are derived by using directed relation graph (DRG) and DRG-aided sensitivity analysis (DRGASA), and uncertainty minimization by polynomial chaos expansion (MUM-PCE) mothodes. The dependence of model uncertainty is subjected to the completeness of the model. In Chapter 7, a systematic strategy is proposed to reduce the cost of the multicomponent diffusion model by accurately accounting for the species whose diffusivity is important to the global responses of the combustion systems, and approximating those of less importance by the mixture-averaged model. The reduced model is validated in an n-heptane mechanism with 88 species. In Chapter 8, the influence of Soret diffusion on the n-heptane/air flames is investigated numerically. In the unstretched flames, Soret diffusion primarily affects the chemical kinetics embedded in the flame structure and the net effect is small; while in the stretched flames, its impact is mainly through those of n-heptane and the secondary fuel, H2, in modifying the flame temperature, with substantial effects.

Detailed modeling analysis for soot formation and radiation in microgravity gas jet diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ku, Jerry C.; Tong, LI; Greenberg, Paul S.

1995-01-01

Radiation heat transfer in combustion systems has been receiving increasing interest. In the case of hydrocarbon fuels, a significant portion of the radiation comes from soot particles, justifying the need for detailed soot formation model and radiation transfer calculations. For laminar gas jet diffusion flames, results from this project (4/1/91 8/22/95) and another NASA study show that flame shape, soot concentration, and radiation heat fluxes are substantially different under microgravity conditions. Our emphasis is on including detailed soot transport models and a detailed solution for radiation heat transfer, and on coupling them with the flame structure calculations. In this paper, we will discuss the following three specific areas: (1) Comparing two existing soot formation models, and identifying possible improvements; (2) A simple yet reasonably accurate approach to calculating total radiative properties and/or fluxes over the spectral range; and (3) Investigating the convergence of iterations between the flame structure solver and the radiation heat transfer solver.

A study of the propagation, dynamics, and extinguishment of cellular flames using microgravity techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronney, Paul D.

1989-01-01

The characteristics of premixed gas flames in mixtures with low Lewis numbers, free of natural convection effects, were investigated and found to be dominated by diffusive-thermal instabilities. For sufficiently reactive mixtures, cellular structures resulting from these instabilities were observed and found to spawn new cells in regular patterns. For less reactive mixtures, cells formed shortly after ignition but did not spawn new cells; instead these cells evolved into a flame structure composed of stationary, apparently stable spherical flamelets. As a result of these phenomena, well-defined flammability limits were not observed. The experimental results are found to be in qualitative agreement with a simple analytical model based on the interaction of heat release due to chemical reaction, differential diffusion of thermal energy and mass, flame front curvature, and heat losses due to gas radiation.

An Experimental Investigation of the Laminar Flamelet Concept for Soot Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diez, F. J.; Aalburg, C.; Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Faeth, G. M.

2007-01-01

The soot properties of round, nonbuoyant, laminar jet diffusion flames are described, based on experiments at microgravity carried out on orbit during three flights of the Space Shuttle Columbia, (Flights STS-83, 94 and 107). Experimental conditions included ethylene- and propane-fueled flames burning in still air at an ambient temperature of 300 K and ambient pressures of 35-100 kPa. Measurements included soot volume fraction distributions using deconvoluted laser extinction imaging, and soot temperature distributions using deconvoluted multiline emission imaging. Flowfield modeling based on the work of Spalding is presented. The present work explores whether soot properties of these flames are universal functions of mixture fraction, i.e., whether they satisfy soot state relationships. Measurements are presented, including radiative emissions and distributions of soot temperature and soot volume fraction. It is shown that most of the volume of these flames is bounded by the dividing streamline and thus should follow residence time state relationships. Most streamlines from the fuel supply to the surroundings are found to exhibit nearly the same maximum soot volume fraction and temperature. The radiation intensity along internal streamlines also is found to have relatively uniform values. Finally, soot state relationships were observed, i.e., soot volume fraction was found to correlate with estimated mixture fraction for each fuel/pressure selection. These results support the existence of soot property state relationships for steady nonbuoyant laminar diffusion flames, and thus in a large class of practical turbulent diffusion flames through the application of the laminar flamelet concept.

Investigation of extinction and re-ignition in piloted turbulent non-premixed methane-air flames using LES and high-speed OH-LIF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Vinayaka N.; Juddoo, Mrinal; Masri, Assaad R.; Jones, William P.; Luo, Kai H.

2013-06-01

Extinction and re-ignition processes observed experimentally in thin reaction zones of piloted turbulent non-premixed methane flames approaching blow-off are analysed using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) along with the Eulerian stochastic field method representing the unresolved sub-grid turbulence-chemistry interactions. Eight stochastic fields in conjunction with a reduced chemical mechanism involving 19 species are employed to perform simulations of the Sydney flames L, B and M, which exhibit increasing levels of extinction. The agreement of the flame statistics of the velocities, mixture fraction and selected reactive species were found to be encouraging and highlight the ability of the method to capture quantitatively the effects of increasing jet velocity in this series. In a subsequent analysis of the flame structure using the LES simulation data, the strong three-dimensionality of the flame was emphasised. Quantitative comparisons with recent measurements using high-speed Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence of OH (OH-PLIF) were found to be in reasonably good agreement with LES simulations and confirm the previous observations that the rates of flame breakages are greater than those of flame closures. This study, which also represents the first successful numerical attempt to describe the entire flame series, highlights the potential and complementary capabilities of a hybrid LES and high-speed imaging approach to resolve issues such as the role of out-of-plane motion in the investigation of transient processes such as flame breakages and re-ignition.

Two-dimensional temperature and carbon dioxide concentration profiles in atmospheric laminar diffusion flames measured by mid-infrared direct absorption spectroscopy at 4.2 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xunchen; Zhang, Guoyong; Huang, Yan; Wang, Yizun; Qi, Fei

2018-04-01

We present a multi-line flame thermometry technique based on mid-infrared direct absorption spectroscopy of carbon dioxide at its v_3 fundamental around 4.2 μm that is particularly suitable for sooting flames. Temperature and concentration profiles of gas phase molecules in a flame are important characteristics to understand its flame structure and combustion chemistry. One of the standard laboratory flames to analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and soot formation is laminar non-premixed co-flow flame, but PAH and soot introduce artifact to most non-contact optical measurements. Here we report an accurate diagnostic method of the temperature and concentration profiles of CO2 in ethylene diffusion flames by measuring its v_3 vibrational fundamental. An interband cascade laser was used to probe the R-branch bandhead at 4.2 μm, which is highly sensitive to temperature change, free from soot interference and ambient background. Calibration measurement was carried out both in a low-pressure Herriott cell and an atmospheric pressure tube furnace up to 1550 K to obtain spectroscopic parameters for high-temperature spectra. In our co-flow flame measurement, two-dimensional line-of-sight optical depth of an ethylene/N2 laminar sooting flame was recorded by dual-beam absorption scheme. The axially symmetrical attenuation coefficient profile of CO2 in the co-flow flame was reconstructed from the optical depth by Abel inversion. Spatially resolved flame temperature and in situ CO2 volume fraction profiles were derived from the calibrated CO2 spectroscopic parameters and compared with temperature profiles measured by two-line atomic fluorescence.

The Effects of Hydrodynamic Stretch on the Flame Propagation Enhancement of Ethylene by Addition of Ozone

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-13

2004.08.272) 13. Ohisa H, Kimura I, Horisawa H. 1999 Control of soot emission of a turbulent diffusion flame by DC or AC corona discharges . Combust. Flame 116...References 1. Bozhenkov SA, Starikovskaia SM, Starikovskii AY. 2003 Nanosecond gas discharge ignition of H2- and CH4-containing mixtures. Combust. Flame...s10573-005-0047-6) 7. Kim W, Do H, Mungal MG, Cappelli MA. 2008 Optimal discharge placement in plasma-assisted combustion of a methane jet in cross

Diagnostic Imaging in Flames with Instantaneous Planar Coherent Raman Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Bohlin, A; Kliewer, C J

2014-04-03

Spatial mapping of temperature and molecular species concentrations is vitally important in studies of gaseous chemically reacting flows. Temperature marks the evolution of heat release and energy transfer, while species concentration gradients provide critical information on mixing and chemical reaction. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) was pioneered in measurements of such processes almost 40 years ago and is authoritative in terms of the accuracy and precision it may provide. While a reacting flow is fully characterized in three-dimensional space, a limitation of CARS has been its applicability as a point-wise measurement technique, motivating advancement toward CARS imaging, and attempts have been made considering one-dimensional probing. Here, we report development of two-dimensional CARS, with the first diagnostics of a planar field in a combusting flow within a single laser pulse, resulting in measured isotherms ranging from 450 K up to typical hydrocarbon flame temperatures of about 2000 K with chemical mapping of O2 and N2.

Heat and mass transfer in flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faeth, G. M.

1986-01-01

Heat- and mass-transfer processes in turbulent diffusion flames are discussed, considering turbulent mixing and the structure of single-phase flames, drop processes in spray flames, and nonluminous and luminous flame radiation. Interactions between turbulence and other phenomena are emphasized, concentrating on past work of the author and his associates. The conserved-scalar formalism, along with the laminar-flamelet approximation, is shown to provide reasonable estimates of the structure of gas flames, with modest levels of empiricism. Extending this approach to spray flames has highlighted the importance of drop/turbulence interactions; e.g., turbulent dispersion of drops, modification of turbulence by drops, etc. Stochastic methods being developed to treat these phenomena are yielding encouraging results.

Impact of heat release on strain rate field in turbulent premixed Bunsen flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coriton, Bruno Rene Leon; Frank, Jonathan H.

2016-08-10

The effects of combustion on the strain rate field are investigated in turbulent premixed CH 4/air Bunsen flames using simultaneous tomographic PIV and OH LIF measurements. Tomographic PIV provides three-dimensional velocity measurements, from which the complete strain rate tensor is determined. The OH LIF measurements are used to determine the position of the flame surface and the flame-normal orientation within the imaging plane. This combination of diagnostic techniques enables quantification of divergence as well as flame-normal and tangential strain rates, which are otherwise biased using only planar measurements. Measurements are compared in three lean-to-stoichiometric flames that have different amounts ofmore » heat release and Damköhler numbers greater than unity. The effects of heat release on the principal strain rates and their alignment relative to the local flame normal are analyzed. The extensive strain rate preferentially aligns with the flame normal in the reaction zone, which has been indicated by previous studies. The strength of this alignment increases with increasing heat release and, as a result, the flame-normal strain rate becomes highly extensive. These effects are associated with the gas expansion normal to the flame surface, which is largest for the stoichiometric flame. In the preheat zone, the compressive strain rate has a tendency to align with the flame normal. Away from the flame front, the flame – strain rate alignment is arbitrary in both the reactants and products. The flame-tangential strain rate is on average positive across the flame front, and therefore the turbulent strain rate field contributes to the enhancement of scalar gradients as in passive scalar turbulence. As a result, increases in heat release result in larger positive values of the divergence as well as flame-normal and tangential strain rates, the tangential strain rate has a weaker dependence on heat release than the flame-normal strain rate and the divergence.« less

Planar imaging of OH density distributions in a supersonic combustion tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quagliaroli, T. M.; Laufer, G.; Krauss, R. H.; Mcdaniel, J. C., Jr.

1993-01-01

Images of absolute OH number density were obtained using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) in a supersonic H2-air combustion tunnel. A tunable KrF excimer laser was used to excite the Q2(11) ro-vibronic line. Calibration of the PLIF images was obtained by referencing the signal measured in the flame to that obtained by the excitation of OH produced by thermal dissociation of H2O in an atmospheric furnace. Measurement errors due to uncertainty in internal furnace atmospheric conditions and image temperature correction are estimated.

Measurement of distributions of temperature and wavelength-dependent emissivity of a laminar diffusion flame using hyper-spectral imaging technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Huawei; Zheng, Shu; Zhou, Huaichun; Qi, Chaobo

2016-02-01

A generalized method to estimate a two-dimensional (2D) distribution of temperature and wavelength-dependent emissivity in a sooty flame with spectroscopic radiation intensities is proposed in this paper. The method adopts a Newton-type iterative method to solve the unknown coefficients in the polynomial relationship between the emissivity and the wavelength, as well as the unknown temperature. Polynomial functions with increasing order are examined, and final results are determined as the result converges. Numerical simulation on a fictitious flame with wavelength-dependent absorption coefficients shows a good performance with relative errors less than 0.5% in the average temperature. What’s more, a hyper-spectral imaging device is introduced to measure an ethylene/air laminar diffusion flame with the proposed method. The proper order for the polynomial function is selected to be 2, because every one order increase in the polynomial function will only bring in a temperature variation smaller than 20 K. For the ethylene laminar diffusion flame with 194 ml min-1 C2H4 and 284 L min-1 air studied in this paper, the 2D distribution of average temperature estimated along the line of sight is similar to, but smoother than that of the local temperature given in references, and the 2D distribution of emissivity shows a cumulative effect of the absorption coefficient along the line of sight. It also shows that emissivity of the flame decreases as the wavelength increases. The emissivity under wavelength 400 nm is about 2.5 times as much as that under wavelength 1000 nm for a typical line-of-sight in the flame, with the same trend for the absorption coefficient of soot varied with the wavelength.

Unlocking the Keys to Vortex/Flame Interactions in Turbulent Gas-Jet Diffusion Flames--Dynamic Behavior Explored on the Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stocker, Dennis P.

1999-01-01

Most combustion processes in industrial applications (e.g., furnaces and engines) and in nature (e.g., forest fires) are turbulent. A better understanding of turbulent combustion could lead to improved combustor design, with enhanced efficiency and reduced emissions. Despite its importance, turbulent combustion is poorly understood because of its complexity. The rapidly changing and random behavior of such flames currently prevents detailed analysis, whether experimentally or computationally. However, it is possible to learn about the fundamental behavior of turbulent flames by exploring the controlled interaction of steady laminar flames and artificially induced flow vortices. These interactions are an inherent part of turbulent flames, and understanding them is essential to the characterization of turbulent combustion. Well-controlled and defined experiments of vortex interaction with laminar flames are not possible in normal gravity because of the interference of buoyancy- (i.e., gravity) induced vortices. Therefore, a joint microgravity study was established by researchers from the Science and Technology Development Corp. and the NASA Lewis Research Center. The experimental study culminated in the conduct of the Turbulent Gas-Jet Diffusion Flames (TGDF) Experiment on the STS-87 space shuttle mission in November 1997. The fully automated hardware, shown in photo, was designed and built at Lewis. During the mission, the experiment was housed in a Get Away Special (GAS) canister in the cargo bay.

The influence of fuel type to combustion characteristic in diffusion flame drying by computational fluid dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Septiani, Eka Lutfi; Widiyastuti, W.; Machmudah, Siti; Nurtono, Tantular; Winardi, Sugeng

2017-05-01

Diffusion flame spray drying has become promising method in nanoparticles synthesis giving several advantages and low operation cost. In order to scale up the process which needs high experimentation time and cost, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) by Ansys Fluent 15.0 software has been used. Combustion characteristic in diffusion flame reactor may affects particle size distribution. This study aims to observe influence of fuel type to combustion characteristic in the reactor. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and non-premixed combustion model are selected for the turbulence and combustion model respectively. Methane, propane, and LPG in 0.5 L/min were used as type of fuel. While the oxidizer is air with 200% excess of O2. Simulation result shown that the maximum temperature was obtained from propane-air combustion in 2268 K. However, the stable temperature contour was achieved by methane-air combustion.

Numerical study of transient evolution of lifted jet flames: partially premixed flame propagation and influence of physical dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhi; Ruan, Shaohong; Swaminathan, Nedunchezhian

2016-07-01

Three-dimensional (3D) unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations of a spark-ignited turbulent methane/air jet flame evolving from ignition to stabilisation are conducted for different jet velocities. A partially premixed combustion model is used involving a correlated joint probability density function and both premixed and non-premixed combustion mode contributions. The 3D simulation results for the temporal evolution of the flame's leading edge are compared with previous two-dimensional (2D) results and experimental data. The comparison shows that the final stabilised flame lift-off height is well predicted by both 2D and 3D computations. However, the transient evolution of the flame's leading edge computed from 3D simulation agrees reasonably well with experiment, whereas evident discrepancies were found in the previous 2D study. This difference suggests that the third physical dimension plays an important role during the flame transient evolution process. The flame brush's leading edge displacement speed resulting from reaction, normal and tangential diffusion processes are studied at different typical stages after ignition in order to understand the effect of the third physical dimension further. Substantial differences are found for the reaction and normal diffusion components between 2D and 3D simulations especially in the initial propagation stage. The evolution of reaction progress variable scalar gradients and its interaction with the flow and mixing field in the 3D physical space have an important effect on the flame's leading edge propagation.

Visualization and Analysis of a Hydrocarbon Premixed Flame a in Small Scale Scramjet Combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantu, Luca Maria Luigi

Nitric oxide (NO) planar induced laser fluorescence (PLIF) measurements have been performed in a small scale scramjet combustor at the University of Virginia Aerospace Research Laboratory at nominal simulated Mach 5 flight enthalpy. A mixture of NO and N2 was injected at the upstream end of the inlet isolator as a surrogate for ethylene fuel, and the mixing of this fuel simulant was studied with and without a shock train. The shock train was produced by an air throttle, which simulated the blockage effects of combustion downstream of the cavity flame holder. NO PLIF signal was imaged in a plane orthogonal to the freestream at the leading edge of the cavity. Instantaneous planar images were recorded and analyzed to identify the most uniform cases, which were achieved by varying the location of the fuel injection and shock train. This method was used to screen different possible fueling configurations to provide optimized test conditions for follow-on combustion measurements using ethylene fuel. A theoretical study of the selected NO rotational transitions was performed to obtain a LIF signal that is linear with NO mole fraction and approximately independent of pressure and temperature. In the same facility, OH PLIF measurements were also performed; OH lines were carefully chosen to have fluorescent signal that is independent of pressure and temperature but linear with mole fraction. The OH PLIF signal was imaged in planes orthogonal to and parallel to the freestream flow at different equivalence ratios. Flameout limits were tested and identified. Instantaneous planar images were recorded and analyzed to compare the results with width increased dual-pump enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (WIDECARS) measurements in the same facility and large eddy simulation/Reynolds average Navier-Stokes (LES/RANS) numerical simulations. The flame angle was found to be approximately 10 degrees for several different conditions, which is in agreement with numerical predictions and measurements using other techniques. Finally, a comparison between NO PLIF non-combustion cases and OH PLIF combustion cases is provided. The comparison reveals that the dominant effect of flame propagation is freestream turbulence rather than heat release and concentration gradients.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Remming, Ian S.; Khokhlov, Alexei M.

We present general equations for non-ideal, reactive flow magnetohydrodynamics (RFMHD) in the form best suited for describing thermonuclear combustion in high-density degenerate matter of SNe Ia. The relative importance of various non-ideal effects is analyzed as a function of characteristic spatial and temporal scales of the problem. From the general RFMHD equations, we derive the one-dimensional ordinary differential equations describing the steady-state propagation of a planar thermonuclear flame front in a magnetic field. The physics of the flame is first studied qualitatively using a simple case of one-step Arrhenius kinetics, a perfect gas equation of state (EOS), and constant thermalmore » conductivity coefficients. After that, the equations are solved, the internal flame front structure is calculated, and the flame velocity, S {sub l} , and flame thickness, δ {sub l} , are found for carbon–oxygen degenerate material of supernovae using a realistic EOS, transport properties, and detailed nuclear kinetics. The magnetic field changes the flame behavior significantly, both qualitatively and quantitatively, as compared to the non-magnetic case of classical combustion. (1) The magnetic field influences the evolutionarity of a flame front and makes it impossible for a flame to propagate steadily in a wide range of magnetic field strengths and orientations relative to the front. (2) When the flame moves steadily, it can propagate in several distinct modes, the most important being the slow C {sub S} and super-Alfvénic C {sub sup} modes. (3) The speed of the flame can be diminished or enhanced by up to several factors relative to the non-magnetic laminar flame speed.« less

An experimental study of air-assist atomizer spray flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mao, Chien-Pei; Wang, Geng; Chigier, Norman

1988-01-01

It is noted that air-assisted atomizer spray flames encountered in furnaces, boilers, and gas turbine combustors possess a more complex structure than homogeneous turbulent diffusion flames, due to the swirling motion introduced into the fuel and air flows for the control of flame stability, length, combustion intensity, and efficiency. Detailed comparisons are presented between burning and nonburning condition measurements of these flames obtained by nonintrusive light scattering phase/Doppler detection. Spray structure is found to be drastically changed within the flame reaction zone, with changes in the magnitude and shape of drop number density, liquid flux, mean drop size diameter, and drop mean axial velocity radial distributions.

Flame Structure and Scalar Properties in Microgravity Laminar Fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feikema, D. A.; Lim, J.; Sivathanu, Y.

2006-01-01

Recent results from microgravity combustion experiments conducted in the Zero Gravity Facility (ZGF) 5.18 second drop tower are reported. Emission mid-infrared spectroscopy measurements have been completed to quantitatively determine the flame temperature, water and carbon dioxide vapor concentrations, radiative emissive power, and soot concentrations in a microgravity laminar ethylene/air flame. The ethylene/air laminar flame conditions are similar to previously reported experiments including the Flight Project, Laminar Soot Processes (LSP). Soot concentrations and gas temperatures are in reasonable agreement with similar results available in the literature. However, soot concentrations and flame structure dramatically change in long duration microgravity laminar diffusion flames as demonstrated in this paper.

Multidimensional flamelet-generated manifolds for partially premixed combustion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Phuc-Danh; Vervisch, Luc; Subramanian, Vallinayagam

2010-01-15

Flamelet-generated manifolds have been restricted so far to premixed or diffusion flame archetypes, even though the resulting tables have been applied to nonpremixed and partially premixed flame simulations. By using a projection of the full set of mass conservation species balance equations into a restricted subset of the composition space, unsteady multidimensional flamelet governing equations are derived from first principles, under given hypotheses. During the projection, as in usual one-dimensional flamelets, the tangential strain rate of scalar isosurfaces is expressed in the form of the scalar dissipation rates of the control parameters of the multidimensional flamelet-generated manifold (MFM), which ismore » tested in its five-dimensional form for partially premixed combustion, with two composition space directions and three scalar dissipation rates. It is shown that strain-rate-induced effects can hardly be fully neglected in chemistry tabulation of partially premixed combustion, because of fluxes across iso-equivalence-ratio and iso-progress-of-reaction surfaces. This is illustrated by comparing the 5D flamelet-generated manifold with one-dimensional premixed flame and unsteady strained diffusion flame composition space trajectories. The formal links between the asymptotic behavior of MFM and stratified flame, weakly varying partially premixed front, triple-flame, premixed and nonpremixed edge flames are also evidenced. (author)« less

Investigation of in-flame soot optical properties in laminar coflow diffusion flames using thermophoretic particle sampling and spectral light extinction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kempema, Nathan J.; Ma, Bin; Long, Marshall B.

2016-09-01

Soot optical properties are essential to the noninvasive study of the in-flame evolution of soot particles since they allow quantitative interpretation of optical diagnostics. Such experimental data are critical for comparison to results from computational models and soot sub-models. In this study, the thermophoretic sampling particle diagnostic (TSPD) technique is applied along with data from a previous spectrally resolved line-of-sight light attenuation experiment to determine the soot volume fraction and absorption function. The TSPD technique is applied in a flame stabilized on the Yale burner, and the soot scattering-to-absorption ratio is calculated using the Rayleigh-Debye-Gans theory for fractal aggregates and morphology information from a previous sampling experiment. The soot absorption function is determined as a function of wavelength and found to be in excellent agreement with previous in-flame measurements of the soot absorption function in coflow laminar diffusion flames. Two-dimensional maps of the soot dispersion exponent are calculated and show that the soot absorption function may have a positive or negative exponential wavelength dependence depending on the in-flame location. Finally, the wavelength dependence of the soot absorption function is related to the ratio of soot absorption functions, as would be found using two-excitation-wavelength laser-induced incandescence.

Design and construction of gas-fed burners for laboratory studies of flame structure

Treesearch

Dan Jimenez; Mark A. Finney; Jack Cohen

2010-01-01

The study of buoyant convection for diffusion flames in wildland fires is critical to understanding heating and cooling dynamics related to particle ignition. Studies based on solid biomass fuels are made difficult by short flame residence time associated with fine fuels. An alternative is to use artificial fuel gas rather than relying on pyrolysis of solid fuels to...

Effects of electric field on micro-scale flame properties of biobutanol fuel

PubMed Central

Xu, Tao; Chen, Qinglin; Zhang, Bingjian; Lu, Shushen; Mo, Dongchuan; Zhang, Zhengguo; Gao, Xuenong

2016-01-01

With the increasing need of smaller power sources for satellites, energy systems and engine equipment, microcombustion pose a potential as alternative power source to conventional batteries. As the substitute fuel source for gasoline, biobutanol shows more promising characteristics than ethanol. In this study, the diffusion microflame of liquid biobutanol under electric field have been examined through in-lab experiment and numerical simulation. It is found that traditional gas jet diffusion flame theory shows significant inconsistency with the experimental results of micro scale flame in electric field. The results suggest that with the increase of electric field intensity, the quenching flow rate decrease first and increase after it reach its minimum, while the flame height and highest flame temperature increase first and drop after its peak value. In addition, it was also observed that the flame height and highest temperature for smaller tube can reach its maximum faster. Therefore, the interaction between microscale effect and electric field plays a significant role on understanding the microcombustion of liquid fuel. Therefore, FLUENT simulation was adopted to understand and measure the impacts of microflame characteristic parameters. The final numerical results are consistent with the experimental data and show a high reliability. PMID:27609428

Pentan isomers compound flame front structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mansurov, Z.A.; Mironenko, A.W.; Bodikov, D.U.

1995-08-13

The fuels (hexane, pentane, diethyl ether) and conditions investigated in this study are relevant to engine knock in spark- ignition engines. A review is provided of the field of low temperature hydrocarbon oxidation. Studies were made of radical and stable intermediate distribution in the front of cool flames: Maximum concentrations of H atoms and peroxy radicals were observed in the luminous zone of the cool flame front. Peroxy radicals appear before the luminous zone at 430 K due to diffusion. H atoms were found in cool flames of butane and hexane. H atoms diffuses from the luminous zone to themore » side of the fresh mixture, and they penetrate into the fresh mixture to a small depth. Extension of action sphear of peroxy radicals in the fresh mixture is much greater than that of H atoms due to their small activity and high concentrations.« less

Quantitative Rainbow Schlieren Deflectometry as a Temperature Diagnostic for Spherical Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feikema, Douglas A.

2004-01-01

Numerical analysis and experimental results are presented to define a method for quantitatively measuring the temperature distribution of a spherical diffusion flame using Rainbow Schlieren Deflectometry in microgravity. First, a numerical analysis is completed to show the method can suitably determine temperature in the presence of spatially varying species composition. Also, a numerical forward-backward inversion calculation is presented to illustrate the types of calculations and deflections to be encountered. Lastly, a normal gravity demonstration of temperature measurement in an axisymmetric laminar, diffusion flame using Rainbow Schlieren deflectometry is presented. The method employed in this paper illustrates the necessary steps for the preliminary design of a Schlieren system. The largest deflections for the normal gravity flame considered in this paper are 7.4 x 10(-4) radians which can be accurately measured with 2 meter focal length collimating and decollimating optics. The experimental uncertainty of deflection is less than 5 x 10(-5) radians.

A Theory of Oscillating Edge Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckmaster, J.; Zhang, Yi

1999-01-01

It has been known for some years that when a near-limit flame spreads over a liquid pool of fuel, the edge of the flame can oscillate relative to a frame moving with the mean speed. Each period of oscillation is characterized by long intervals of modest motion during which the edge gases radiate like those of a diffusion flame, punctuated by bursts of rapid advance during which the edge gases radiate like those in a deflagration. Substantial resources have been brought to bear on this issue within the microgravity program, both experimental and numerical. It is also known that when a near-asphyxiated candle-flame burns at zero gravity, the edge of the (hemispherical) flame can oscillate violently prior to extinction. Thus a web-surfer, turning to the NASA web-site at http://microgravity.msfc.nasa.gov, and following the trail combustion science/experiments/experimental results/candle flame, will find photographs and a description of candle burning experiments carried out on board both the Space-shuttle and the Russian space station Mir. A brief report can also be found in the proceedings of the Fourth Workshop. And recently, in a third microgravity program, the leading edge of the flame supported by injection of ethane through the porous surface of a plate over which air is blown has been found to oscillate when conditions are close to blow-off. A number of important points can be made with respect to these observations: It is the edge itself which oscillates, advancing and retreating, not the diffusion flame that trails behind the edge; oscillations only occur under near limit conditions; in each case the Lewis number of the fuel is significantly larger than 1; and because of the edge curvature, the heat losses from the reacting edge structure are larger than those from the trailing diffusion flame. We propose a general theory for these oscillations, invoking Occam's 'Law of Parsimony' in an expanded form, to wit: The same mechanism is responsible for the oscillations in all three experiments; and no new mechanism is invoked (Occam's original 'Razor'). Such a strategy eliminates Marangoni effects as the source, for these are absent in the second and third experiments. And it eliminates arguments that point to numerically predicted gas eddies as the source, a new mechanism, unelucidated. Indeed, we hypothesize that the essential driving mechanism for the instability is a combination of large Lewis number and heat losses from the reacting structure near the flame edge. Instabilities driven by these mechanisms are commonplace in 1D configurations. Chemical reactor theory, for example, leads to system responses which mimic the response of the candle flame - steady flame, oscillations, extinction. In a combustion context, oscillating instabilities were first reported for diffusion flames in a theoretical study by Kirkby and Schmitz, and here also the instabilities are associated with near-extinction conditions, large Lewis numbers, and heat losses. And deflagrations will oscillate if the Lewis number is large enough, oscillations that are exacerbated when heat losses are present, whether global or to a surface.

Premixed Flames Under Microgravity and Normal Gravity Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krikunova, Anastasia I.; Son, Eduard E.

2018-03-01

Premixed conical CH4-air flames were studied experimentally and numerically under normal straight, reversed gravity conditions and microgravity. Low-gravity experiments were performed in Drop tower. Classical Bunsen-type burner was used to find out features of gravity influence on the combustion processes. Mixture equivalence ratio was varied from 0.8 to 1.3. Wide range of flow velocity allows to study both laminar and weakly turbulized flames. High-speed flame chemoluminescence video-recording was used as diagnostic. The investigations were performed at atmospheric pressure. As results normalized flame height, laminar flame speed were measured, also features of flame instabilities were shown. Low- and high-frequency flame-instabilities (oscillations) have a various nature as velocity fluctuations, preferential diffusion instability, hydrodynamic and Rayleigh-Taylor ones etc., that was explored and demonstrated.

Flame imaging using planar laser induced fluorescence of sulfur dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honza, Rene; Ding, Carl-Philipp; Dreizler, Andreas; Böhm, Benjamin

2017-09-01

Laser induced fluorescence of sulfur dioxide (SO2-PLIF) has been demonstrated as a useful tool for flame imaging. Advantage was taken from the strong temperature dependence of the SO2 fluorescence signal. SO2 fluorescence intensity increases by more than one order of magnitude if the temperature changes from ambient conditions to adiabatic flame temperatures of stoichiometric methane-air flames. This results in a steep gradient of SO2-PLIF intensities at the reaction zone and therefore can be used as a reliable flame marker. SO2 can be excited electronically using the fourth-harmonic of an Nd:YAG laser at 266 nm. This is an attractive alternative to OH-LIF, a well-recognized flame front marker, because no frequency-doubled dye lasers are needed. This simplifies the experimental setup and is advantageous for measurements at high repetition rates where dye bleaching can become an issue. To prove the performance of this approach, SO2-PLIF measurements were performed simultaneously with OH-PLIF on laminar premixed methane-air Bunsen flames for equivalence ratios between 0.9 and 1.25. These measurements were compared to 1D laminar flamelet simulations. The SO2 fluorescence signal was found to follow the temperature rise of the flame and is located closer to the steep temperature gradient than OH. Finally, the combined SO2- and OH-PLIF setup was applied to a spark ignition IC-engine to visualize the development of the early flame kernel.

Response of flame thickness and propagation speed under intense turbulence in spatially developing lean premixed methane–air jet flames

DOE PAGES

Sankaran, Ramanan; Hawkes, Evatt R.; Yoo, Chun Sang; ...

2015-06-22

Direct numerical simulations of three-dimensional spatially-developing turbulent Bunsen flames were performed at three different turbulence intensities. We performed these simulations using a reduced methane–air chemical mechanism which was specifically tailored for the lean premixed conditions simulated here. A planar-jet turbulent Bunsen flame configuration was used in which turbulent preheated methane–air mixture at 0.7 equivalence ratio issued through a central jet and was surrounded by a hot laminar coflow of burned products. The turbulence characteristics at the jet inflow were selected such that combustion occured in the thin reaction zones (TRZ) regime. At the lowest turbulence intensity, the conditions fall onmore » the boundary between the TRZ regime and the corrugated flamelet regime, and progressively moved further into the TRZ regime by increasing the turbulent intensity. The data from the three simulations was analyzed to understand the effect of turbulent stirring on the flame structure and thickness. Furthermore, statistical analysis of the data showed that the thermal preheat layer of the flame was thickened due to the action of turbulence, but the reaction zone was not significantly affected. A global and local analysis of the burning velocity of the flame was performed to compare the different flames. Detailed statistical averages of the flame speed were also obtained to study the spatial dependence of displacement speed and its correlation to strain rate and curvature.« less

Laser-Based Flowfield Imaging in a Lean Premixed Prevaporized Sector Combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hicks, Yolanda R.; Locke, Randy J.; Anderson, Robert C.

2005-01-01

OH and fuel planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) is used qualitatively in this study to observe the flame structure resultant from different fuel injector dome configurations within the 3-cup sector combustor test rig. The fluorescence images are compared with some computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results. Interferences in obtaining OH fluorescence signals due to the emission of other species are assessed. NO PLIF images are presented and compared to gas analysis results. The comparison shows that PLIF NO can be an excellent method for measuring NO in the flame. Additionally, we present flow visualization of the molecular species C2.

Flame thickness and conditional scalar dissipation rate in a premixed temporal turbulent reacting jet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chaudhuri, Swetaprovo; Kolla, Hemanth; Dave, Himanshu L.

The flame structure corresponding to lean hydrogen–air premixed flames in intense sheared turbulence in the thin reaction zone regime is quantified from flame thickness and conditional scalar dissipation rate statistics, obtained from recent direct numerical simulation data of premixed temporally-evolving turbulent slot jet flames. It is found that, on average, these sheared turbulent flames are thinner than their corresponding planar laminar flames. Extensive analysis is performed to identify the reason for this counter-intuitive thinning effect. The factors controlling the flame thickness are analyzed through two different routes i.e., the kinematic route, and the transport and chemical kinetics route. The kinematicmore » route is examined by comparing the statistics of the normal strain rate due to fluid motion with the statistics of the normal strain rate due to varying flame displacement speed or self-propagation. It is found that while the fluid normal straining is positive and tends to separate iso-scalar surfaces, the dominating normal strain rate due to self-propagation is negative and tends to bring the iso-scalar surfaces closer resulting in overall thinning of the flame. The transport and chemical kinetics route is examined by studying the non-unity Lewis number effect on the premixed flames. The effects from the kinematic route are found to couple with the transport and chemical kinetics route. In addition, the intermittency of the conditional scalar dissipation rate is also examined. It is found to exhibit a unique non-monotonicity of the exponent of the stretched exponential function, conventionally used to describe probability density function tails of such variables. As a result, the non-monotonicity is attributed to the detailed chemical structure of hydrogen-air flames in which heat release occurs close to the unburnt reactants at near free-stream temperatures.« less

Flame thickness and conditional scalar dissipation rate in a premixed temporal turbulent reacting jet

DOE PAGES

Chaudhuri, Swetaprovo; Kolla, Hemanth; Dave, Himanshu L.; ...

2017-07-07

The flame structure corresponding to lean hydrogen–air premixed flames in intense sheared turbulence in the thin reaction zone regime is quantified from flame thickness and conditional scalar dissipation rate statistics, obtained from recent direct numerical simulation data of premixed temporally-evolving turbulent slot jet flames. It is found that, on average, these sheared turbulent flames are thinner than their corresponding planar laminar flames. Extensive analysis is performed to identify the reason for this counter-intuitive thinning effect. The factors controlling the flame thickness are analyzed through two different routes i.e., the kinematic route, and the transport and chemical kinetics route. The kinematicmore » route is examined by comparing the statistics of the normal strain rate due to fluid motion with the statistics of the normal strain rate due to varying flame displacement speed or self-propagation. It is found that while the fluid normal straining is positive and tends to separate iso-scalar surfaces, the dominating normal strain rate due to self-propagation is negative and tends to bring the iso-scalar surfaces closer resulting in overall thinning of the flame. The transport and chemical kinetics route is examined by studying the non-unity Lewis number effect on the premixed flames. The effects from the kinematic route are found to couple with the transport and chemical kinetics route. In addition, the intermittency of the conditional scalar dissipation rate is also examined. It is found to exhibit a unique non-monotonicity of the exponent of the stretched exponential function, conventionally used to describe probability density function tails of such variables. As a result, the non-monotonicity is attributed to the detailed chemical structure of hydrogen-air flames in which heat release occurs close to the unburnt reactants at near free-stream temperatures.« less

A counterflow diffusion flame study of branched octane isomers

DOE PAGES

Sarathy, S. Mani; Niemann, Ulrich; Yeung, Coleman; ...

2012-09-25

Conventional petroleum, Fischer–Tropsch (FT), and other alternative hydrocarbon fuels typically contain a high concentration of lightly methylated iso-alkanes. However, until recently little work has been done on this important class of hydrocarbon components. In order to better understand the combustion characteristics of real fuels, this study presents new experimental data for 3-methylheptane and 2,5-dimethylhexane in counterflow diffusion flames. This new dataset includes flame ignition, extinction, and speciation profiles. The high temperature oxidation of these fuels has been modeled using an extended transport database and a high temperature skeletal chemical kinetic model. The skeletal model is generated from a detailed modelmore » reduced using the directed relation graph with expert knowledge (DRG-X) methodology. The proposed skeletal model contains sufficient chemical fidelity to accurately predict the experimental speciation data in flames. The predictions are compared to elucidate the effects of number and location of the methyl substitutions. The location is found to have little effect on ignition and extinction in these counterflow diffusion flames. However, increasing the number of methyl substitutions was found to inhibit ignition and promote extinction. Chemical kinetic modelling simulations were used to correlate a fuel’s extinction propensity with its ability to populate the H radical concentration. In conclusion, species composition measurements indicate that the location and number of methyl substitutions was found to particularly affect the amount and type of alkenes observed.« less

Incipient Soot Formation in Rich Partially Premixed Flames under High Pressure Conditions of Relevance to Compression-Ignition Engines

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-09

chemically. Such flames were systematically studied by measuring temperature, species 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 13...pressure) but are still well suited to quantitative diagnostics; 2) Study soot inception by measuring gaseous soot precursors and focusing on the gas-to...downstream across an envelope diffusion flame that is formed between the products of the rich premixed flame and the oxidizer. To mimic this situation, a

Basic Considerations in the Combustion of Hydrocarbon Fuels with Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, Henry C; Hibbard, Robert R

1957-01-01

Basic combustion research is collected, collated, and interpreted as it applies to flight propulsion. The following fundamental processes are treated in separate chapters: atomization and evaporation of liquid fuels, flow and mixing processes in combustion chambers, ignition and flammability of hydrocarbon fuels, laminar flame propagation, turbulent flames, flame stabilization, diffusion flames, oscillations in combustors, and smoke and coke formation in the combustion of hydrocarbon-air mixtures. Theoretical background, basic experimental data, and practical significance to flight propulsion are presented.

Impact of multi-component diffusion in turbulent combustion using direct numerical simulations

DOE PAGES

Bruno, Claudio; Sankaran, Vaidyanathan; Kolla, Hemanth; ...

2015-08-28

This study presents the results of DNS of a partially premixed turbulent syngas/air flame at atmospheric pressure. The objective was to assess the importance and possible effects of molecular transport on flame behavior and structure. To this purpose DNS were performed at with two proprietary DNS codes and with three different molecular diffusion transport models: fully multi-component, mixture averaged, and imposing the Lewis number of all species to be unity.

Quiet echo planar imaging for functional and diffusion MRI

PubMed Central

Price, Anthony N.; Cordero‐Grande, Lucilio; Malik, Shaihan; Ferrazzi, Giulio; Gaspar, Andreia; Hughes, Emer J.; Christiaens, Daan; McCabe, Laura; Schneider, Torben; Rutherford, Mary A.; Hajnal, Joseph V.

2017-01-01

Purpose To develop a purpose‐built quiet echo planar imaging capability for fetal functional and diffusion scans, for which acoustic considerations often compromise efficiency and resolution as well as angular/temporal coverage. Methods The gradient waveforms in multiband‐accelerated single‐shot echo planar imaging sequences have been redesigned to minimize spectral content. This includes a sinusoidal read‐out with a single fundamental frequency, a constant phase encoding gradient, overlapping smoothed CAIPIRINHA blips, and a novel strategy to merge the crushers in diffusion MRI. These changes are then tuned in conjunction with the gradient system frequency response function. Results Maintained image quality, SNR, and quantitative diffusion values while reducing acoustic noise up to 12 dB (A) is illustrated in two adult experiments. Fetal experiments in 10 subjects covering a range of parameters depict the adaptability and increased efficiency of quiet echo planar imaging. Conclusion Purpose‐built for highly efficient multiband fetal echo planar imaging studies, the presented framework reduces acoustic noise for all echo planar imaging‐based sequences. Full optimization by tuning to the gradient frequency response functions allows for a maximally time‐efficient scan within safe limits. This allows ambitious in‐utero studies such as functional brain imaging with high spatial/temporal resolution and diffusion scans with high angular/spatial resolution to be run in a highly efficient manner at acceptable sound levels. Magn Reson Med 79:1447–1459, 2018. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. PMID:28653363

Influence of oxygen concentration, fuel composition, and strain rate on synthesis of carbon nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Shuhn-Shyurng; Huang, Wei-Cheng

2015-02-01

This paper investigates the influence of flame parameters including oxygen concentration, fuel composition, and strain rate on the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials in opposed-jet ethylene diffusion flames with or without rigid-body rotation. In the experiments, a mixture of ethylene and nitrogen was introduced from the upper burner; meanwhile, a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen was supplied from the lower burner. A nascent nickel mesh was used as the catalytic metal substrate to collect deposited materials. With non-rotating opposed-jet diffusion flames, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were successfully produced for oxygen concentrations in the range of 21-50 % at a fixed ethylene concentration of 20 %, and for ethylene concentrations ranging from 14 to 24 % at a constant oxygen concentration of 40 %. With rotating opposed-jet diffusion flames, the strain rate was varied by adjusting the angular velocities of the upper and lower burners. The strain rate governed by flow rotation greatly affects the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials [i.e., CNTs and carbon nano-onions (CNOs)] either through the residence time or carbon sources available. An increase in the angular velocity lengthened the residence time of the flow and thus caused the diffusion flame to experience a decreased strain rate, which in turn produced more carbon sources. The growth of multi-walled CNTs was achieved for the stretched flames experiencing a higher strain rate [i.e., angular velocity was equal to 0 or 1 rotations per second (rps)]. CNOs were synthesized at a lower strain rate (i.e., angular velocity was in the range of 2-5 rps). It is noteworthy that the strain rate controlled by flow rotation greatly influences the fabrication of carbon nanostructures owing to the residence time as well as carbon source. Additionally, more carbon sources and higher temperature are required for the synthesis of CNOs compared with those required for CNTs (i.e., about 605-625 °C for CNTs and 700-800 °C for CNOs).

Combustion Synthesis of Fullerenes and Fullerenic Nanostructures In Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Jack B.; Brooker, John E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The objectives of the proposed research were to determine the effects of gravity on fullerenes formation in flames and, based on the observed effects, to develop fundamental understanding of fullerenes formation and to identify engineering principles for fullerenes production. The research method consisted of the operation of laminar diffusion flames under normal- and reduced-gravity conditions, and the collection from the flames and subsequent analysis of condensables including any fullerenes present, using coupled high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The focus included fullerene molecules C60 and C70 and fullerenic nanostructures including tubes, spherules and other shapes. The normal-gravity experiments were performed at MIT and complementary reduced-gravity experiments were to have been contributed by NASA. The independent variables of interest are gravity, fuel type, fuel/oxygen ratio, pressure, gas velocity at burner, diluent type and concentration. Given the large number of variables and the absence of data on either fullerene formation in diffusion flames or gravitational effects on fullerene formation in diffusion or premixed flames, the first part of the work was exploratory while the later part involved detailed study of the most interesting mechanisms. Samples of condensable material from laminar low pressure benzene/argon/oxygen diffusion flames were collected and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography to determine the yields of fullerenes, and by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) to characterize the fullerenic material, i.e., curved-layer nanostructures, on and within the soot particles. The highest concentration of fullerenes was always detected just above the visible stoichiometric surface of a flame. The percentage of fullerenes in the condensable material increases with decreasing pressure. The overall highest amount of fullerenes was found for a surprisingly high dilution fuel with argon. The maximum flame temperature seems to be of minor importance in fullerene formation. The HRTEM analysis of the soot showed an increase of the curvature of the carbon layers, and hence increased fullerenic character. After this maximum, the curvature decreases. In addition to the soot, the samples included fullerenic nanostructures, such as tubes and spheroids including highly-ordered multilayered or onion-like structures. The soot itself shows highly ordered regions that appear to have been cells of ongoing fullerenic nanostructure formation.

Effect of Crystal Defects on Minority Carrier Diffusion Length in 6H SiC Measured Using the Electron Beam Induced Current Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tabib-Azar, Massood

1997-01-01

We report values of minority carrier diffusion length in n-type 6H SiC measured using a planar Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) method. Values of hole diffusion length in defect free regions of n-type 6H SiC, with a doping concentration of 1.7El7 1/cu cm, ranged from 1.46 microns to 0.68 microns. We next introduce a novel variation of the planar method used above. This 'planar mapping' technique measured diffusion length along a linescan creating a map of diffusion length versus position. This map is then overlaid onto the EBIC image of the corresponding linescan, allowing direct visualization of the effect of defects on minority carrier diffusion length. Measurements of the above n-type 6H SiC resulted in values of hole diffusion length ranging from 1.2 micron in defect free regions to below 0.1 gm at the center of large defects. In addition, measurements on p-type 6H SiC resulted in electron diffusion lengths ranging from 1.42 micron to 0.8 micron.

An imaging spectrometer for microgravity application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, Wallace K.

1995-01-01

Flame structure is the result of complex interaction of mechanisms operating in both unwanted fires and controlled combustion systems. The scientific study of gas-jet diffusion flames in reduced-gravity environment is of interest because the effects of buoyancy on flow entrainment and acceleration are lessened. Measurements of flames have been restricted to cinematography, thermocouples, and radiometers. SSG, Inc. is developing an MWIR imaging spectrometer (MIS) for microgravity flame measurements. The device will be delivered to NASA Lewis at the end of this project to demonstrate flame measurements in the laboratory. With proper modifications, the MIS can be used to monitor a gas-jet flame under microgravity on a NASA Learjet or DC-9.

Mixing Characteristics of Strongly-Forced Jet Flames in Crossflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marr, Kevin; Clemens, Noel; Ezekoye, Ofodike

2008-11-01

The effects of high frequency, large-amplitude forcing on the characteristics of a non-premixed jet flame in crossflow (JFICF) at mean Reynolds numbers of 3,200 and 4,850 are studied experimentally. Harmonic forcing of the jet fuel results in a drastic decrease in flame length and complete suppression of soot luminosity. Visualization by planar laser Mie scattering shows that forced JFICF, similar to forced free or coflow jet flames, are characterized by ejection of high-momentum, deeply penetrating vortical structures. These structures rapidly breakdown and promote intense turbulent mixing in the near region of the jet. The rapid mixing resembles a ``one-step'' process going from a fuel rich state far in the nozzle to a well-mixed, but significantly diluted, state just a few diameters from the jet exit plane. Exhaust gas emissions measurements indicate a decrease in NOx, but increases in CO and unburned hydrocarbons with increasing forcing amplitude. Acetone PLIF measurements are used to investigate the effect of partial-premixing on these emissions findings.

Assessment of PLIF-Based Heat Release Rate Markers using DNS of Highly Turbulent Premixed Flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xinyu; Zhang, Peiyu; Wabel, Timothy; Steinberg, Adam; Wang, Haiou; Hawkes, Evatt

2017-11-01

Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) remains the most common measurement tool for describing turbulent flame topologies. However, the interpretation of the images obtained from such experiments can be obscured due to various experimental constraints, such as the finite laser thickness, the application of intensifier, etc. Synthetic-PLIF images are constructed in this study to understand the effects of various experimental reality using direct numerical simulations. Two DNS databases of highly turbulent premixed methane flames are employed, to generate the synthetic PLIF images. The thickness of the laser sheet and optical blur parameters are systematically varied to study their effects on the implied reactive layer thickness, topological correspondence with heat release rates, as well as the resolved scales of the flames. It is found that the optical blur can have a significant influence on the measured layer thickness, and significant discrepancy between the DNS and the synthetic PLIF arises when the laser thickness is approximately twice the size of the reactive layers.

Quantitative NO-LIF imaging in high-pressure flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bessler, W. G.; Schulz, C.; Lee, T.; Shin, D.-I.; Hofmann, M.; Jeffries, J. B.; Wolfrum, J.; Hanson, R. K.

2002-07-01

Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) images of NO concentration are reported in premixed laminar flames from 1-60 bar exciting the A-X(0,0) band. The influence of O2 interference and gas composition, the variation with local temperature, and the effect of laser and signal attenuation by UV light absorption are investigated. Despite choosing a NO excitation and detection scheme with minimum O2-LIF contribution, this interference produces errors of up to 25% in a slightly lean 60 bar flame. The overall dependence of the inferred NO number density with temperature in the relevant (1200-2500 K) range is low (<±15%) because different effects cancel. The attenuation of laser and signal light by combustion products CO2 and H2O is frequently neglected, yet such absorption yields errors of up to 40% in our experiment despite the small scale (8 mm flame diameter). Understanding the dynamic range for each of these corrections provides guidance to minimize errors in single shot imaging experiments at high pressure.

DNS of a turbulent lifted DME jet flame

DOE PAGES

Minamoto, Yuki; Chen, Jacqueline H.

2016-05-07

A three-dimensional direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a turbulent lifted dimethyl ether (DME) slot jet flame was performed at elevated pressure to study interactions between chemical reactions with low-temperature heat release (LTHR), negative temperature coefficient (NTC) reactions and shear generated turbulence in a jet in a heated coflow. By conditioning on mixture fraction, local reaction zones and local heat release rate, the turbulent flame is revealed to exhibit a “pentabrachial” structure that was observed for a laminar DME lifted flame [Krisman et al., (2015)]. The propagation characteristics of the stabilization and triple points are also investigated. Potential stabilization points, spatialmore » locations characterized by preferred temperature and mixture fraction conditions, exhibit autoignition characteristics with large reaction rate and negligible molecular diffusion. The actual stabilization point which coincides with the most upstream samples from the pool of potential stabilization points fovr each spanwise location shows passive flame structure with large diffusion. The propagation speed along the stoichiometric surface near the triple point is compared with the asymptotic value obtained from theory [Ruetsch et al., (1995)]. At stoichiometric conditions, the asymptotic and averaged DNS values of flame displacement speed deviate by a factor of 1.7. However, accounting for the effect of low-temperature species on the local flame speed increase, these two values become comparable. In conclusion, this suggests that the two-stage ignition influences the triple point propagation speed through enhancement of the laminar flame speed in a configuration where abundant low-temperature products from the first stage, low-temperature ignition are transported to the lifted flame by the high-velocity jet.« less

Soot Formation in Laminar Premixed Ethylene/Air Flames at Atmospheric Pressure. Appendix G

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; Sunderland, P. B.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Soot formation was studied within laminar premixed ethylene/air flames (C/O ratios of 0.78-0.98) stabilized on a flat-flame burner operating at atmospheric pressure. Measurements included soot volume fractions by both laser extinction and gravimetric methods, temperatures by multiline emission, soot structure by thermophoretic sampling and transmission electron microscopy, major gas species concentrations by sampling and gas chromatography, concentrations of condensable hydrocarbons by gravimetric sampling. and velocities by laser velocimetry. These data were used to find soot surface growth rates and primary soot particle nucleation rates along the axes of the flames. Present measurements of soot surface growth rates were correlated successfully by predictions based on typical hydrogen-abstraction/carbon-addition (HACA) mechanisms of Frenklach and co-workers and Colket and Hall. These results suavest that reduced soot surface growth rates with increasing residence time seen in the present and other similar flames were mainly caused by reduced rates of surface activation due to reduced H atom concentrations as temperatures decrease as a result of radiative heat losses. Primary soot particle nucleation rates exhibited variations with temperature and acetylene concentrations that were similar to recent observations for diffusion flames; however, nucleation rates in the premixed flames were significantly lower than in, the diffusion flames for reasons that still must be explained. Finally, predictions of yields of major gas species based on mechanisms from both Frenklach and co-workers and Leung and Lindstedt were in good agreement with present measurements and suggest that H atom concentrations (relevant to HACA mechanisms) approximate estimates based on local thermodynamic equilibrium in the present flames.

Design and Fabrication of a Hele-Shaw Apparatus for Observing Instabilities of Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wichman, I. S.; Oravecz-Simpkins, L.; Olson, S.

2001-01-01

Examinations of flame fronts spreading over solid fuels in an opposed flow of oxidizer have shown that the flame front fragments into smaller (cellular) flames. These 'flamelets' will oscillate, recombine, or extinguish, indicating that they are in the near extinction limit regime (i.e., to one side of the quenching branch of the flammability map). Onset of unstable cellular flamelet formation for flame spread over thin fuels occurs when a heat-sink substrate is placed a small distance from the underside of the fuel. This heat-sink substrate (or backing) displaces the quenching branch of the flammability map in a direction that causes the instabilities to occur at higher air velocities. Similar near-limit behavior has been observed in other works using different fuels, thus suggesting that these dynamic mechanisms are fuel-independent and therefore fundamental attributes of flames in this near-limit flame spread regime. The objective of this project is to determine the contributions of the hydrodynamic and thermodiffusive mechanisms to the observed formation of flame instabilities. From this, a model of diffusion flame instabilities shall be generated. Previously, experiments were conducted in NASA drop towers, thereby limiting observation time to O(1-5 sec). The NASA tests exhibited flamelet survival for the entire drop time, suggesting that flamelets (i.e., small cellular flames) might exist, if permitted, for longer time periods. By necessity, experiments were limited to thermally thin cellulose fuels (approximately 0.001 in thick): instabilities could form by virtue of faster spread rates over thin fuels. Unstable behavior was unlikely in the short drop time for thicker fuels. In the International Space Station (ISS), microgravity time is unlimited, so both thin and thick fuels can be tested.

Effect of zone size on the convergence of exact solutions for diffusion in single phase systems with planar, cylindrical or spherical geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unnam, J.; Tenney, D. R.

1981-01-01

Exact solutions for diffusion in single phase binary alloy systems with constant diffusion coefficient and zero-flux boundary condition have been evaluated to establish the optimum zone size of applicability. Planar, cylindrical and spherical interface geometry, and finite, singly infinite, and doubly infinite systems are treated. Two solutions are presented for each geometry, one well suited to short diffusion times, and one to long times. The effect of zone-size on the convergence of these solutions is discussed. A generalized form of the diffusion solution for doubly infinite systems is proposed.

Flame speed and self-similar propagation of expanding turbulent premixed flames.

PubMed

Chaudhuri, Swetaprovo; Wu, Fujia; Zhu, Delin; Law, Chung K

2012-01-27

In this Letter we present turbulent flame speeds and their scaling from experimental measurements on constant-pressure, unity Lewis number expanding turbulent flames, propagating in nearly homogeneous isotropic turbulence in a dual-chamber, fan-stirred vessel. It is found that the normalized turbulent flame speed as a function of the average radius scales as a turbulent Reynolds number to the one-half power, where the average radius is the length scale and the thermal diffusivity is the transport property, thus showing self-similar propagation. Utilizing this dependence it is found that the turbulent flame speeds from the present expanding flames and those from the Bunsen geometry in the literature can be unified by a turbulent Reynolds number based on flame length scales using recent theoretical results obtained by spectral closure of the transformed G equation.

Flame Speed and Self-Similar Propagation of Expanding Turbulent Premixed Flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhuri, Swetaprovo; Wu, Fujia; Zhu, Delin; Law, Chung K.

2012-01-01

In this Letter we present turbulent flame speeds and their scaling from experimental measurements on constant-pressure, unity Lewis number expanding turbulent flames, propagating in nearly homogeneous isotropic turbulence in a dual-chamber, fan-stirred vessel. It is found that the normalized turbulent flame speed as a function of the average radius scales as a turbulent Reynolds number to the one-half power, where the average radius is the length scale and the thermal diffusivity is the transport property, thus showing self-similar propagation. Utilizing this dependence it is found that the turbulent flame speeds from the present expanding flames and those from the Bunsen geometry in the literature can be unified by a turbulent Reynolds number based on flame length scales using recent theoretical results obtained by spectral closure of the transformed G equation.

Large Eddy Simulation of Gravitational Effects on Transitional and Turbulent Gas-Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Givi, Peyman; Jaberi, Farhad A.

2001-01-01

The basic objective of this work is to assess the influence of gravity on "the compositional and the spatial structures" of transitional and turbulent diffusion flames via large eddy simulation (LES), and direct numerical simulation (DNS). The DNS is conducted for appraisal of the various closures employed in LES, and to study the effect of buoyancy on the small scale flow features. The LES is based on our "filtered mass density function"' (FMDF) model. The novelty of the methodology is that it allows for reliable simulations with inclusion of "realistic physics." It also allows for detailed analysis of the unsteady large scale flow evolution and compositional flame structure which is not usually possible via Reynolds averaged simulations.

Molecular emission characteristics of various fluorides in a low-temperature-hydrogen diffusion flame.

PubMed

Dagnall, R M; Fleet, B; Risby, T H; Deans, D R

1971-02-01

A capillary burner supporting a nitrogen/hydrogen diffusion flame has been evaluated as a possible means of detection for several volatile fluorides after their gas-chromatographic separation. The fluorides of As, B, C, Ge, I, Mo, P, Re, S, Sb, Se, Si, Te and W were formed by the reaction of the element with chlorine trifluoride, and the intense molecular emission given by each was recorded. An attempt was made to identify the emitting species.

Numerical modelling of soot formation and oxidation in laminar coflow non-smoking and smoking ethylene diffusion flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Fengshan; Guo, Hongsheng; Smallwood, Gregory J.; Gülder, Ömer L.

2003-06-01

A numerical study of soot formation and oxidation in axisymmetric laminar coflow non-smoking and smoking ethylene diffusion flames was conducted using detailed gas-phase chemistry and complex thermal and transport properties. A modified two-equation soot model was employed to describe soot nucleation, growth and oxidation. Interaction between the gas-phase chemistry and soot chemistry was taken into account. Radiation heat transfer by both soot and radiating gases was calculated using the discrete-ordinates method coupled with a statistical narrow-band correlated-k based band model, and was used to evaluate the simple optically thin approximation. The governing equations in fully elliptic form were solved. The current models in the literature describing soot oxidation by O2 and OH have to be modified in order to predict the smoking flame. The modified soot oxidation model has only moderate effects on the calculation of the non-smoking flame, but dramatically affects the soot oxidation near the flame tip in the smoking flame. Numerical results of temperature, soot volume fraction and primary soot particle size and number density were compared with experimental data in the literature. Relatively good agreement was found between the prediction and the experimental data. The optically thin approximation radiation model significantly underpredicts temperatures in the upper portion of both flames, seriously affecting the soot prediction.

An experimental and numerical study of gas jet diffusion flames enveloped by a cascade of venturis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qubbaj, Ala Rafat

1999-06-01

A new technique to control carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and soot emissions of a propane diffusion flame by modifying the air infusion rate into the flame was developed. In this study, the effectiveness of the ``venturi-cascading'' technique was experimentally as well numerically investigated. Propane jet diffusion flames at three burner-exit Reynolds numbers ( 3600, 5100 and 6500) corresponding to burner-rim-attached, undergoing transition from attached to lifted, and fully-lifted configurations were examined with several sets of venturis of different sizes and spacing arrangements. Temperature, and the concentrations of carbon dioxide, oxygen, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in the exhaust products were measured before and after the modification, and optimal conditions to minimize pollutant emissions were obtained. The optimal value of venturi throat/burner-exit diameter ratio (D/d) was 32 +/- 3, which corresponded to an approximate clearance of 5 +/- 2 mm between the venturi throat and the burning jet width at the mid-flame height. The venturi-cascading technique at its optimal conditions resulted in a decrease of 87% and 33% in CO and NO emission indices along with a 24% decrease in soot emission from a propane jet flame, compared to the baseline condition (same flame without venturis). The reduction of NO without increasing CO was the main attraction of this technique. The temperature and composition measurements, at the optimal conditions, showed that, in the near-burner region, the venturi-cascaded flame had lower temperature and CO2 concentration by an average of 5% and 7%, respectively, than the baseline flame. However, in the mid-flame and far-burner regions, it has higher temperature by 13% and 12%, and higher CO2 concentration by 16% and 13%, in average values, respectively. Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) measurements, in the near-burner region of the venturi-cascaded flame, indicated an average decrease of 18%, 24% and 12% in OH, CH and CN radical species, respectively, along with 11% drop in soot precursors (PAR), from their baseline values. The thermal and composition fields of the baseline and venturi-cascaded flames were numerically simulated using CFD-ACE+, an advanced computational environment software package. The CO and NO concentrations were determined through CFD-POST, a post processing utility program for CFD-ACE+. The final simulated results were compared with the experimental data. Good agreement was found in the near-burner region. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Unsteady Extinction of Opposed Jet Ethylene/Methane HIFiRE Surrogate Fuel Mixtures vs Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaden, Sarah N.; Debes, Rachel L.; Lash, E. Lara; Burk, Rachel S.; Boyd, C. Merritt; Wilson, Lloyd G.; Pellett, Gerald L.

2009-01-01

A unique idealized study of the subject fuel vs. air systems was conducted using an Oscillatory-input Opposed Jet Burner (OOJB) system and a newly refined analysis. Extensive dynamic-extinction measurements were obtained on unanchored (free-floating) laminar Counter Flow Diffusion Flames (CFDFs) at 1-atm, stabilized by steady input velocities (e.g., U(sub air)) and perturbed by superimposed in-phase sinusoidal velocity inputs at fuel and air nozzle exits. Ethylene (C2H4) and methane (CH4), and intermediate 64/36 and 15/85 molar percent mixtures were studied. The latter gaseous surrogates were chosen earlier to mimic ignition and respective steady Flame Strengths (FS = U(sub air)) of vaporized and cracked, and un-cracked, JP-7 "like" kerosene for a Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) scramjet. For steady idealized flameholding, the 100% C2H4 flame is respectively approx. 1.3 and approx.2.7 times stronger than a 64/36 mix and CH4; but is still 12.0 times weaker than a 100% H2-air flame. Limited Hot-Wire (HW) measurements of velocity oscillations at convergent-nozzle exits, and more extensive Probe Microphone (PM) measurements of acoustic pressures, were used to normalize Dynamic FSs, which decayed linearly with pk/pk U(sub air) (velocity magnitude, HW), and also pk/pk P (pressure magnitude, PM). Thus Dynamic Flame Weakening (DFW) is defined as % decrease in FS per Pascal of pk/pk P oscillation, namely, DFW = -100 d(U(sub air)/U(sub air),0Hz)/d(pkpk P). Key findings are: (1) Ethylene flames are uniquely strong and resilient to extinction by oscillating inflows below 150 Hz; (2) Methane flames are uniquely weak; (3) Ethylene / methane surrogate flames are disproportionately strong with respect to ethylene content; and (4) Flame weakening is consistent with limited published results on forced unsteady CFDFs. Thus from 0 to approx. 10 Hz and slightly higher, lagging diffusive responses of key species led to progressive phase lags (relative to inputs) in the oscillating flames, and caused maximum weakening. At 20 to 150 Hz, diffusion-rate-limited effects diminished, causing flames to "regain strengnth," and eventually become completely insensitive beyond 300 Hz. Detailed mechanistic understanding is needed. Overall, ethylene flames are remarkably resilient to dynamic extinction by oscillating inflows. They are the strongest, with the notable exception of H2. For HIFiRE tests, the 64%/36% surrogate disproportionally retains the high dynamic FS of ethylene, so the potential for loss of scramjet flameholding (flameout) due to low frequency oscillations is significantly mitigated.

Spot Radiative Ignition and Subsequent Three Dimensional Flame Spread Over Thin Cellulose Fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, Sandra L.; Kashiwagi, T.; Kikuchi, M.; Fujita, O.; Ito, K.

1999-01-01

Spontaneous radiative ignition and transition to flame spread over thin cellulose fuel samples was studied aboard the USMP-3 STS-75 Space Shuttle mission, and in three test series in the 10 second Japan Microgravity Center (JAMIC). A focused beam from a tungsten/halogen lamp was used to ignite the center of the fuel sample while an external air flow was varied from 0 to 10 cm/s. Non-piloted radiative ignition of the paper was found to occur more easily in microgravity than in normal gravity. Ignition of the sample was achieved under all conditions studied (shuttle cabin air, 21%-50% O2 in JAMIC), with transition to flame spread occurring for all but the lowest oxygen and flow conditions. While radiative ignition in a quiescent atmosphere was achieved, the flame quickly extinguished in air. The ignition delay time was proportional to the gas-phase mixing time, which is estimated using the inverse flow rate. The ignition delay was a much stronger function of flow at lower oxygen concentrations. After ignition, the flame initially spread only upstream, in a fan-shaped pattern. The fan angle increased with increasing external flow and oxygen concentration from zero angle (tunneling flame spread) at the limiting 0.5 cm/s external air flow, to 90 degrees (semicircular flame spread) for external flows at and above 5 cm/s, and higher oxygen concentrations. The fan angle was shown to be directly related to the limiting air flow velocity. Despite the convective heating from the upstream flame, the downstream flame was inhibited due to the 'oxygen shadow' of the upstream flame for the air flow conditions studied. Downstream flame spread rates in air, measured after upstream flame spread was complete and extinguished, were slower than upstream flame spread rates at the same flow. The quench regime for the transition to flame spread was skewed toward the downstream, due to the augmenting role of diffusion for opposed flow flame spread, versus the canceling effect of diffusion at very low cocurrent flows.

An experimental and numerical study of the inwardly-propagating premixed flame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibarreta, Alfonso F.

Flame stretch, described as the time rate of change of the flame surface area, can cause large changes in burning velocity of laminar premixed flames. Many experimental studies have been conducted to quantify the effects of flame stretch, but most only deal with the hydrodynamic strain component of stretch rate. In this thesis, a new experimental technique was used to study the inwardly-propagating premixed flame. This flame configuration is significant because it is subjected to the curvature component of stretch rate without the competing effects of hydrodynamic strain. Inwardly-propagating premixed flames were formed using a vortex to wrinkle a flame and create a pocket of reactants. Experiments using lean propane/air mixtures were run at both one-g and microgravity conditions to optimize the formation of large pockets of reactants. Numerical simulations of the inwardly-propagating flame (IPF) and outwardly-propagating flame (OPF) were performed for lean propane/air, methane/air and hydrogen/air mixtures. Complex chemistry as well as three different one-step reaction models were employed. Markstein numbers obtained from the experiments and computations were compared to OPF experimental data available in the literature. Researchers have used different definitions of flame location and burning velocity; the effects of these differences on the Markstein number were assessed. Experimental and numerical results indicate that the Markstein numbers obtained for the IPF are typically two to three times larger than those for the OPF. It was concluded that the observed difference in Markstein number was not caused by the IPF flame-flame interaction or the presence of intermediate species. Analysis of results obtained from the one-step reaction models identified the reasons for the difference between IPFs and OPFs: (A) the thermo-diffusive mechanism, (B) the pure curvature mechanism and (C) gas expansion. The consumption speed (Sc) was found to depend only on the thermo-diffusive mechanism and to be less sensitive to the flame geometry than the displacement velocity (Su). Observed differences between IPF and OPF results lead to the conclusion that the effects of curvature and strain cannot be grouped into a single term, but two separate Markstein numbers should be defined, one for curvature and one for strain.

Instantaneous temperature field measurements using planar laser-induced fluorescence.

PubMed

Seitzman, J M; Kychakoff, G; Hanson, R K

1985-09-01

A single-pulse, laser-induced-fluorescence diagnostic for the measurement of two-dimensional temperature fields in combustion flows is described. The method uses sheet illumination from a tunable laser to excite planar laserinduced fluorescence in a stable tracer molecule, seeded at constant mole fraction into the flow field. The temporal resolution of this technique is determined by the laser pulse length. Experimental results are presented for a rodstabilized, premixed methane-air flame, using the Q(1) (22) line of the nitric oxide A(2) Sigma(+) (v = 0) ? X(2)II((1/2))(v = 0) transition (lambda approximately 225.6 nm).

Progress on Fabrication of Planar Diffusion Couples with Representative TRISO PyC/SiC Microstructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunn, John D.; Jolly, Brian C.; Gerczak, Tyler J.

Release of fission products from tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel limits the fuel’s operational lifetime and creates potential safety and maintenance concerns. A need for diffusion analysis in representative TRISO layers exists to provide fuel performance models with high fidelity data to improve fuel performance and efficiency. An effort has been initiated to better understand fission product transport in, and release from, quality TRISO fuel by investigating diffusion couples with representative pyrocarbon (PyC) and silicon carbide (SiC). Here planar PyC/SiC diffusion couples are being developed with representative PyC/SiC layers using a fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FBCVD) system identical tomore » those used to produce laboratory-scale TRISO fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Qualification and Development Program’s (AGR) first fuel irradiation. The diffusivity of silver, the silver and palladium system, europium, and strontium in the PyC/SiC will be studied at elevated temperatures and under high temperature neutron irradiation. The study also includes a comparative study of PyC/SiC diffusion couples with varying TRISO layer properties to understand the influence of SiC microstructure (grain size) and the PyC/SiC interface on fission product transport. The first step in accomplishing these goals is the development of the planar diffusion couples. The diffusion couple construction consists of multiple steps which includes fabrication of the primary PyC/SiC structures with targeted layer properties, introduction of fission product species and seal coating to create an isolated system. Coating development has shown planar PyC/SiC diffusion couples with similar properties to AGR TRISO fuel can be produced. A summary of the coating development process, characterization methods, and status are presented.« less

Heat release and flame structure measurements of self-excited acoustically-driven premixed methane flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kopp-Vaughan, Kristin M.; Tuttle, Steven G.; Renfro, Michael W.

An open-open organ pipe burner (Rijke tube) with a bluff-body ring was used to create a self-excited, acoustically-driven, premixed methane-air conical flame, with equivalence ratios ranging from 0.85 to 1.05. The feed tube velocities corresponded to Re = 1780-4450. Coupled oscillations in pressure, velocity, and heat release from the flame are naturally encouraged at resonant frequencies in the Rijke tube combustor. This coupling creates sustainable self-excited oscillations in flame front area and shape. The period of the oscillations occur at the resonant frequency of the combustion chamber when the flame is placed {proportional_to}1/4 of the distance from the bottom ofmore » the tube. In this investigation, the shape of these acoustically-driven flames is measured by employing both OH planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) and chemiluminescence imaging and the images are correlated to simultaneously measured pressure in the combustor. Past research on acoustically perturbed flames has focused on qualitative flame area and heat release relationships under imposed velocity perturbations at imposed frequencies. This study reports quantitative empirical fits with respect to pressure or phase angle in a self-generated pressure oscillation. The OH-PLIF images were single temporal shots and the chemiluminescence images were phase averaged on chip, such that 15 exposures were used to create one image. Thus, both measurements were time resolved during the flame oscillation. Phase-resolved area and heat release variations throughout the pressure oscillation were computed. A relation between flame area and the phase angle before the pressure maximum was derived for all flames in order to quantitatively show that the Rayleigh criterion was satisfied in the combustor. Qualitative trends in oscillating flame area were found with respect to feed tube flow rates. A logarithmic relation was found between the RMS pressure and both the normalized average area and heat release rate for all flames. (author)« less

Space Station Freedom combustion research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faeth, G. M.

1992-01-01

Extended operations in microgravity, on board spacecraft like Space Station Freedom, provide both unusual opportunities and unusual challenges for combustion science. On the one hand, eliminating the intrusion of buoyancy provides a valuable new perspective for fundamental studies of combustion phenomena. On the other hand, however, the absence of buoyancy creates new hazards of fires and explosions that must be understood to assure safe manned space activities. These considerations - and the relevance of combustion science to problems of pollutants, energy utilization, waste incineration, power and propulsion systems, and fire and explosion hazards, among others - provide strong motivation for microgravity combustion research. The intrusion of buoyancy is a greater impediment to fundamental combustion studies than to most other areas of science. Combustion intrinsically heats gases with the resulting buoyant motion at normal gravity either preventing or vastly complicating measurements. Perversely, this limitation is most evident for fundamental laboratory experiments; few practical combustion phenomena are significantly affected by buoyancy. Thus, we have never observed the most fundamental combustion phenomena - laminar premixed and diffusion flames, heterogeneous flames of particles and surfaces, low-speed turbulent flames, etc. - without substantial buoyant disturbances. This precludes rational merging of theory, where buoyancy is of little interest, and experiments, that always are contaminated by buoyancy, which is the traditional path for developing most areas of science. The current microgravity combustion program seeks to rectify this deficiency using both ground-based and space-based facilities, with experiments involving space-based facilities including: laminar premixed flames, soot processes in laminar jet diffusion flames, structure of laminar and turbulent jet diffusion flames, solid surface combustion, one-dimensional smoldering, ignition and flame spread of liquids, drop combustion, and quenching of panicle-air flames. Unfortunately, the same features that make microgravity attractive for fundamental combustion experiments, introduce new fire and explosion hazards that have no counterpart on earth. For example, microgravity can cause broader flammability limits, novel regimes of flame spread, enhanced effects of flame radiation, slower fire detector response, and enhanced combustion upon injecting fire extinguishing agents, among others. On the other hand, spacecraft provide an opportunity to use 'fire-safe' atmospheres due to their controlled environment. Investigation of these problems is just beginning, with specific fire safety experiments supplementing the space based fundamental experiments listed earlier; thus, much remains to be done to develop an adequate technology base for fire and explosion safety considerations for spacecraft.

Study of the mechanisms for flame stabilization in gas turbine model combustors using kHz laser diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boxx, Isaac; Carter, Campbell D.; Stöhr, Michael; Meier, Wolfgang

2013-05-01

An image-processing routine was developed to autonomously identify and statistically characterize flame-kernel events, wherein OH (from a planar laser-induced fluorescence, PLIF, measurement) appears in the probe region away from the contiguous OH layer. This routine was applied to datasets from two gas turbine model combustors that consist of thousands of joint OH-velocity images from kHz framerate OH-PLIF and particle image velocimetry (PIV). Phase sorting of the kernel centroids with respect to the dominant fluid-dynamic structure of the combustors (a helical precessing vortex core, PVC) indicates through-plane transport of reacting fluid best explains their sudden appearance in the PLIF images. The concentration of flame-kernel events around the periphery of the mean location of the PVC indicates they are likely the result of wrinkling and/or breakup of the primary flame sheet associated with the passage of the PVC as it circumscribes the burner centerline. The prevailing through-plane velocity of the swirling flow-field transports these fragments into the imaging plane of the OH-PLIF system. The lack of flame-kernel events near the center of the PVC (in which there is lower strain and longer fluid-dynamic residence times) indicates that auto-ignition is not a likely explanation for these flame kernels in a majority of cases. The lack of flame-kernel centroid variation in one flame in which there is no PVC further supports this explanation.

Investigation of flame structure in plasma-assisted turbulent premixed methane-air flame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hualei, ZHANG; Liming, HE; Jinlu, YU; Wentao, QI; Gaocheng, CHEN

2018-02-01

The mechanism of plasma-assisted combustion at increasing discharge voltage is investigated in detail at two distinctive system schemes (pretreatment of reactants and direct in situ discharge). OH-planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique is used to diagnose the turbulent structure methane-air flame, and the experimental apparatus consists of dump burner, plasma-generating system, gas supply system and OH-PLIF system. Results have shown that the effect of pretreatment of reactants on flame can be categorized into three regimes: regime I for voltage lower than 6.6 kV; regime II for voltage between 6.6 and 11.1 kV; and regime III for voltage between 11.1 and 12.5 kV. In regime I, aerodynamic effect and slower oxidation of higher hydrocarbons generated around the inner electrode tip plays a dominate role, while in regime III, the temperature rising effect will probably superimpose on the chemical effect and amplify it. For wire-cylinder dielectric barrier discharge reactor with spatially uneven electric field, the amount of radicals and hydrocarbons are decreased monotonically in radial direction which affects the flame shape. With regard to in situ plasma discharge in flames, the discharge pattern changes from streamer type to glow type. Compared with the case of reactants pretreatment, the flame propagates further in the upstream direction. In the discharge region, the OH intensity is highest for in situ plasma assisted combustion, indicating that the plasma energy is coupled into flame reaction zone.

Migration of Organophorus Flame Retardants From Closed cell form to Settled Dust

EPA Science Inventory

Many industrial and consumer products, such as electrical and electronic products, furniture, plastics, textile, and building materials are manufactured with organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs). OPFRs can leach or diffuse out of the products and are released to the surround...

Migration of Organophosphate Flame Retardants from Closed Cell Foam to Settled Dust

EPA Science Inventory

Many industrial and consumer products, such as electrical and electronic products, furniture, plastics, textile, and building materials are manufactured with organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs). OPFRs can leach or diffuse out of the products and are released to the surround...

High-speed laser diagnostics for the study of flame dynamics in a lean premixed gas turbine model combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boxx, Isaac; Arndt, Christoph M.; Carter, Campbell D.; Meier, Wolfgang

2012-03-01

A series of measurements was taken on two technically premixed, swirl-stabilized methane-air flames (at overall equivalence ratios of ϕ = 0.73 and 0.83) in an optically accessible gas turbine model combustor. The primary diagnostics used were combined planar laser-induced fluorescence of the OH radical and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) with simultaneous repetition rates of 10 kHz and a measurement duration of 0.8 s. Also measured were acoustic pulsations and OH chemiluminescence. Analysis revealed strong local periodicity in the thermoacoustically self-excited (or ` noisy') flame (ϕ = 0.73) in the regions of the flow corresponding to the inner shear layer and the jet-inflow. This periodicity appears to be the result of a helical precessing vortex core (PVC) present in that region of the combustor. The PVC has a precession frequency double (at 570 Hz) that of the thermo-acoustic pulsation (at 288 Hz). A comparison of the various data sets and analysis techniques applied to each flame suggests a strong coupling between the PVC and the thermo-acoustic pulsation in the noisy flame. Measurements of the stable (` quiet') flame (ϕ = 0.83) revealed a global fluctuation in both velocity and heat-release around 364 Hz, but no clear evidence of a PVC.

Computations of steady-state and transient premixed turbulent flames using pdf methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hulek, T.; Lindstedt, R.P.

1996-03-01

Premixed propagating turbulent flames are modeled using a one-point, single time, joint velocity-composition probability density function (pdf) closure. The pdf evolution equation is solved using a Monte Carlo method. The unclosed terms in the pdf equation are modeled using a modified version of the binomial Langevin model for scalar mixing of Valino and Dopazo, and the Haworth and Pope (HP) and Lagrangian Speziale-Sarkar-Gatski (LSSG) models for the viscous dissipation of velocity and the fluctuating pressure gradient. The source terms for the presumed one-step chemical reaction are extracted from the rate of fuel consumption in laminar premixed hydrocarbon flames, computed usingmore » a detailed chemical kinetic mechanism. Steady-state and transient solutions are obtained for planar turbulent methane-air and propane-air flames. The transient solution method features a coupling with a Finite Volume (FV) code to obtain the mean pressure field. The results are compared with the burning velocity measurements of Abdel-Gayed et al. and with velocity measurements obtained in freely propagating propane-air flames by Videto and Santavicca. The effects of different upstream turbulence fields, chemical source terms (different fuels and strained/unstrained laminar flames) and the influence of the velocity statistics models (HP and LSSG) are assessed.« less

Flow field and performance characteristics of combustor diffusers: A basic study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hestermann, R.; Kim, S.; Ben Khaled, A.

1995-10-01

Results of a detailed study concerning the influence of geometric as well as fluid mechanic parameters o the performance of a plane model combustor diffuser in cold flow are presented. For a qualitative insight into the complex flow field inside the prediffuser, the sudden expansion region, and the flow field around the flame tube dome, results of a flow visualization study with the hydrogen bubble method as well as with the ink jet method are presented for different opening angles of the prediffuser and for different flame tube distances. Also, quantitative data from detailed measurements with LDV and conventional pressuremore » probes in a geometrically similar air-driven setup are presented. These data clearly demonstrate the effect of boundary layer thickness as well as the influence of different turbulence levels at the entry of the prediffuser on the performance characteristics of combustor diffusers. The possibility of getting an unseparated flow field inside the prediffuser even at large opening angles by appropriately matching the diffuser`s opening angle and the flame tube distance is demonstrated. Also, for flows with an increased turbulence level at the entrance--all other conditions held constant--an increased opening angle can be realized without experiencing flow separation. The comparison of the experimental data with predictions utilizing a finite-volume-code based on a body-fitted coordinate system for diffusers with an included total opening angle less than 18 deg demonstrates the capability of describing the flow field in combustor diffusers with reasonable accuracy.« less

Combustion Diagnostic Development and Application. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-01

diffusion flames in co- flowing air are experimentally determined . The fuel gases are methane and propane. The inert gases are helium argon and nitrogen. The...at one instant of time. The flame is not intentionally forced either experimentally or computationally. The computational flow field is illuminated via...by buoyant forces . At low and transitional fuel flow rates, the rotation of these outside vortices create a dynamic bulging motion in the flame surface

An Overview of Combustion Mechanisms and Flame Structures for Advanced Solid Propellants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckstead, M. W.

2000-01-01

Ammonium perchlorate (AP) and cyclotretamethylenetetranitramine (HMX) are two solid ingredients often used in modern solid propellants. Although these two ingredients have very similar burning rates as monopropellants, they lead to significantly different characteristics when combined with binders to form propellants. Part of the purpose of this paper is to relate the observed combustion characteristics to the postulated flame structures and mechanisms for AP and HMX propellants that apparently lead to these similarities and differences. For AP composite, the primary diffusion flame is more energetic than the monopropellant flame, leading to an increase in burning rate over the monopropellant rate. In contrast the HMX primary diffusion flame is less energetic than the HMX monopropellant flame and ultimately leads to a propellant rate significantly less than the monopropellant rate in composite propellants. During the past decade the search for more energetic propellants and more environmentally acceptable propellants is leading to the development of propellants based on ingredients other than AP and HMX. The objective of this paper is to utilize the more familiar combustion characteristics of AP and HMX containing propellants to project the combustion characteristics of propellants made up of more advanced ingredients. The principal conclusion reached is that most advanced ingredients appear to burn by combustion mechanisms similar to HMX containing propellants rather than AP propellants.

An investigation of late-combustion soot burnout in a DI diesel engine using simultaneous planar imaging of soot and OH radical

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John E. Dec; Peter L. Kelly-Zion

Diesel engine design continues to be driven by the need to improve performance while at the same time achieving further reductions in emissions. The development of new designs to accomplish these goals requires an understanding of how the emissions are produced in the engine. Laser-imaging diagnostics are uniquely capable of providing this information, and the understanding of diesel combustion and emissions formation has been advanced considerably in recent years by their application. However, previous studies have generally focused on the early and middle stages of diesel combustion. These previous laser-imaging studies do provide important insight into the soot formation andmore » oxidation processes during the main combustion event. They indicate that prior to the end of injection, soot formation is initiated by fuel-rich premixed combustion (equivalence ratio > 4) near the upstream limit of the luminous portion of the reacting fuel jet. The soot is then oxidized at the diffusion flame around the periphery of the luminous plume. Under typical diesel engine conditions, the diffusion flame does not burn the remaining fuel and soot as rapidly as it is supplied, resulting in an expanding region of rich combustion products and soot. This is evident in natural emission images by the increasing size of the luminous soot cloud prior to the end of injection. Hence, the amount of soot in the combustion chamber typically increases until shortly after the end of fuel injection, at which time the main soot formation period ends and the burnout phase begins. Sampling valve and two-color pyrometry data indicate that the vast majority (more than 90%) of the soot formed is oxidized before combustion ends; however, it is generally thought that a small fraction of this soot from the main combustion zones is not consumed and is the source of tail pipe soot emissions.« less

OH PLIF Visualization of a Premixed Ethylene-fueled Dual-Mode Scramjet Combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cantu, Luca M. L.; Gallo, Emanuela C. A.; Cutler, Andrew D.; Danehy, Paul M.; Johansen, Craig T.; Rockwell, Robert D.; Goyne, Christopher P.; McDaniel, James C.

2016-01-01

Hydroxyl radical (OH) planar induced laser fluorescence (PLIF) measurements have been performed in a small-scale scramjet combustor at the University of Virginia Aerospace Research Laboratory at nominal simulated Mach 5 enthalpy. OH lines were carefully chosen to have fluorescent signal that is independent of pressure and temperature but linear with mole fraction. The OH PLIF signal was imaged in planes orthogonal to and parallel to the freestream flow at different equivalence ratios. Flameout limits were tested and identified. Instantaneous planar images were recorded and analyzed to compare the results with width increased dual-pump enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (WIDECARS) measurements in the same facility and large eddy simulation/Reynolds average Navier-Stokes (LES/RANS) numerical simulation. The flame angle was found to be approximately 10 degrees for several different conditions, which is in agreement with numerical predictions and measurements using WIDECARS. Finally, a comparison between NO PLIF non-combustion cases and OH PLIF combustion cases is provided: the comparison reveals that the dominant effect of flame propagation is freestream turbulence rather than heat release and concentration gradients.

Evaluation of diffusivity in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland: 3D turbo field echo with diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium preparation.

PubMed

Hiwatashi, A; Yoshiura, T; Togao, O; Yamashita, K; Kikuchi, K; Kobayashi, K; Ohga, M; Sonoda, S; Honda, H; Obara, M

2014-01-01

3D turbo field echo with diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium preparation is a non-echo-planar technique for DWI, which enables high-resolution DWI without field inhomogeneity-related image distortion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo in evaluating diffusivity in the normal pituitary gland. First, validation of diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo was attempted by comparing it with echo-planar DWI. Five healthy volunteers were imaged by using diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo and echo-planar DWI. The imaging voxel size was 1.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 mm(3) for diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo and 1.5 × 1.9 × 3.0 mm(3) for echo-planar DWI. ADCs measured by the 2 methods in 15 regions of interests (6 in gray matter and 9 in white matter) were compared by using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The ADC in the pituitary anterior lobe was then measured in 10 volunteers by using diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo, and the results were compared with those in the pons and vermis by using a paired t test. The ADCs from the 2 methods showed a strong correlation (r = 0.79; P < .0001), confirming the accuracy of the ADC measurement with the diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium sequence. The ADCs in the normal pituitary gland were 1.37 ± 0.13 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s, which were significantly higher than those in the pons (1.01 ± 0.24 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s) and the vermis (0.89 ± 0.25 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s, P < .01). We demonstrated that diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo is feasible in assessing ADC in the pituitary gland.

Planar measurements of soot volume fraction and OH in a JP-8 pool fire

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Henriksen, Tara L.; Ring, Terry A.; Eddings, Eric G.

2009-07-15

The simultaneous measurement of soot volume fraction by laser induced incandescence (LII) and qualitative imaging of OH by laser induced fluorescence (LIF) was performed in a JP-8 pool fire contained in a 152 mm diameter pan. Line of sight extinction was used to calibrate the LII system in a laminar flame, and to provide an independent method of measuring average soot volume fraction in the turbulent flame. The presence of soot in the turbulent flame was found to be approximately 50% probable, resulting in high levels of optical extinction, which increased slightly through the flame from approximately 30% near themore » base, to approximately 50% at the tip. This high soot loading pushes both techniques toward their detection limit. Nevertheless, useful accuracy was obtained, with the LII measurement of apparent extinction in the turbulent flame being approximately 21% lower than a direct measurement, consistent with the influence of signal trapping. The axial and radial distributions of soot volume fraction are presented, along with PDFs of volume fraction, and new insight into the behavior of soot sheets in pool fires are sought from the simultaneous measurements of OH and LII. (author)« less

Transition fronts of time periodic bistable reaction-diffusion equations in RN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheng, Wei-Jie; Guo, Hong-Jun

2018-09-01

This paper is concerned with the existence and qualitative properties of transition fronts for time periodic bistable reaction-diffusion equations in RN. We first show that any almost-planar transition front is actually planar, regardless of the number of transition layers. Then we prove that all transition fronts admit a global mean speed γ and it holds γ = | c |, where c is the speed of the planar traveling front. Finally we establish the existence of a transition front in RN that is not a standard traveling front. Such a front behaves like three moving time periodic planar fronts as time goes to -∞ and like a time periodic V-shaped traveling front as time goes to ∞.

Effects of pressure and fuel dilution on coflow laminar methane-air diffusion flames: A computational and experimental study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Su; Ma, Bin; Giassi, Davide; Bennett, Beth Anne V.; Long, Marshall B.; Smooke, Mitchell D.

2018-03-01

In this study, the influence of pressure and fuel dilution on the structure and geometry of coflow laminar methane-air diffusion flames is examined. A series of methane-fuelled, nitrogen-diluted flames has been investigated both computationally and experimentally, with pressure ranging from 1.0 to 2.7 atm and CH4 mole fraction ranging from 0.50 to 0.65. Computationally, the MC-Smooth vorticity-velocity formulation was employed to describe the reactive gaseous mixture, and soot evolution was modelled by sectional aerosol equations. The governing equations and boundary conditions were discretised on a two-dimensional computational domain by finite differences, and the resulting set of fully coupled, strongly nonlinear equations was solved simultaneously at all points using a damped, modified Newton's method. Experimentally, chemiluminescence measurements of CH* were taken to determine its relative concentration profile and the structure of the flame front. A thin-filament ratio pyrometry method using a colour digital camera was employed to determine the temperature profiles of the non-sooty, atmospheric pressure flames, while soot volume fraction was quantified, after evaluation of soot temperature, through an absolute light calibration using a thermocouple. For a broad spectrum of flames in atmospheric and elevated pressures, the computed and measured flame quantities were examined to characterise the influence of pressure and fuel dilution, and the major conclusions were as follows: (1) maximum temperature increases with increasing pressure or CH4 concentration; (2) lift-off height decreases significantly with increasing pressure, modified flame length is roughly independent of pressure, and flame radius decreases with pressure approximately as P-1/2; and (3) pressure and fuel stream dilution significantly affect the spatial distribution and the peak value of the soot volume fraction.

Near-Limit Flamelet Phenomena in Buoyant Low Stretch Diffusion Flames Beneath a Solid Fuel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, S. L.; Tien, J. S.

2000-01-01

A unique near-limit low stretch multidimensional stable flamelet phenomena has been observed for the first time which extends the material flammability limit beyond the one-dimensional low stretch flammability limit to lower burning rates and higher relative heat losses than is possible with uniform flame coverage. During low stretch experiments burning the underside of very large radii (greater than or = 75 cm stretch rate less than or = 3/s) cylindrical cast PMMA samples, multidimensional flamelets were observed, in contrast with a one-dimensional flame that was found to blanket the surface for smaller radii samples ( higher stretch rate). Flamelets were observed by decreasing the stretch rate or by increasing the conductive heat loss from the flame. Flamelets are defined as flames that cover only part of the burning sample at any given time, but persist for many minutes. Flamelet phenomena is viewed as the flame's method of enhancing oxygen flow to the flame, through oxygen transport into the edges of the flamelet. Flamelets form as heat losses (surface radiation and solid-phase conduction) become large relative to the weakened heat release of the low stretch flame. While heat loss rates remain fairly constant, the limiting factor in the heat release of the flame is hypothesized to be the oxygen transport to the flame in this low stretch (low convective) environment. Flamelet extinction is frequently caused by encroachment of an adjacent flamelet. Large-scale whole-body flamelet oscillations at 1.2 - 1.95 Hz are noted prior to extinction of a flamelet. This oscillation is believed to be due a repeated process of excess fuel leakage through the dark channels between the flamelets, fuel premixing with slow incoming oxidizer, and subsequent rapid flame spread and retreat of the flamelet through the premixed layer. The oscillation frequency is driven by gas-phase diffusive time scales.

Apparatus for producing nanoscale ceramic powders

DOEpatents

Helble, Joseph J.; Moniz, Gary A.; Morse, Theodore F.

1997-02-04

An apparatus provides high temperature and short residence time conditions for the production of nanoscale ceramic powders. The apparatus includes a confinement structure having a multiple inclined surfaces for confining flame located between the surfaces so as to define a flame zone. A burner system employs one or more burners to provide flame to the flame zone. Each burner is located in the flame zone in close proximity to at least one of the inclined surfaces. A delivery system disposed adjacent the flame zone delivers an aerosol, comprising an organic or carbonaceous carrier material and a ceramic precursor, to the flame zone to expose the aerosol to a temperature sufficient to induce combustion of the carrier material and vaporization and nucleation, or diffusion and oxidation, of the ceramic precursor to form pure, crystalline, narrow size distribution, nanophase ceramic particles.

Apparatus for producing nanoscale ceramic powders

DOEpatents

Helble, Joseph J.; Moniz, Gary A.; Morse, Theodore F.

1995-09-05

An apparatus provides high temperature and short residence time conditions for the production of nanoscale ceramic powders. The apparatus includes a confinement structure having a multiple inclined surfaces for confining flame located between the surfaces so as to define a flame zone. A burner system employs one or more burners to provide flame to the flame zone. Each burner is located in the flame zone in close proximity to at least one of the inclined surfaces. A delivery system disposed adjacent the flame zone delivers an aerosol, comprising an organic or carbonaceous carrier material and a ceramic precursor, to the flame zone to expose the aerosol to a temperature sufficient to induce combustion of the carrier material and vaporization and nucleation, or diffusion and oxidation, of the ceramic precursor to form pure, crystalline, narrow size distribution, nanophase ceramic particles.

Enhanced Synthesis of Carbon Nanomaterials Using Acoustically Excited Methane Diffusion Flames

PubMed Central

Hou, Shuhn-Shyurng; Chen, Kuan-Ming; Yang, Zong-Yun; Lin, Ta-Hui

2015-01-01

Acoustically modulated methane jet diffusion flames were used to enhance carbon nanostructure synthesis. A catalytic nickel substrate was employed to collect the deposit materials at sampling position z = 10 mm above the burner exit. The fabrication of carbon nano-onions (CNOs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was significantly enhanced by acoustic excitation at frequencies near the natural flickering frequency (ƒ = 20 Hz) and near the acoustically resonant frequency (ƒ = 90 Hz), respectively. At these characteristic frequencies, flow mixing was markedly enhanced by acoustic excitation, and a flame structure with a bright slender core flame was generated, which provided a favorable flame environment for the growth of carbon nanomaterials. The production rate of CNOs was high at 20 Hz (near the natural flickering frequency), at which the gas temperature was about 680 °C. Additionally, a quantity of CNTs was obtained at 70–95 Hz, near the acoustically resonant frequency, at which the gas temperature was between 665 and 830 °C. However, no carbon nanomaterials were synthesized at other frequencies. The enhanced synthesis of CNOs and CNTs is attributed to the strong mixing of the fuel and oxidizer due to the acoustic excitation at resonant frequencies. PMID:28793473

Chemiluminescence of BO{sub 2} to map the creation of thermal NO in flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maligne, D.; Cessou, A.; Stepowski, D.

The aim of this study is to detect and map the local conditions that generate thermal NO in flames. According to the Zeldovich mechanism, the formation of NO comes from the local conjunction of a high concentration of atomic oxygen and a temperature above a critical high level imposed by the high activation energy of the rate-limiting reaction. The green light emitted when a flame is seeded with boron salts is a chemiluminescence from the BO{sup *}{sub 2} that is chemically formed in its excited state when BO reacts with atomic oxygen. As the rate of this oxidation is alsomore » strongly increasing with temperature, the chemiluminescence of BO{sub 2} depends on the concentration of atomic oxygen and on the temperature in a way similar to the formation rate of thermal NO. This double analogy suggests the possibility of an experimental in situ simulation of the formation rate of thermal NO or at least the use of the chemiluminescence of BO{sub 2} to map the sites where thermal NO is being created. Spectroscopic experiments and comparisons with numerical simulations have been performed to test the feasibility of this technique in laminar premixed and diffusion methane/air flames. The agreement is good except in the burnt gases of fuel-rich flames. Imaging strategies with different spectral filters have been developed in the same flames to overcome the problem of interference from soot radiation in diffusion flames. (author)« less

Dynamics of Isolated and Interacting Flame Structures in Strongly-Pulsed, Turbulent Jet Flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fregeau, Mathieu; Liao, Ying-Hao; Hermanson, James; Stocker, Dennis; Hegde, Uday

2007-11-01

The dynamics of the large-scale structures in strongly-pulsed, turbulent diffusion flames were studied in normal- and microgravity. Cross-correlation of temperature measurements and high-speed flame imaging were used to estimate the celerity of the flame structures. Both diagnostics indicate a marked increase in celerity with the increasing flame puff interaction as the jet off-time decreases. The celerity is also generally higher for shorter injection times, which yield more compact flame puffs. These trends are seen both for the case of fixed injection velocity as well as for the case of fixed fueling rate. The celerity correlates well with the inverse downstream distance scaled with an appropriate injection parameter, suggesting that the impact of buoyancy can be partially accounted for by the corresponding changes in the mean flame length. Differences in the values of celerity determined by the temperature and visual techniques can be attributed to nature of the evolution of the flame puffs with downstream distance.

Modeling local extinction in turbulent combustion using an embedding method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knaus, Robert; Pantano, Carlos

2012-11-01

Local regions of extinction in diffusion flames, called ``flame holes,'' can reduce the efficiency of combustion and increase the production of certain pollutants. At sufficiently high speeds, a flame may also be lifted from the rim of the burner to a downstream location that may be stable. These two phenomena share a common underlying mechanism of propagation related to edge-flame dynamics where chemistry and fluid mechanics are equally important. We present a formulation that describes the formation, propagation, and growth of flames holes on the stoichiometric surface using edge flame dynamics. The boundary separating the flame from the quenched region is modeled using a progress variable defined on the moving stoichiometric surface that is embedded in the three-dimensional space using an extension algorithm. This Cartesian problem is solved using a high-order finite-volume WENO method extended to this nonconservative problem. This algorithm can track the dynamics of flame holes in a turbulent reacting-shear layer and model flame liftoff without requiring full chemistry calculations.

Innovative scheme for high-repetition-rate imaging of CN radical.

PubMed

Satija, Aman; Ruesch, Morgan D; Powell, Michael S; Son, Steven F; Lucht, Robert P

2018-02-01

We have employed, to the best of our knowledge, a novel excitation scheme to perform the first high-repetition-rate planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of a CN radical in combustion. The third harmonic of a Nd:YVO 4 laser at 355 nm due to its relatively large linewidth overlaps with several R branch transitions in a CN ground electronic state. Therefore, the 355 nm beam was employed to directly excite the CN transitions with good efficiency. The CN measurements were performed in premixed CH 4 -N 2 O flames with varying equivalence ratios. A detailed characterization of the high-speed CN PLIF imaging system is presented via its ability to capture statistical and dynamical information in these premixed flames. Single-shot CN PLIF images obtained over a HMX pellet undergoing self-supported deflagration are presented as an example of the imaging system being applied towards characterizing the flame structure of energetic materials.

A DNS study of the physical mechanisms associated with density ratio influence on turbulent burning velocity in premixed flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipatnikov, Andrei N.; Chomiak, Jerzy; Sabelnikov, Vladimir A.; Nishiki, Shinnosuke; Hasegawa, Tatsuya

2018-01-01

Data obtained in 3D direct numerical simulations of statistically planar, 1D weakly turbulent flames characterised by different density ratios σ are analysed to study the influence of thermal expansion on flame surface area and burning rate. Results show that, on the one hand, the pressure gradient induced within a flame brush owing to heat release in flamelets significantly accelerates the unburned gas that deeply intrudes into the combustion products in the form of an unburned mixture finger, thus causing large-scale oscillations of the burning rate and flame brush thickness. Under the conditions of the present simulations, the contribution of this mechanism to the creation of the flame surface area is substantial and is increased by σ, thus implying an increase in the burning rate by σ. On the other hand, the total flame surface areas simulated at σ = 7.53 and 2.5 are approximately equal. The apparent inconsistency between these results implies the existence of another thermal expansion effect that reduces the influence of σ on the flame surface area and burning rate. Investigation of the issue shows that the flow acceleration by the combustion-induced pressure gradient not only creates the flame surface area by pushing the finger tip into the products, but also mitigates wrinkling of the flame surface (the side surface of the finger) by turbulent eddies. The latter effect is attributed to the high-speed (at σ = 7.53) axial flow of the unburned gas, which is induced by the axial pressure gradient within the flame brush (and the finger). This axial flow acceleration reduces the residence time of a turbulent eddy in an unburned zone of the flame brush (e.g. within the finger). Therefore, the capability of the eddy for wrinkling the flamelet surface (e.g. the side finger surface) is weakened owing to a shorter residence time.

Structural aspects of coaxial oxy-fuel flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ditaranto, M.; Sautet, J. C.; Samaniego, J. M.

Oxy-fuel combustion has been proven to increase thermal efficiency and to have a potential for NOx emission reduction. The study of 25-kW turbulent diffusion flames of natural gas with pure oxygen is undertaken on a coaxial burner with quarl. The structural properties are analysed by imaging the instantaneous reaction zone by OH* chemiluminescence and measuring scalar and velocity profiles. The interaction between the flame front and the shear layers present in the coaxial jets depends on the momentum ratio which dictates the turbulent structure development. Flame length and NOx emission sensitivity to air leaks in the combustion chamber are also investigated.

Single-shot hyperspectral coherent Raman planar imaging in the range 0–4200 cm⁻¹

DOE PAGES

Bohlin, Alexis; Kliewer, Christopher J.

2014-10-23

We propose a technique for ultrabroadband planar coherent Raman spectroscopy that enables wideband chemically selective mapping of molecular partition functions in the gas-phase within a single-laser-shot. A spectral region spanning 0–4200 cm⁻¹ is excited simultaneously, in principle allowing for coherent planar imaging of most all fundamental Raman-active modes. This unique instantaneous and spatially correlated assessment enables multiplexed studies of transient dynamical systems in a two-dimensional (2D) field. Here, we demonstrate single-laser-shot high temperature diagnostics of H₂, with spatially resolved 2D measurement of transitions of both the pure-rotational H₂ S-branch and the vibrational H₂ Q-branch, analyzing the temperature contour of amore » reacting fuel-species as it evolves at a flame-front.« less

An Experimental Investigation of Premixed Combustion in Extreme Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wabel, Timothy Michael

This work has explored various aspects of high Reynolds number combustion that have received much previous speculation. A new high-Reynolds number premixed Bunsen burner, called Hi-Pilot, was designed to produce turbulence intensities in the extreme range of turbulence. The burner was modified several times in order to prevent boundary layer separation in the nozzle, and a large co-flow was designed that was capable of maintaining reactions over the entire flame surface. Velocity and turbulence characteristics were measured using a combination of Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Flame structure was studied using a combination of formaldehyde (CH2O), hydroxyl (OH), and the CH radical. Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). The spatial Overlap of formaldehyde and OH PLIF qualitatively measures the reaction rate between formaldehyde molecules and OH radicals, and is a measure of the reaction layers of the flame. CH PLIF provides an alternative measure of the reaction zone, and was measured to compare with the Overlap PLIF results. Reaction layers are the full-width at half-maximum of the Overlap or CH PLIF signal, and extinction events were defined as regions where the PLIF signal drops below this threshold. Preheat structures were measured using formaldehyde PLIF, and are defined as beginning at 35% of the local maximum PLIF signal, and continue up to the leading edge of the reaction layer. Previous predictions of regime diagram boundaries were tested at the largest values of turbulent Reynolds number to date. The Overlap and CH PLIF diagnostics allowed extensive testing of the predicted broken reaction zones boundary of Peters. Measurements indicated that all run conditions are in the Broadened Preheat - Thin Reaction layers regime, but several conditions are expected to display a broken reaction zone structure. Therefore the work shows that Peters's predicted boundary is not correct, and therefore a Karlovitz number of 100 is not a valid criteria for broken reactions in the Bunsen geometry. Several measures of the turbulent burning velocity, including the global consumption speed and the extent of flamelet wrinkling, were measured at these conditions. Reaction layers for the burning velocity measurements were provided by the OH PLIF. The measurements showed that the global consumption speed continues to increase for all levels of turbulence intensity u'/SL. In contrast, the flame surface wrinkling rapidly increases the flame surface area for u'/SL < 10, but the flame surface area does not increase further at larger turbulence intensities. This indicates that the flame is not in the laminar flamelet regime, and the consumption rate per unit of flame surface area must be increased. The turbulent diffusivity is thought to be the mechanism enhancing the consumption rate, which is a scenario first hypothesized by Damkohler. The flame structure and burning velocity measurements motivated the measurements of the evolution of turbulence through regions of very thick preheat layers. This measurement utilized simultaneous PIV and formaldehyde PLIF in order to obtain conditioned statistics of the turbulence as a function of eta, the distance from the reaction layer. Together, the results tell a consistent story, and deepen our understanding of premixed combustion at large turbulent Reynolds number.

Great (Flame) Balls of Fire! Structure of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number-2 (SOFBALL-2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronney, Paul; Weiland, Karen J.; Over, Ann (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Everyone knows that an automobile engine wastes fuel and energy when it runs with a fuel-rich mixture. 'Lean' burning, mixing in more air and less fuel, is better for the environment. But lean mixtures also lead to engine misfiring and rough operation. No one knows the ultimate limits for lean operation, for 'weak' combustion that is friendly to the environment while still moving us around. This is where the accidental verification of a decades-old prediction may have strong implications for designing and running low-emissions engines in the 21st century. In 1944, Soviet physicist Yakov Zeldovich predicted that stationary, spherical flames are possible under limited conditions in lean fuel-air mixtures. Dr. Paul Ronney of the University of Southern California accidentally discovered such 'flame balls' in experiments with lean hydrogen-air mixtures in 1984 during drop-tower experiments that provided just 2.2 seconds of near weightlessness. Experiments aboard NASA's low-g aircraft confirmed the results, but a thorough investigation was hampered by the aircraft's bumpy ride. And stable flame balls can only exist in microgravity. The potential for investigating combustion at the limits of flammability, and the implications for spacecraft fire safety, led to the Structure of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number (SOFBALL) experiment flown twice aboard the Space Shuttle on the Microgravity Sciences Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) in 1997. Success there led to the planned reflight on STS-107. Flame balls are the weakest fires yet produced in space or on Earth. Typically each flame ball produced only 1 watt of thermal power. By comparison, a birthday candle produces 50 watts. The Lewis-number measures the rate of diffusion of fuel into the flame ball relative to the rate of diffusion of heat away from the flame ball. Lewis-number mixtures conduct heat poorly. Hydrogen and methane are the only fuels that provide low enough Lewis-numbers to produce stable flame balls, and even then only for very weak, barely flammable mixtures. Nevertheless, under these conditions flame balls give scientists the opportunity to test models in one of the simplest combustion experiments possible. SOFBALL-2 science objectives include: Improving our understanding of the flame ball phenomenon; Determining the conditions under which flame balls exist; Testing predictions of flame ball lifetimes; Acquiring more precise data for critical model comparison.

A MODEL OF TURBULENT DIFFUSION FLAMES AND NITRIC OXIDE GENERATION

EPA Science Inventory

The report describes a new view of mixing and chemical reactions in turbulent fuel jets discharging into air. Review of available fundamental data from jet flames leads to the idea that mixing begins with a large scale, inviscid intertwining of entrained air and fuel throughout t...

Excitable dynamics in high-Lewis number premixed gas combustion at normal and microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearlman, Howard

1995-01-01

Freely-propagating, premixed gas flames in high-Lewis (Le) number, quiescent mixtures are studied experimentally in tubes of various diameter at normal (lg) and microgravity (mu g). A premixture of lean butane and oxygen diluted with helium, argon, neon, nitrogen or a mixture of multiple diluents is examined such that the thermal diffusivity of the mixture (and to a lesser extent, the mass diffusivity of the rate-limiting component) is systematically varied. In effect, different diluents allow variation of the Le without changing the chemistry. The flames are recorded with high speed cinematography and their stability is visually assessed. Different modes of propagation were observed depending on the diameter of the tubes (different conductive heat loss), the composition of the mixture and the g-level. At 1g, four modes of propagation were observed in small and intermediate diameter tubes (large conductive heat loss): (1) steadily propagating flames, (2) radial and longitudinal pulsating flames, (3) 'wavering' flames, and (4) rotating spiral flames. As the diameter of the tube increases, the radial modes become more pronounced while the longitudinal modes systematically disappear. Also, multiple, simultaneous, spatially-separated 'pacemaker' sites are observed in intermediate and large diameter tubes. Each site starts as a small region of high luminosity and develops into a flamelet which assumes the form of one of the fore mentioned modes. These flamelets eventually interact, annihilate each other in their regions of intersection and merge at their newly created free-ends. For very large tubes, radially-propagating wave-trains (believed to be 'trigger waves') are observed. These are analogous to the radial pulsations observed in the smaller diameter tubes. At mu g, three modes of propagation have been observed: (1) steadily propagating flames, (2) radial and longitudinal pulsating flames, and (3) multi-armed, rotating flames. Since the pulsating mode exists at mu g and 1g, buoyant flicker is not the mechanism which drives the pulsations. Moreover, all of the instabilities at 1g and mu g have characteristic frequencies on the O(100Hz). This value is lower than the fundamental, longitudinal acoustic frequencies of the tubes which suggests that the instabilities are not acoustically driven. The patterns formed by this reaction bear remarkable similarities with the patterns formed in most excitable media when the behavior of the system is driven by couplings between chemical reaction and diffusion (e.g., Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, Patterns in slime molds, spiral waves in the retina of a bird's eye). While it is recognized that the chemical mechanism associated with this premixed gas reaction is exponentially sensitive to temperature and undoubtedly different from those which govern previously observed excitable media (most are isothermal, or weakly exothermic, liquid phase reactions), similar spatial and temporal patterns should not come as a complete surprise considering heat and mass diffusion are self similar. It is concluded that this premixed gas system is a definitive example of a diffusive-thermal, gas-phase oscillator based on these experimental results and their favorable comparison with theory.

Numerical study of the direct pressure effect of acoustic waves in planar premixed flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmidt, H.; Jimenez, C.

Recently the unsteady response of 1-D premixed flames to acoustic pressure waves for the range of frequencies below and above the inverse of the flame transit time was investigated experimentally using OH chemiluminescence Wangher (2008). They compared the frequency dependence of the measured response to the prediction of an analytical model proposed by Clavin et al. (1990), derived from the standard flame model (one-step Arrhenius kinetics) and to a similar model proposed by McIntosh (1991). Discrepancies between the experimental results and the model led to the conclusion that the standard model does not provide an adequate description of the unsteadymore » response of real flames and that it is necessary to investigate more realistic chemical models. Here we follow exactly this suggestion and perform numerical studies of the response of lean methane flames using different reaction mechanisms. We find that the global flame response obtained with both detailed chemistry (GRI3.0) and a reduced multi-step model by Peters (1996) lies slightly above the predictions of the analytical model, but is close to experimental results. We additionally used an irreversible one-step Arrhenius reaction model and show the effect of the pressure dependence of the global reaction rate in the flame response. Our results suggest first that the current models have to be extended to capture the amplitude and phase results of the detailed mechanisms, and second that the correlation between the heat release and the measured OH* chemiluminescence should be studied deeper. (author)« less

Aerolization During Boron Nanoparticle Multi-Component Fuel Group Burning Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-03

Anderson, University of Utah). …………………… 14 Figure 2. Photograph of group burning facility showing benchtop flat flame burner unit with injector nozzle ...and (B) aerosol generator. 16 Figure 6. Diagram of benchtop flat flame burner unit showing injector nozzle assembly with VOAG orifice, fuel and...translation stage, variable fuel and gas supply rates, and injector nozzles that can be configured to investigate diffusion and premixed flames (Fig. 2 & 3

Synthesis and Reactivity of Aluminized Fluorinated Acrylic (AIFA) Nanocomposites (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-18

et al . / Combustion and Flame 159 (2012) 3199–3207fuel must diffuse through the oxide to react with oxygen in the va por phase [11,12]. The potential...fil tered product was then dried in a vacuum desiccator to remove r public release; distribution unlimited. C.A. Crouse et al . / Combustion and Flame...unlimited. C.A. Crouse et al . / Combustion and Flame 159 (2012) 3199–3207 3207STT Initiative in Nanoenergetics. Their support is gratefully

Evaluation of the flame propagation within an SI engine using flame imaging and LES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Chao; Kuenne, Guido; Yildar, Esra; van Oijen, Jeroen; di Mare, Francesca; Sadiki, Amsini; Ding, Carl-Philipp; Baum, Elias; Peterson, Brian; Böhm, Benjamin; Janicka, Johannes

2017-11-01

This work shows experiments and simulations of the fired operation of a spark ignition engine with port-fuelled injection. The test rig considered is an optically accessible single cylinder engine specifically designed at TU Darmstadt for the detailed investigation of in-cylinder processes and model validation. The engine was operated under lean conditions using iso-octane as a substitute for gasoline. Experiments have been conducted to provide a sound database of the combustion process. A planar flame imaging technique has been applied within the swirl- and tumble-planes to provide statistical information on the combustion process to complement a pressure-based comparison between simulation and experiments. This data is then analysed and used to assess the large eddy simulation performed within this work. For the simulation, the engine code KIVA has been extended by the dynamically thickened flame model combined with chemistry reduction by means of pressure dependent tabulation. Sixty cycles have been simulated to perform a statistical evaluation. Based on a detailed comparison with the experimental data, a systematic study has been conducted to obtain insight into the most crucial modelling uncertainties.

Effects of porous insert on flame dynamics in a lean premixed swirl-stabilized combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Marcus; Agrawal, Ajay; Allen, James; Kornegay, John

2016-11-01

In this study, we investigated different methods of determining the effect a porous insert has on flame dynamics during lean premixed combustion. A metallic porous insert is used to mitigate instabilities in a swirl-stabilized combustor. Thermoacoustic instabilities are seen as negative consequences of lean premixed combustion and eliminating them is the motivation for our research. Three different diagnostics techniques with high-speed Photron SA5 cameras were used to monitor flame characteristics. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to observe vortical structures and recirculation zones within the combustor. Using planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF), we were able to observe changes in the reaction zones during instabilities. Finally, utilizing a color high-speed camera, visual images depicting a flame's oscillations during the instability were captured. Using these monitoring techniques, we are able to support the claims made in previous studies stating that the porous insert in the combustor significantly reduces the thermoacoustic instability. Funding for this research was provided by the NSF REU site Grant EEC 1358991 and NASA Grant NNX13AN14A.

An experimental study of opposed flow diffusion flame extinction over a thin fuel in microgravity. M.S. Thesis. Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferkul, Paul V.

1989-01-01

The flame spread and flame extinction characteristics of a thin fuel burning in a low-speed forced convective environment in microgravity were examined. The flame spread rate was observed to decrease both with decreasing ambient oxygen concentration as well as decreasing free stream velocity. A new mode of flame extinction was observed, caused by either of two means: keeping the free stream velocity constant and decreasing the oxygen concentration, or keeping the oxygen concentration constant and decreasing the free stream velocity. This extinction is called quenching extinction. By combining this data together with a previous microgravity quiescent flame study and normal-gravity blowoff extinction data, a flammability map was constructed with molar percentage oxygen and characteristic relative velocity as coordinates. The Damkohler number is not sufficient to predict flame spread and extinction in the near quench limit region.

Ionization and chemiluminescence during the progressive aeration of methane flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weinberg, Felix; Carleton, Fred

Saturation currents and chemiluminescence, especially at the CH{sup *} and C{sub 2}{sup *} wavelengths, are measured for a range of small, laminar methane flames during progressive addition of air, with the principal objective of distinguishing between pure diffusion flames, premixed flames of compositions falling between the upper and lower flammability limits, and the broad range of aerated flames lying in between these regimes. Flame areas defined by the loci of maximum luminosity and by schlieren contours were recorded, so that saturation current densities, CH{sup *} and C{sub 2}{sup *} emission per unit flame area, as well as burning velocities couldmore » be deduced. For admixtures of less than 70 vol.%, air appears to act, surprisingly, as an inert diluent as regards saturation currents, so that saturation currents are essentially proportional to fuel flow alone. Much the same applies to chemiluminescence. However, schlieren contours, which were recorded both to provide a basis for burning velocity measurements and to explore density changes in the reactants, indicated the presence of a burner - stabilised propagating reaction zone ahead of the luminous flame surface starting at around 50 vol.% and possibly even at lower air admixtures. This evidence of a steep change in refractive index is indicative of a premixed reaction zone involving the added oxygen, which however generates no chemi-ionization and emits no light. Even photographing the flame by radiation emitted at the CH{sup *} and C{sub 2}{sup *} wavelengths shows no sign of its existence. Its burning velocity is about 10 cm/s, when stabilized by the surrounding diffusion flame. The most plausible rationale for these observations is the formation of syngas by the partial oxidation of methane. The subsequent burning of CO and H{sub 2} is known to occur without chemi-ionization or appreciable light emission. (author)« less

Gravitational Effects on Cellular Flame Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunsky, C. M.; Fernandez-Pello, A. C.

1991-01-01

An experimental investigation has been conducted of the effect of gravity on the structure of downwardly propagating, cellular premixed propane-oxygen-nitrogen flames anchored on a water-cooled porous-plug burner. The flame is subjected to microgravity conditions in the NASA Lewis 2.2-second drop tower, and flame characteristics are recorded on high-speed film. These are compared to flames at normal gravity conditions with the same equivalence ratio, dilution index, mixture flow rate, and ambient pressure. The results show that the cellular instability band, which is located in the rich mixture region, changes little under the absence of gravity. Lifted normal-gravity flames near the cellular/lifted limits, however, are observed to become cellular when gravity is reduced. Observations of a transient cell growth period following ignition point to heat loss as being an important mechanism in the overall flame stability, dominating the stabilizing effect of buoyancy for these downwardly-propagating burner-anchored flames. The pulsations that are observed in the plume and diffusion flame generated downstream of the premixed flame in the fuel rich cases disappear in microgravity, verifying that these fluctuations are gravity related.

Effects of fO2, fH2O and aoxide on formation and density of extended planar defects in olivine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgess, K.; Cooper, R. F.

2011-12-01

Melt inclusions are used in geochemistry to inform our understanding of many physiochemical processes taking place in the mantle, such as melting, melt-rock interactions and magma mixing. Fundamental to this interpretation of melt inclusions is the assumption that they act as closed systems, i.e., they are chemically isolated after trapping and preserve primitive magma compositions. However, recent work indicates that volatiles (e.g., H and F) can be rapidly reset [Portnyagin et al., 2008], and the diffusion mechanisms and rates in tracer diffusion experiments, specifically of REEs, are a matter of some debate [Spandler and O'Neill, 2010; Cherniak, 2010]. The compendium of observations and experiments suggests a role of planar extended defects in effecting and affecting diffusion kinetics in olivine. Planar extended defects are the exothermic condensation of charged point defects into two-dimensional structures, their third dimension insufficient (i.e., sub-unit cell) to describe them as a unique phase. These planar defects, in a manner similar to mechanisms of "pipe" diffusion along dislocations and of grain boundary diffusion, can lead to measured diffusivities far greater than the lattice diffusivity, and their overall effect on flux is proportional to their spatial density [cf. Hart, 1957]. High-resolution TEM and AEM investigation of experimental olivine-basalt samples show the presence of planar defects near the olivine-melt interface, with the area fraction of the high-contrast defects in the images being greatest at high fO2 and/or fH2O while temperature has an effect on the defect dimensions but not total areal density. EDS analysis of the interface regions indicate high Ti/Ca and Ti/Al ratios compared to the glass; the stability of intercalated humite-type defects in olivine, a planar defect type found in some natural olivines [e.g., Risold et al., 2001; Hermann et al., 2007], is increased to higher temperature by the incorporation of Ti. Activities of oxides clearly affect the presence and density of the defects. Olivine-ilmenite experiments were also carried out in varying fO2 and fH2O conditions. Thermodynamic calculations for concentrations of point defects, defect association(s) and defect condensation in olivine can relate experimental data for measured diffusivities to discerning natural conditions where condensed-defect, fast-path diffusion in olivine could be significant. Planar extended defects can potentially play a role in the kinetics of deformation of olivine in the mantle, particularly as the condensation reaction lowers the activity of mobile point defects. Cherniak, Am. Mineral. 95 (2010) 362-368. Hart, Acta Met. 5 (1957) 597. Hermann et al., Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 153 (2007) 417-428. Portnyagin et al., Earth Planet. Sci.Lett. 272 (2008) 541-552. Risold et al., Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 142 (2001) 619-628. Spandler and O'Neill, Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 159 (2010) 791-818.

Quantitative Measurements of CH* Concentration in Normal Gravity and Microgravity Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giassi, D.; Cao, S.; Stocker, D. P.; Takahashi, F.; Bennett, B. A.; Smooke, M. D.; Long, M. B.

2015-01-01

With the conclusion of the SLICE campaign aboard the ISS in 2012, a large amount of data was made available for the analysis of the effect of microgravity on laminar coflow diffusion flames. Previous work focused on the study of sooty flames in microgravity as well as the ability of numerical models to predict its formation in a simplified buoyancy-free environment. The current work shifts the investigation to soot-free flames, putting an emphasis on the chemiluminescence emission from electronically excited CH (CH*). This radical species is of significant interest in combustion studies: it has been shown that the CH* spatial distribution is indicative of the flame front position and, given the relatively simple diagnostic involved with its measurement, several works have been done trying to understand the ability of CH* chemiluminescence to predict the total and local flame heat release rate. In this work, a subset of the SLICE nitrogen-diluted methane flames has been considered, and the effect of fuel and coflow velocity on CH* concentration is discussed and compared with both normal gravity results and numerical simulations. Experimentally, the spectral characterization of the DSLR color camera used to acquire the flame images allowed the signal collected by the blue channel to be considered representative of the CH* emission centered around 431 nm. Due to the axisymmetric flame structure, an Abel deconvolution of the line-of-sight chemiluminescence was used to obtain the radial intensity profile and, thanks to an absolute light intensity calibration, a quantification of the CH* concentration was possible. Results show that, in microgravity, the maximum flame CH* concentration increases with the coflow velocity, but it is weakly dependent on the fuel velocity; normal gravity flames, if not lifted, tend to follow the same trend, albeit with different peak concentrations. Comparisons with numerical simulations display reasonably good agreement between measured and computed flame lengths and radii, and it is shown that the integrated CH* emission scales proportionally to the computed total heat release rate; the two-dimensional CH* spatial distribution, however, does not appear to be a good marker for the local heat release rate.

An improved multiple flame photometric detector for gas chromatography.

PubMed

Clark, Adrian G; Thurbide, Kevin B

2015-11-20

An improved multiple flame photometric detector (mFPD) is introduced, based upon interconnecting fluidic channels within a planar stainless steel (SS) plate. Relative to the previous quartz tube mFPD prototype, the SS mFPD provides a 50% reduction in background emission levels, an orthogonal analytical flame, and easier more sensitive operation. As a result, sulfur response in the SS mFPD spans 4 orders of magnitude, yields a minimum detectable limit near 9×10(-12)gS/s, and has a selectivity approaching 10(4) over carbon. The device also exhibits exceptionally large resistance to hydrocarbon response quenching. Additionally, the SS mFPD uniquely allows analyte emission monitoring in the multiple worker flames for the first time. The findings suggest that this mode can potentially further improve upon the analytical flame response of sulfur (both linear HSO, and quadratic S2) and also phosphorus. Of note, the latter is nearly 20-fold stronger in S/N in the collective worker flames response and provides 6 orders of linearity with a detection limit of about 2.0×10(-13)gP/s. Overall, the results indicate that this new SS design notably improves the analytical performance of the mFPD and can provide a versatile and beneficial monitoring tool for gas chromatography. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sooting Limits Of Diffusion Flames With Oxygen-Enriched Air And Diluted Fuel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Stocker, D. P.; Chao, B. H.; Axelbaum, R. L.

2003-01-01

Oxygen-enhanced combustion permits certain benefits and flexibility that are not otherwise available in the design of practical combustors, as discussed by Baukal. The cost of pure and enriched oxygen has declined to the point that oxygen-enhanced combustion is preferable to combustion in air for many applications. Carbon sequestration is greatly facilitated by oxygen enrichment because nitrogen can be eliminated from the product stream. For example, when natural gas (or natural gas diluted with CO2) is burned in pure oxygen, the only significant products are water and CO2. Oxygen-enhanced combustion also has important implications for soot formation, as explored in this work. We propose that soot inception in nonpremixed flames requires a region where C/O ratio, temperature, and residence time are above certain critical values. Soot does not form at low temperatures, with the threshold in nonpremixed flames ranging from about 1250-1650 K, a temperature referred to here as the critical temperature for soot inception, Tc. Soot inception also can be suppressed when residence time is short (equivalently, when the strain rate in counterflow flames is high). Soot induction times of 0.8-15 ms were reported by Tesner and Shurupov for acetylene/nitrogen mixtures at 1473 K. Burner stabilized spherical microgravity flames are employed in this work for two main reasons. First, this configuration offers unrestricted control over convection direction. Second, in steady state these flames are strain-free and thus can yield intrinsic sooting limits in diffusion flames, similar to the way past work in premixed flames has provided intrinsic values of C/O ratio associated with soot inception limits.

Effects of H2O, CO2, and N2 Air Contaminants on Critical Airside Strain Rates for Extinction of Hydrogen-Air Counterflow Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellett, G. L.; Wilson, L. G.; Northam, G. B.; Guerra, Rosemary

1989-01-01

Coaxial tubular opposed jet burners (OJB) were used to form dish shaped counterflow diffusion flames (CFDF), centered by opposing laminar jets of H2, N2 and both clean and contaminated air (O2/N2 mixtures) in an argon bath at 1 atm. Jet velocities for flame extinction and restoration limits are shown versus wide ranges of contaminant and O2 concentrations in the air jet, and also input H2 concentration. Blowoff, a sudden breaking of CFDF to a stable ring shape, occurs in highly stretched stagnation flows and is generally believed to measure kinetically limited flame reactivity. Restore, a sudden restoration of central flame, is a relatively new phenomenon which exhibits a H2 dependent hysteresis from Blowoff. For 25 percent O2 air mixtures, mole for mole replacement of 25 percent N2 contaminant by steam increased U(air) or flame strength at Blowoff by about 5 percent. This result is consistent with laminar burning velocity results from analogous substitution of steam for N2 in a premixed stoichiometric H2-O2-N2 (or steam) flame, shown by Koroll and Mulpuru to promote a 10 percent increase in experimental and calculated laminar burning velocity, due to enhanced third body efficiency of water in: H + O2 + M yields HO2 + M. When the OJB results were compared with Liu and MacFarlane's experimental laminar burning velocity of premixed stoichiometric H2 + air + steam, a crossover occurred, i.e., steam enhanced OJB flame strength at extinction relative to laminar burning velocity.

Laser Raman diagnostics in subsonic and supersonic turbulent jet diffusion flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, T. S.; Wehrmeyer, J. A.; Pitz, R. W.

1991-01-01

Ultraviolet (UV) spontaneous vibrational Raman scattering combined with laser-induced predissociative fluorescence (LIPF) is developed for temperature and multi-species concentration measurements. Simultaneous measurements of temperature, major species (H2, O2, N2, H2O), and minor species (OH) concentrations are made with a 'single' narrow band KrF excimer laser in subsonic and supersonic lifted turbulent hydrogen-air diffusion flames. The UV Raman system is calibrated with a flat-flame diffusion burner operated at several known equivalence ratios from fuel-lean to fuel-rich. Temperature measurements made by the ratio of Stokes/anti-Stokes signal and by the ideal gas law are compared. The single shot measurement precision for concentration and temperature measurement is 5 to 10 pct. Calibration constants and bandwidth factors are determined from the flat burner measurements and used in a data reduction program to arrive at temperature and species concentration measurements. These simultaneous measurements of temperature and multi-species concentrations allow a better understanding of the complex turbulence-chemistry interactions and provide information for the input and validation of CFD models.

Turbulent Jet Flames Into a Vitiated Coflow. PhD Thesis awarded Spring 2003

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holdeman, James D. (Technical Monitor); Cabra, Ricardo

2004-01-01

Examined is the vitiated coflow flame, an experimental condition that decouples the combustion processes of flows found in practical combustors from the associated recirculating fluid mechanics. The configuration consists of a 4.57 mm diameter fuel jet into a coaxial flow of hot combustion products from a lean premixed flame. The 210 mm diameter coflow isolates the jet flame from the cool ambient, providing a hot environment similar to the operating conditions of advanced combustors; this important high temperature element is lacking in the traditional laboratory experiments of jet flames into cool (room) air. A family of flows of increasing complexity is presented: 1) nonreacting flow, 2) all hydrogen flame (fuel jet and premixed coflow), and 3) set of methane flames. This sequence of experiments provides a convenient ordering of validation data for combustion models. Laser Raman-Rayleigh-LIF diagnostics at the Turbulent Diffusion Flame laboratory of Sandia National Laboratories produced instantaneous multiscalar point measurements. These results attest to the attractive features of the vitiated coflow burner and the well-defined boundary conditions provided by the coflow. The coflow is uniform and steady, isolating the jet flame from the laboratory air for a downstream distance ranging from z/d = 50-70. The statistical results show that differential diffusion effects in this highly turbulent flow are negligible. Complementing the comprehensive set of multiscalar measurements is a parametric study of lifted methane flames that was conducted to analyze flame sensitivity to jet and coflow velocity, as well as coflow temperature. The linear relationship found between the lift-off height and the jet velocity is consistent with previous experiments. New linear sensitivities were found correlating the lift-off height to coflow velocity and temperature. A blow-off study revealed that the methane flame blows off at a common coflow temperature (1260 K), regardless of coflow or jet velocity. An explanation for this phenomenon is that entrainment of ambient air at the high lift-off heights prevents autoignition. Analysis of the results suggests that flame stabilization occurs through a combination of flame propagation, autoignition, and localized extinction processes. Proposed is an expanded view of distributed reaction combustion based on analysis of the distributions of probe volume conditions at the stabilization region of the lifted hydrogen and methane flames. Turbulent eddies the size of the flame thickness mix fuel and hot coflow across the flame front, thereby enhancing the reaction zone with autoignition of reactants at elevated temperatures; this is the reverse effect of turbulent flames in ambient air, where intense turbulence in cool mixtures result in localized extinction. Each of the three processes (i.e., flame propagation, autoignition and localized extinction) contributes to flame stabilization in varying degrees, depending on flow conditions.

Recent Developments in Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy for Diffusion Measurements in Planar Lipid Membranes

PubMed Central

Macháň, Radek; Hof, Martin

2010-01-01

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a single molecule technique used mainly for determination of mobility and local concentration of molecules. This review describes the specific problems of FCS in planar systems and reviews the state of the art experimental approaches such as 2-focus, Z-scan or scanning FCS, which overcome most of the artefacts and limitations of standard FCS. We focus on diffusion measurements of lipids and proteins in planar lipid membranes and review the contributions of FCS to elucidating membrane dynamics and the factors influencing it, such as membrane composition, ionic strength, presence of membrane proteins or frictional coupling with solid support. PMID:20386647

Symposium /International/ on Combustion, 18th, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, August 17-22, 1980, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Problems related to combustion generated pollution are explored, taking into account the mechanism of NO formation from nitrogen compounds in hydrogen flames studied by laser fluorescence, the structure and similarity of nitric oxide production in turbulent diffusion flames, the effect of steam addition on NO formation, and the formation of NO2 by laminar flames. Other topics considered are concerned with propellant combustion, fluidized bed combustion, the combustion of droplets and sprays, premixed flame studies, fire studies, and flame stabilization. Attention is also given to coal flammability, chemical kinetics, turbulent combustion, soot, coal combustion, the modeling of combustion processes, combustion diagnostics, detonations and explosions, ignition, internal combustion engines, combustion studies, and furnaces.

Outwardly Propagating Flames at Elevated Pressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Law, C. K.; Rozenchan, G.; Tse, S. D.; Zhu, D. L.

2001-01-01

Spherical, outwardly-propagating flames of CH4-O2-inert and H2-O2-inert mixtures were experimentally studied in a high pressure apparatus. Stretch-free flame speeds and Markstein lengths were extracted for a wide range of pressures and equivalence ratios for spherically-symmetric, smooth flamefronts and compared to numerical computations with detailed chemistry and transport, as well as existing data in the literature. Wrinkle development was examined for propagating flames that were unstable under our experimental conditions. Hydrodynamic cells developed for most H2-air and CH4-air flames at elevated pressures, while thermal-diffusive instabilities were also observed for lean and near-stoichiometric hydrogen flames at pressures above atmospheric. Strategies in suppressing or delaying the onset of cell formation have been assessed. Buoyancy effects affected sufficiently off-stoichiometric CH4 mixtures at high pressures.

Temperature, Oxygen, and Soot-Volume-Fraction Measurements in a Turbulent C 2H 4-Fueled Jet Flame

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kearney, Sean P.; Guildenbecher, Daniel Robert; Winters, Caroline

2015-09-01

We present a detailed set of measurements from a piloted, sooting, turbulent C 2 H 4 - fueled diffusion flame. Hybrid femtosecond/picosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) is used to monitor temperature and oxygen, while laser-induced incandescence (LII) is applied for imaging of the soot volume fraction in the challenging jet-flame environment at Reynolds number, Re = 20,000. Single-laser shot results are used to map the mean and rms statistics, as well as probability densities. LII data from the soot-growth region of the flame are used to benchmark the soot source term for one-dimensional turbulence (ODT) modeling of this turbulentmore » flame. The ODT code is then used to predict temperature and oxygen fluctuations higher in the soot oxidation region higher in the flame.« less

Refractive indices at visible wavelengths of soot emitted from buoyant turbulent diffusion flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, J.S.; Krishnan, S.K.; Faeth, G.M.

1996-11-01

Measurements of the optical properties of soot, emphasizing refractive indices, are reported for visible wavelengths. The experiments considered soot in the fuel-lean (overfire) region of buoyant turbulent diffusion flames in the long residence time regime where soot properties are independent of position in the overfire region and residence time. Flames fueled with acetylene, propylene, ethylene and propane burning in still air provided a range of soot physical and structure properties. Measurements included soot composition, density, structure, gravimetric volume fraction, scattering properties and absorption properties. These data were analyzed to find soot fractal dimensions, refractive indices and dimensionless extinction coefficients, assumingmore » Rayleigh-Debye-Gans scattering for polydisperse mass fractal aggregates (RDG-PFA theory). RDG-PFA theory was successfully evaluated, based on measured scattering patterns. Soot fractal dimensions were independent of both fuel type and wavelength, yielding a mean value of 1.77 with a standard deviation of 0.04. Refractive indices were independent of fuel type within experimental uncertainties and were in reasonably good agreement with earlier measurements for soot in the fuel-lean region of diffusion flames due to Dalzell and Sarofim (1969). Dimensionless extinction coefficients were independent of both fuel type and wavelength, yielding a mean value of 5.1 with a standard deviation of 0.5, which is lower than earlier measurements for reasons that still must be explained.« less

Formation and Combustion of Smoke in Laminar Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schalla, Rose L; Clark, Thomas P; Mcdonald, Glen E

1954-01-01

The nature and formation of smoke and its combustion were investigated. Smoke, which consist of tiny mesomorphous crystals tightly packed into popcorn-ball-like particles that agglomerate to give filaments, was found to contain about 5 percent of the hydrogen originally present in the fuel. Factors affecting smoke formation were studied in both diffusion flames and premixed Bunsen flames. It is suggested that smoking tendency increases with increasing stability of the carbon skeleton of the molecule, as determined by relative bond strength.

Carbon Monoxide and Turbulence-Chemistry Interactions Measurements and Modeling of Turbulent Jet Diffusion Flames.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-30

mixture fraction for this fuel mixture is 0.3 (as compared to 0.0283 for 2), its turbulent flame length is much less (x/d < 50) than the 112 * -15...9 "’= ’ " " :d~ m n~ l m ~ "" lt ’ ’ ’ ’ ’.... ’ ’ " " ’ "" " "’ ’ "" ’ " "" ’ " .% % .• . -, -. ".-.-,- , -% "% ,.. flame length (x/d ~ 150). Results

Modeling of turbulent chemical reaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, J.-Y.

1995-01-01

Viewgraphs are presented on modeling turbulent reacting flows, regimes of turbulent combustion, regimes of premixed and regimes of non-premixed turbulent combustion, chemical closure models, flamelet model, conditional moment closure (CMC), NO(x) emissions from turbulent H2 jet flames, probability density function (PDF), departures from chemical equilibrium, mixing models for PDF methods, comparison of predicted and measured H2O mass fractions in turbulent nonpremixed jet flames, experimental evidence of preferential diffusion in turbulent jet flames, and computation of turbulent reacting flows.

Laser-Induced Incandescence Measurements in Low Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanderWal, R. L.

1997-01-01

A low-gravity environment offers advantages to investigations concerned with soot growth or flame radiation by eliminating of buoyancy-induced convection. Basic to each type of study is knowledge of spatially resolved soot volume fraction, (f(sub v). Laser-induced incandescence (LII) has emerged as a diagnostic for soot volume fraction determination because it possesses high temporal and spatial resolution, geometric versatility and high sensitivity. Implementation and system characterization of LII in a drop tower that provides 2.2 sec of low-gravity (micro)g) at the NASA Lewis Research Center are described here. Validation of LII for soot volume fraction determination in (micro)g is performed by comparison between soot volume fraction measurements obtained by light extinction [20] and LII in low-gravity for a 50/50 mixture (by volume) of 0 acetylene/nitrogen issuing into quiescent air. Quantitative soot volume fraction measurements within other laminar flames of ethane and propane and a turbulent diffusion flame in (micro)g via LII are also demonstrated. An analysis of LII images of a turbulent acetylene diffusion flame in 1-g and (micro)g is presented.

Opposed jet diffusion flames of nitrogen-diluted hydrogen vs air - Axial LDA and CARS surveys; fuel/air rates at extinction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellett, G. L.; Northam, G. B.; Wilson, L. G.; Jarrett, Olin, Jr.; Antcliff, R. R.

1989-01-01

An experimental study of H-air counterflow diffusion flames (CFDFs) is reported. Coaxial tubular opposed jet burners were used to form dish-shaped CFDFs centered by opposing laminar jets of H2/N2 and air in an argon bath at 1 atm. Jet velocities for extinction and flame restoration limits are shown versus input H2 concentration. LDA velocity data and CARS temperature and absolute N2, O2 density data give detailed flame structure on the air side of the stagnation point. The results show that air jet velocity is a more fundamental and appropriate measure of H2-air CFDF extinction than input H2 mass flux or fuel jet velocity. It is proposed that the observed constancy of air jet velocity for fuel mixtures containing 80 to 100 percent H2 measure a maximum, kinetically controlled rate at which the CFDF can consume oxygen in air. Fuel velocity mainly measures the input jet momentum required to center an H2/N2 versus air CFDF.

Counterflow diffusion flames of hydrogen, and hydrogen plus methane, ethylene, propane, and silane vs. air - Strain rates at extinction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellett, G. L.; Northam, G. Burton; Wilson, L. G.

1991-01-01

Five coaxial tubular opposed jet burners (OJBs) with tube diameter D(T) of 1.8-10 mm and 5 mm conical nozzles were used to form dish-shaped counterflow diffusion flames centered by opposing laminar jets of nitrogen and hydrocarbon-diluted H2 versus air in an argon-purged chamber at 1 atm. Area-averaged air jet velocities at blowoff of the central flame, U(air), characterized extinction of the airside flame as functions of input H2 concentration on the fuelside. A master plot of extensive U(air) data at blowoff versus D(T) shows that U(air) varies linearly with D(T). This and other data sets are used to find that nozzle OJB results for U(air)/diameter average 4.24 + or - 0.28 times larger than tubular OJB results for the same fuel compositions. Critical radial velocity gradients consistent with one-dimensional stagnation point boundary theory and with plug flow inputs are estimated. The results compare favorably with published numerical results based only on potential flow.

Novel application of topological indices. 2. Prediction of the threshold soot index for hydrocarbon fuels. Technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanson, M.P.; Rouvray, D.H.

The propensity of hydrocarbons to form soot in a diffusion flame is correlated here for the first time against various topological indices. Two of the indices, the hydrogen deficiency index, and the Balaban distance-sum connectivity index were found to be especially valuable for correlational purposes. For a total of 98 hydrocarbon fuel moelcules, of differing types, regression analyses yielded good correlations between the threshold soot indices (TSIs) for diffusion flames and these two indices. An equation that can be used to estimate TSI values in fuel molecules is presented.

Novel applications of topological indices. 2. Prediction of the threshold soot index for hydrocarbon fuels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanson, M.P.; Rouvray, D.H.

The propensity of hydrocarbons to form soot in a diffusion flame is correlated here for the first time against various topological indices. Two of the indices, the hydrogen deficiency index and the Balaban distance sum connectivity index, were found to be especially valuable for correlational purposes. For the total of 98 hydrocarbon fuel molecules of differing types, regression analyses yielded good correlations between the threshold soot indices (TSIs) for diffusion flames and these two indices. An equation which can be used to estimate TSI values in fuel molecules is presented.

Ignition and structure of a laminar diffusion flame in a compressible mixing layer with finite rate chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grosch, C. E.; Jackson, T. L.

1991-01-01

The ignition and structure of a reacting compressible mixing layer is considered using finite rate chemistry lying between two streams of reactants with different freestream speeds and temperatures. Numerical integration of the governing equations show that the structure of the reacting flow can be quite complicated depending on the magnitude of the Zeldovich number. An analysis of both the ignition a diffusion flame regimes is presented using a combination of large Zeldovich number asymptotics and numerics. This allows to analyze the behavior of these regimes as a function of the parameters of the problem.

Turbulent scalar flux transport in head-on quenching of turbulent premixed flames: a direct numerical simulations approach to assess models for Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Jiawei; Alwazzan, Dana; Chakraborty, Nilanjan

2017-11-01

The statistical behaviour and the modelling of turbulent scalar flux transport have been analysed using a direct numerical simulation (DNS) database of head-on quenching of statistically planar turbulent premixed flames by an isothermal wall. A range of different values of Damköhler, Karlovitz numbers and Lewis numbers has been considered for this analysis. The magnitudes of the turbulent transport and mean velocity gradient terms in the turbulent scalar flux transport equation remain small in comparison to the pressure gradient, molecular dissipation and reaction-velocity fluctuation correlation terms in the turbulent scalar flux transport equation when the flame is away from the wall but the magnitudes of all these terms diminish and assume comparable values during flame quenching before vanishing altogether. It has been found that the existing models for the turbulent transport, pressure gradient, molecular dissipation and reaction-velocity fluctuation correlation terms in the turbulent scalar flux transport equation do not adequately address the respective behaviours extracted from DNS data in the near-wall region during flame quenching. Existing models for transport equation-based closures of turbulent scalar flux have been modified in such a manner that these models provide satisfactory prediction both near to and away from the wall.

An experimental and numerical study of nitrogen oxide formation mechanisms in ammonia-hydrogen-air flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Praveen

The demand for sustainable alternative fuels is ever-increasing in the power generation, transportation, and energy sectors due to the inherent non-sustainable characteristics and political constraints of current energy resources. A number of alternative fuels derived from cellulosic biomass, algae, or waste are being considered, along with the conversion of electricity to non-carbon fuels such as hydrogen or ammonia (NH3). The latter is receiving attention recently because it is a non-carbon fuel that is readily produced in large quantities, stored and transported with current infrastructure, and is often a byproduct of biomass or waste conversion processes. However, pure or anhydrous ammonia combustion is severely challenging due to its high auto-ignition temperature (650 °C), low reactivity, and tendency to promote NOx formation. As such, the present study focuses on two major aspects of the ammonia combustion. The first is an applied investigation of the potential to achieve pure NH3 combustion with low levels of emissions in flames of practical interest. In this study, a swirl-stabilized flame typically used in fuel-oil home-heating systems is optimized for NH3 combustion, and measurements of NO and NH3 are collected for a wide range of operating conditions. The second major focus of this work is on fundamental investigation of NO x formation mechanisms in flames with high levels of NH3 in H2. For laminar premixed and diffusion jet flames, experimental measurements of flame speeds, exhaust-gas sampling, and in-situ NO measurements (NO PLIF) are compared with numerically predicted flames using complex chemical kinetics within CHEMKIN and reacting CFD codes i.e., UNICORN. From the preliminary testing of the NOx formation mechanisms, (1) Tian (2) Konnov and (3) GRI-Mech3.0 in laminar premixed H2/NH 3 flames, the Tian and Konnov mechanisms are found to capture the reduction in measured flame speeds with increasing NH3 in the fuel mixture, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The NOx predictions by all the three chemical mechanisms are observed to be in fairly good agreement with the measured NOx, qualitatively, however predictions are found to be 3 to 4 times higher than the measurements for both lean and rich H 2/NH3 premixed flames. For laminar H2/NH3 diffusion flames, detailed 2-D comparisons of in-situ NO measurements with the 2-D simulated NO using the Tian, GRI-Mech3.0 and modified GRI-Mech chemical mechanisms are performed and found to differ from the measured NO by approximately an order of magnitude. For NH3 seeded H2/air diffusion flames, GRI-Mech3.0 seemed to overpredict NO by more than an order of magnitude and failed to capture the fundamental flame characteristics, such as the flame length variation with increasing NH3 in the fuel mixture. On the other hand, the predicted NO profiles by the Tian mechanism were not only found to be in better agreement with the measured NO, but they also captured the in-flame NO distribution as well, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Overall, the Tian mechanism is found to be the superior chemical mechanism to capture the NOx formation chemistry in NH3 seeded flames.

Quantitative characterization of steady and time-varying, sooting, laminar diffusion flames using optical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connelly, Blair C.

In order to reduce the emission of pollutants such as soot and NO x from combustion systems, a detailed understanding of pollutant formation is required. In addition to environmental concerns, this is important for a fundamental understanding of flame behavior as significant quantities of soot lower local flame temperatures, increase overall flame length and affect the formation of such temperature-dependent species as NOx. This problem is investigated by carrying out coupled computational and experimental studies of steady and time-varying sooting, coflow diffusion flames. Optical diagnostic techniques are a powerful tool for characterizing combustion systems, as they provide a noninvasive method of probing the environment. Laser diagnostic techniques have added advantages, as systems can be probed with high spectral, temporal and spatial resolution, and with species selectivity. Experimental soot volume fractions were determined by using two-dimensional laser-induced incandescence (LII), calibrated with an on-line extinction measurement, and soot pyrometry. Measurements of soot particle size distributions are made using time-resolved LII (TR-LII). Laser-induced fluorescence measurements are made of NO and formaldehyde. These experimental measurements, and others, are compared with computational results in an effort to understand and model soot formation and to examine the coupled relationship of soot and NO x formation.

Theoretical models for the combustion of alloyable materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Robert

1992-09-01

The purpose of this work is to extend a theoretical model of layered (laminar) media for SHS combustion presented in an earlier article [1] to explore possible mechanisms for after-burning in SHS ( i.e., gasless) combustion. As before, our particular interest is how the microscopic geometry of the solid reactants is reflected in the combustion wave and in the reaction product. The model is constructed from alternating lamina of two pure reactants that interdiffuse exothermically to form a product. Here, the laminar model is extended to contain layers of differing thicknesses. Using asymptotic theory, it was found that under certain conditions, the combustion wave can become “detached,” and an initial thin flame propagates through the media, leaving a slower, thicker flame following behind ( i.e., afterburning). Thin laminae are consumed in the initial flame and are thick in the secondary. The thin flame has a width determined by the inverse of the activation energy of diffusion, as found previously. The width of the afterburning zone, however, is determined by the absolute time of diffusion for the thicker laminae. Naturally, when the laminae are all the same thickness, there is only one thin flame. The condition for the appearance of afterburning is found to be contingent on the square of the ratio of smallestto-largest thicknesses being considerably less than unity.

UV Raman spectroscopy of H2-air flames excited with a narrowband KrF laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirley, John A.

1990-01-01

Raman spectra of H2 and H2O in flames excited by a narrowband KrF excimer laser are reported. Observations are made over a porous-plug, flat-flame burner reacting H2 in air, fuel-rich with nitrogen dilution to control the temperature, and with an H2 diffusion flame. Measurements made from UV Raman spectra show good agreement with measurements made by other means, both for gas temperature and relative major species concentrations. Laser-induced fluorescence interferences arising from OH and O2 are observed in emission near the Raman spectra. These interferences do not preclude Raman measurements, however.

Soot Reaction Properties (Ground-Based Study)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dai, Z.; El-Leathy, A. M.; Lin, K.-C.; Sunderland, P. B.; Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Three major soot reaction processes are needed to predict soot properties in flame environments: soot growth, or the formation of soot on soot nuclei and soot particles; soot oxidation, or the reaction of soot with oxidizing species to yield the combustion products of soot oxidation; and soot nucleation, or the formation of soot nuclei from soot precursors having large molecular weights (generally thought to be large and particularly stable PAH molecules in flame environments, called stabilomers). These processes are addressed in the following, considering soot growth, oxidation and nucleation, in turn, by exploiting the soot and flame structure results for premixed and diffusion flames already discussed in Section 2.

Compact cladding-pumped planar waveguide amplifier and fabrication method

DOEpatents

Bayramian, Andy J.; Beach, Raymond J.; Honea, Eric; Murray, James E.; Payne, Stephen A.

2003-10-28

A low-cost, high performance cladding-pumped planar waveguide amplifier and fabrication method, for deployment in metro and access networks. The waveguide amplifier has a compact monolithic slab architecture preferably formed by first sandwich bonding an erbium-doped core glass slab between two cladding glass slabs to form a multi-layer planar construction, and then slicing the construction into multiple unit constructions. Using lithographic techniques, a silver stripe is deposited and formed at a top or bottom surface of each unit construction and over a cross section of the bonds. By heating the unit construction in an oven and applying an electric field, the silver stripe is then ion diffused to increase the refractive indices of the core and cladding regions, with the diffusion region of the core forming a single mode waveguide, and the silver diffusion cladding region forming a second larger waveguide amenable to cladding pumping with broad area diodes.

Kinetics and Structure of Superagglomerates Produced by Silane and Acetylene

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulholland, G. W.; Hamins, A.; Sivathanu, Y.

1999-01-01

The evolution of smoke in a laminar diffusion flame involves several steps. The first step is particle inception/nucleation in the high-temperature fuel-rich region of the flame followed by surface growth and coagulation/coalescence of the small particles. As the primary spheres grow in size and lose hydrogen, the colliding particles no longer coalesce but retain their identity as a cluster of primary spheres, termed an agglomerate. Finally, in the upper portion of the flame, the particles enter an oxidizing environment which may lead to partial or complete burnout of the agglomerates. Currently there is no quantitative model for describing the growth of smoke agglomerates up to superagglomerates with an overall dimension of 10 microns and greater. Such particles are produced during the burning of acetylene and fuels containing benzene rings such as toluene and polystyrene. In the case of polystyrene, smoke agglomerates in excess of 1 mm have been observed "raining" out from large fires. Evidence of the formation of superagglomerates in a laminar acetylene/air diffusion flame has been recently reported. Acetylene was chosen as the fuel since the particulate loading in acetylene/air diffusion flames is very high. Photographs were obtained by Sorensen using a microsecond xenon lamp of the "stream" of soot just above the flame. For low flow rates of acetylene, only submicrometer soot clusters are produced and they give rise to the homogeneous appearance of the soot stream. When the flow rate is increased to 1.7 cu cm/s, soot clusters up to 10 microns are formed and they are responsible for the graininess and at a flow rate of 3.4 cu cm/s, a web of interconnected clusters as large as the width of the flame is seen. This interconnecting web of superagglomerates is described as a gel state by Sorensen et al (1998). This is the first observation of a gel for a gas phase system. It was observed that this gel state immediately breaks up into agglomerates due to buoyancy induced turbulence and gravitational sedimentation.

Using the tabulated diffusion flamelet model ADF-PCM to simulate a lifted methane-air jet flame

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michel, Jean-Baptiste; Colin, Olivier; Angelberger, Christian

2009-07-15

Two formulations of a turbulent combustion model based on the approximated diffusion flame presumed conditional moment (ADF-PCM) approach [J.-B. Michel, O. Colin, D. Veynante, Combust. Flame 152 (2008) 80-99] are presented. The aim is to describe autoignition and combustion in nonpremixed and partially premixed turbulent flames, while accounting for complex chemistry effects at a low computational cost. The starting point is the computation of approximate diffusion flames by solving the flamelet equation for the progress variable only, reading all chemical terms such as reaction rates or mass fractions from an FPI-type look-up table built from autoigniting PSR calculations using complexmore » chemistry. These flamelets are then used to generate a turbulent look-up table where mean values are estimated by integration over presumed probability density functions. Two different versions of ADF-PCM are presented, differing by the probability density functions used to describe the evolution of the stoichiometric scalar dissipation rate: a Dirac function centered on the mean value for the basic ADF-PCM formulation, and a lognormal function for the improved formulation referenced ADF-PCM{chi}. The turbulent look-up table is read in the CFD code in the same manner as for PCM models. The developed models have been implemented into the compressible RANS CFD code IFP-C3D and applied to the simulation of the Cabra et al. experiment of a lifted methane jet flame [R. Cabra, J. Chen, R. Dibble, A. Karpetis, R. Barlow, Combust. Flame 143 (2005) 491-506]. The ADF-PCM{chi} model accurately reproduces the experimental lift-off height, while it is underpredicted by the basic ADF-PCM model. The ADF-PCM{chi} model shows a very satisfactory reproduction of the experimental mean and fluctuating values of major species mass fractions and temperature, while ADF-PCM yields noticeable deviations. Finally, a comparison of the experimental conditional probability densities of the progress variable for a given mixture fraction with model predictions is performed, showing that ADF-PCM{chi} reproduces the experimentally observed bimodal shape and its dependency on the mixture fraction, whereas ADF-PCM cannot retrieve this shape. (author)« less

Influence of thermal radiation on soot production in Laminar axisymmetric diffusion flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demarco, R.; Nmira, F.; Consalvi, J. L.

2013-05-01

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of radiative heat transfer on soot production in laminar axisymmetric diffusion flames. Twenty-four C1-C3 hydrocarbon-air flames, consisting of normal (NDF) and inverse (IDF) diffusion flames at both normal gravity (1 g) and microgravity (0 g), and covering a wide range of conditions affecting radiative heat transfer, were simulated. The numerical model is based on the Steady Laminar Flamelet (SLF) model, a semi-empirical two-equation acetylene/benzene based soot model and the Statistical Narrow Band Correlated K (SNBCK) model coupled to the Finite Volume Method (FVM) to compute thermal radiation. Predictions relative to velocity, temperature, soot volume fraction and radiative losses are on the whole in good agreement with the available experimental data. Model results show that, for all the flames considered, thermal radiation is a crucial process with a view to providing accurate predictions for temperatures and soot concentrations. It becomes increasingly significant from IDFs to NDFs and its influence is much greater as gravity is reduced. The radiative contribution of gas prevails in the weakly-sooting IDFs and in the methane and ethane NDFs, whereas soot radiation dominates in the other flames. However, both contributions are significant in all cases, with the exception of the 1 g IDFs investigated where soot radiation can be ignored. The optically-thin approximation (OTA) was also tested and found to be applicable as long as the optical thickness, based on flame radius and Planck mean absorption coefficient, is less than 0.05. The OTA is reasonable for the IDFs and for most of the 1 g NDFs, but it fails to predict the radiative heat transfer for the 0 g NDFs. The accuracy of radiative-property models was then assessed in the latter cases. Simulations show that the gray approximation can be applied to soot but not to combustion gases. Both the non-gray and gray soot versions of the Full Spectrum Correlated k (FSCK) model can be then substituted for the SNBCK with a reduction in CPU time by a factor of about 20 in the latter case.

On the critical flame radius and minimum ignition energy for spherical flame initiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Zheng; Burke, M. P.; Ju, Yiguang

2011-01-01

Spherical flame initiation from an ignition kernel is studied theoretically and numerically using different fuel/oxygen/helium/argon mixtures (fuel: hydrogen, methane, and propane). The emphasis is placed on investigating the critical flame radius controlling spherical flame initiation and its correlation with the minimum ignition energy. It is found that the critical flame radius is different from the flame thickness and the flame ball radius and that their relationship depends strongly on the Lewis number. Three different flame regimes in terms of the Lewis number are observed and a new criterion for the critical flame radius is introduced. For mixtures with Lewis numbermore » larger than a critical Lewis number above unity, the critical flame radius is smaller than the flame ball radius but larger than the flame thickness. As a result, the minimum ignition energy can be substantially over-predicted (under-predicted) based on the flame ball radius (the flame thickness). The results also show that the minimum ignition energy for successful spherical flame initiation is proportional to the cube of the critical flame radius. Furthermore, preferential diffusion of heat and mass (i.e. the Lewis number effect) is found to play an important role in both spherical flame initiation and flame kernel evolution after ignition. It is shown that the critical flame radius and the minimum ignition energy increase significantly with the Lewis number. Therefore, for transportation fuels with large Lewis numbers, blending of small molecule fuels or thermal and catalytic cracking will significantly reduce the minimum ignition energy.« less

Turbulent structure and emissions of strongly-pulsed jet diffusion flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fregeau, Mathieu

This current research project studied the turbulent flame structure, the fuel/air mixing, the combustion characteristics of a nonpremixed pulsed (unsteady) and unpulsed (steady) flame configuration for both normal- and microgravity conditions, as well as the flame emissions in normal gravity. The unsteady flames were fully-modulated, with the fuel flow completely shut off between injection pulses using an externally controlled valve, resulting in the generation of compact puff-like flame structures. Conducting experiments in normal and microgravity environments enabled separate control over the relevant Richardson and Reynolds numbers to clarify the influence of buoyancy on the flame behavior, mixing, and structure. Experiments were performed in normal gravity in the laboratory at the University of Washington and in microgravity using the NASA GRC 2.2-second Drop Tower facility. High-speed imaging, as well as temperature and emissions probes were used to determine the large-scale structure dynamics, the details of the flame structure and oxidizer entrainment, the combustion temperatures, and the exhaust emissions of the pulsed and steady flames. Of particular interest was the impact of changes in flame structure due to pulsing on the combustion characteristics of this system. The turbulent flame puff celerity (i.e., the bulk velocity of the puffs) was strongly impacted by the jet-off time, increasing markedly as the time between pulses was decreased, which caused the degree of puff interaction to increase and the strongly-pulsed flame to more closely resemble a steady flame. This increase occurred for all values of injection time as well as for constant fuelling rate and in both the presence and absence of buoyancy. The removal of positive buoyancy in microgravity resulted in a decrease in the flame puff celerity in all cases, amounting to as much as 40%, for both constant jet injection velocity and constant fuelling rate. The mean flame length of the strongly-pulsed flames was not strongly impacted by buoyancy. This lack of sensitivity to buoyancy was consistent with offsetting changes in flame puff celerity and time to burnout for the microgravity versus normal-gravity cases. The emissions of CO and NO were examined in the vicinity of the visible flame tip and at the combustor exit for strongly-pulsed flames. The highest exhaust-point emission indices of CO for compact, isolated puffs were as much as a factor of six higher than those of elongated flames with longer injection times. The amount of CO decreased substantially with a decreased amount of flame puff interaction. The higher CO levels for pulsed flames with the shortest injection times were consistent with quenching due to the very rapid mixing and dilution with excess air for the most compact flame puffs. The injection time for which steady-flame emission levels were attained was comparable to the injection time for which the visible flame length approached the flame length of steady flames. The CO emissions, for a given fuelling rate, were strongly dependent on both the injection time and jet-off time for a jet-on fraction less than approximately 50%. The NO levels were generally proportional to the fuelling rate. This work indicates that there are specific combinations of injection time and jet-off time that considerably change the fuel/air mixing, resulting in emissions comparable to those of the steady flame while the flame length is significantly shorter. This points the potential utility of the strongly-pulsed injection technique in the development of compact, low emissions combustors involving turbulent diffusion flames. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The calculation of a turbulent diffusion flame in a free shear flow with a statistical turbulence model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bywater, R. J.

1980-01-01

Solutions are presented for the turbulent diffusion flame in a two-dimensional shear layer based upon a kinetic theory of turbulence (KTT). The fuel and oxidizer comprising the two streams are considered to react infinitely fast according to a one-step, irreversible kinetic mechanism. The solutions are obtained by direct numerical calculation of the transverse velocity probability density function (PDF) and the associated species distributions. The mean reactant profiles calculated from the solutions display the characteristic thick, turbulent flame zone. The phenomena result from the fact that in the context of the KTT, species react only when in the same velocity cell. This coincides with the known physical requirement that molecular mixing precedes reaction. The solutions demonstrate this behavior by showing how reactants can coexist in the mean, even when infinite reaction rates are enforced at each point (t,x,u) of velocity space.

Soot Oxidation in Hydrocarbon/Air Diffusion Flames at Atmospheric Pressure. Appendix K

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; El-Leathy, A. M.; Faeth, G. M.; Urban, D. L. (Technical Monitor); Yuan, Z.-G. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Soot oxidation was studied experimentally in laminar hydrocarbon/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were carried out along the axes of round jets burning in coflowing air considering acetylene, ethylene, propylene and propane as fuels. Measurements were limited to the initial stages of soot oxidation (carbon consumption less than 70%) where soot oxidation mainly occurs at the surface of primary soot particles. The following properties were measured as a function of distance above the burner exit: soot concentrations by deconvoluted laser extinction, soot temperatures by deconvoluted multiline emission, soot structure by thermophoretic sampling and analysis using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), concentrations of stable major gas species (N2, H2O, H2, O2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H2,C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, and C3H8) by sampling and gas chromatography, concentrations of some radical species (H, OH, O) by the deconvoluted Li/LiOH atomic absorption technique and flow velocities by laser velocimetry. It was found that soot surface oxidation rates are not particularly affected by fuel type for laminar diffusion flames and are described reasonably well by the OH surface oxidation mechanism with a collision efficiency of 0.10, (standard deviation of 0.07) with no significant effect of fuel type in this behavior; these findings are in good agreement with the classical laminar premixed flame measurements of Neoh et al. Finally, direct rates of surface oxidation by O2 were small compared to OH oxidation for present conditions, based on estimated O2 oxidation rates due to Nagle and Strickland-Constable (1962), because soot oxidation was completed near the flame sheet where O2 concentrations were less than 1.2% by volume.

Soot Oxidation in Laminar Hydrocarbon/Air Diffusion Flames at Atmospheric Pressure. Appendix D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, F.; El-Leathy, A. M.; Faeth, G. M.

2000-01-01

Soot oxidation was studied experimentally in laminar hydrocarbon/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were carried out along the axes of round jets burning in coflowing air considering acetylene, ethylene, proplyene and propane as fuels. Measurements were limited to the initial stages of soot oxidation (carbon consumption less than 70%) where soot oxidation mainly occurs at the surface of primary soot particles. The following properties were measured as a function of distance above the burner exit: soot concentrations by deconvoluted laser extinction, soot temperatures by deconvoluted multiline emission, soot structure by thermophoretic sampling and analysis using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), concentrations of stable major gas species (N2, H2O, H2, 02, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, and C3H8) by sampling and gas chromatography, concentrations of some radical species (H, OH, O) by the deconvoluted Li/LiOH atomic absorption technique and flow velocities by laser velocimetry. It was found that soot surface oxidation rates are not particularly affected by fuel type for laminar diffusion flames and are described reasonably well by the OH surface oxidation mechanism with a collision efficiency of 0.10, (standard deviation of 0.07) with no significant effect of fuel type in this behavior; these findings are in good agreement with the classical laminar premixed flame measurements of Neoh et al. Finally, direct rates of surface oxidation by O2 were small compared to OH oxidation for present conditions, based on estimated O2 oxidation rates due to Nagle and Strickland-Constable, because soot oxidation was completed near the flame sheet where O2 concentrations were less than 1.2% by volume.

DNS assessment of relation between mean reaction and scalar dissipation rates in the flamelet regime of premixed turbulent combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolaevich Lipatnikov, Andrei; Nishiki, Shinnosuke; Hasegawa, Tatsuya

2015-05-01

The linear relation between the mean rate of product creation and the mean scalar dissipation rate, derived in the seminal paper by K.N.C. Bray ['The interaction between turbulence and combustion', Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol. 17 (1979), pp. 223-233], is the cornerstone for models of premixed turbulent combustion that deal with the dissipation rate in order to close the reaction rate. In the present work, this linear relation is straightforwardly validated by analysing data computed earlier in the 3D Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of three statistically stationary, 1D, planar turbulent flames associated with the flamelet regime of premixed combustion. Although the linear relation does not hold at the leading and trailing edges of the mean flame brush, such a result is expected within the framework of Bray's theory. However, the present DNS yields substantially larger (smaller) values of an input parameter cm (or K2 = 1/(2cm - 1)), involved by the studied linear relation, when compared to the commonly used value of cm = 0.7 (or K2 = 2.5). To gain further insight into the issue and into the eventual dependence of cm on mixture composition, the DNS data are combined with the results of numerical simulations of stationary, 1D, planar laminar methane-air flames with complex chemistry, with the results being reported in terms of differently defined combustion progress variables c, i.e. the normalised temperature, density, or mole fraction of CH4, O2, CO2 or H2O. Such a study indicates the dependence of cm both on the definition of c and on the equivalence ratio. Nevertheless, K2 and cm can be estimated by processing the results of simulations of counterpart laminar premixed flames. Similar conclusions were also drawn by skipping the DNS data, but invoking a presumed beta probability density function in order to evaluate cm for the differently defined c's and various equivalence ratios.

Development of a Laminar Flame Test Facility for Bio-Diesel Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Giam

2009-11-01

The relevance of applying testing standards established for diesel fuels to evaluate bio-diesel fuels motivates the design and fabrication of a vertical combustion chamber to be able to measure flame speeds of the varying strains of bio-diesel fuels and to attain more detailed kinetics information for biodiesel fuel. Extensive research is ongoing to understand the impact of fundamental combustion properties such as ignition characteristics, laminar flame speed, strain sensitivity and extinction strain rates on emission and stability characteristics of the combustor. It is envisioned that further flame studies will provide key kinetics validation data for biodiesel-like molecules -- the current test rig was developed with provisions for optical access and for future spectroscopic measurements. The current work focuses on laminar flame speeds since this important parameter contains fundamental information regarding reactivity, diffusivity, and exothermicity of the fuel mixture. It has a significant impact upon the propensity of a flame to flashback and blowoff and also serves as a key scaling parameter for other important combustion characteristics, such as the turbulent flame structure, turbulent flame speed and flame's spatial distribution etc. The flame experiments are challenging as the tested bio-fuel must be uniformly atomized and uniformly dispersed.

Implementation and assessment of diffusion-weighted partial Fourier readout-segmented echo-planar imaging.

PubMed

Frost, Robert; Porter, David A; Miller, Karla L; Jezzard, Peter

2012-08-01

Single-shot echo-planar imaging has been used widely in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging due to the difficulties in correcting motion-induced phase corruption in multishot data. Readout-segmented EPI has addressed the multishot problem by introducing a two-dimensional nonlinear navigator correction with online reacquisition of uncorrectable data to enable acquisition of high-resolution diffusion data with reduced susceptibility artifact and T*(2) blurring. The primary shortcoming of readout-segmented EPI in its current form is its long acquisition time (longer than similar resolution single-shot echo-planar imaging protocols by approximately the number of readout segments), which limits the number of diffusion directions. By omitting readout segments at one side of k-space and using partial Fourier reconstruction, readout-segmented EPI imaging times could be reduced. In this study, the effects of homodyne and projection onto convex sets reconstructions on estimates of the fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, and diffusion orientation in fiber tracts and raw T(2)- and trace-weighted signal are compared, along with signal-to-noise ratio results. It is found that projections onto convex sets reconstruction with 3/5 segments in a 2 mm isotropic diffusion tensor image acquisition and 9/13 segments in a 0.9 × 0.9 × 4.0 mm(3) diffusion-weighted image acquisition provide good fidelity relative to the full k-space parameters. This allows application of readout-segmented EPI to tractography studies, and clinical stroke and oncology protocols. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Spatially resolved heat release rate measurements in turbulent premixed flames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ayoola, B.O.; Kaminski, C.F.; Balachandran, R.

Heat release rate is a fundamental property of great importance for the theoretical and experimental elucidation of unsteady flame behaviors such as combustion noise, combustion instabilities, and pulsed combustion. Investigations of such thermoacoustic interactions require a reliable indicator of heat release rate capable of resolving spatial structures in turbulent flames. Traditionally, heat release rate has been estimated via OH or CH radical chemiluminescence; however, chemiluminescence suffers from being a line-of-sight technique with limited capability for resolving small-scale structures. In this paper, we report spatially resolved two-dimensional measurements of a quantity closely related to heat release rate. The diagnostic technique usesmore » simultaneous OH and CH{sub 2}O planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), and the pixel-by-pixel product of the OH and CH{sub 2}O PLIF signals has previously been shown to correlate well with local heat release rates. Results from this diagnostic technique, which we refer to as heat release rate imaging (HR imaging), are compared with traditional OH chemiluminescence measurements in several flames. Studies were performed in lean premixed ethylene flames stabilized between opposed jets and with a bluff body. Correlations between bulk strain rates and local heat release rates were obtained and the effects of curvature on heat release rate were investigated. The results show that the heat release rate tends to increase with increasing negative curvature for the flames investigated for which Lewis numbers are greater than unity. This correlation becomes more pronounced as the flame gets closer to global extinction.« less

Direct numerical simulation of the effect of an electric field on flame stability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belhi, Memdouh; Domingo, Pascale; Vervisch, Pierre

2010-12-15

The role of electric fields in stabilising combustion is a well-known phenomenon. Among the possible mechanisms favouring the anchorage of the flame base, the ion-driven wind acting directly on flow momentum ahead of the flame base could be the leading one. Direct numerical simulation has been used to verify this hypothesis and lead to a better understanding of diffusion flame base anchoring in the presence of an externally applied voltage. In this context, a simplified modelling approach is proposed to describe combustion in the presence of electric body forces. The model reproduces the tendencies of experimental observations found in themore » literature. The sensitivity of the flame lift-off height to the applied voltage is studied and the modification of the velocity field ahead of the flame base induced by the electric volume forces is highlighted. (author)« less

Ignition, Burning, and Extinction of a Strained Fuel Strip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selerland, T.; Karagozian, A. R.

1996-01-01

Flame structure and ignition and extinction processes associated with a strained fuel strip are explored numerically using detailed transport and complex kinetics for a propane-air reaction. Ignition modes are identified that are similar to those predicted by one-step activation energy asymptotics, i.e., modes in which diffusion flames can ignite as independent or dependent interfaces, and modes in which single premixed or partially premixed flames ignite. These ignition modes are found to be dependent on critical combinations of strain rate, fuel strip thickness, and initial reactant temperatures. Extinction in this configuration is seen to occur due to fuel consumption by adjacent flames, although viscosity is seen to have the effect of delaying extinction by reducing the effective strain rate and velocity field experienced by the flames.

Ceramic oxide powders and the formation thereof

DOEpatents

Katz, Joseph L.; Hung, Cheng-Hung

1993-01-01

Ceramic oxide powders and a method for their preparation. Ceramic oxide powders are obtained using a flame process whereby two or more precursors of ceramic oxides are introduced into a counterflow diffusion flame burner wherein said precursors are converted into ceramic oxide powders. The morphology, particle size, and crystalline form of the ceramic oxide powders are determined by process conditions.

Flame Radiation, Structure, and Scalar Properties in Microgravity Laminar Fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feikema, Douglas; Lim, Jongmook; Sivathanu, Yudaya

2007-01-01

Results from microgravity combustion experiments conducted in the Zero Gravity Research Facility (ZGF) 5.18 second drop facility are reported. The results quantify flame radiation, structure, and scalar properties during the early phase of a microgravity fire. Emission mid-infrared spectroscopy measurements have been completed to quantitatively determine the flame temperature, water and carbon dioxide vapor concentrations, radiative emissive power, and soot concentrations in microgravity laminar methane/air, ethylene/nitrogen/air and ethylene/air jet flames. The measured peak mole fractions for water vapor and carbon dioxide are found to be in agreement with state relationship predictions for hydrocarbon/air combustion. The ethylene/air laminar flame conditions are similar to previously reported results including those from the flight project, Laminar Soot Processes (LSP). Soot concentrations and gas temperatures are in reasonable agreement with similar results available in the literature. However, soot concentrations and flame structure dramatically change in long-duration microgravity laminar diffusion flames as demonstrated in this report.

The mechanisms of flame holding in the wake of a bluff body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strehlow, R. A.; Malik, S.

1985-01-01

The flame holding mechanism for lean methane- and lean propane-air flames is examined under conditions where the recirculation zone is absent. The main objective of this work is to study the holding process in detail in an attempt to determine the mechanism of flame holding and also the conditions where this mechanism is viable and when it fails and blow-off occurs. Inverted flames held in the wake of a flat strip were studied. Experiments with different sizes of flame holders were performed. The velocity flow field was determined using a laser Doppler velocimetry technique. Equation of continuity was used to calculate the flame temperature from the change in area of flow streamlines before and after the flame. Observations of the inverted flame itself were obtained using schlieren and direct photography. Results show that there are different mechanisms operative at the time of blow-off for lean propane and methane flames. Blow-off or extinction occurs for lean propane-air flame in spite of the reaction going to completion and the disparity between the heat loss and the gain in mass diffusion in the reaction zone i.e., Le 1.0 causes the flame to blow-off. For methane-air flame the controlling factor or blow-off is incomplete reaction due to higher blowing rate leading to reduced residence time in the reaction zone.

Investigation of buoyancy effects on turbulent nonpremixed jet flames by using normal and low-gravity conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idicheria, Cherian Alex

An experimental study was performed with the aim of investigating the structure of transitional and turbulent nonpremixed jet flames under different gravity conditions. In particular, the focus was to determine the effect of buoyancy on the mean and fluctuating characteristics of the jet flames. Experiments were conducted under three gravity levels, viz. 1 g, 20 mg and 100 mug. The milligravity and microgravity conditions were achieved by dropping a jet-flame rig in the UT-Austin 1.25-second and the NASA-Glenn Research Center 2.2-second drop towers, respectively. The principal diagnostics employed were time-resolved, cinematographic imaging of the visible soot luminosity and planar laser Mie scattering (PLMS). For the cinematographic flame luminosity imaging experiments, the flames studied were piloted nonpremixed propane, ethylene and methane jet flames at source Reynolds numbers ranging from 2000 to 10500. From the soot luminosity images, mean and root-mean square (RMS) images were computed, and volume rendering of the image sequences was used to investigate the large-scale structure evolution and flame tip dynamics. The relative importance of buoyancy was quantified with the parameter, xL , as defined by Becker and Yamazaki [1978]. The results show, in contrast to previous microgravity studies, that the high Reynolds number flames have the same flame length irrespective of the gravity level. The RMS fluctuations and volume renderings indicate that the large-scale structure and flame tip dynamics are essentially identical to those of purely momentum driven flames provided xL is approximately less than 2. The volume-renderings show that the luminous structure celerities (normalized by jet exit velocity) are approximately constant for xL < 6, but are substantially larger for xL > 8. The celerity values for xL > 8 are seen to follow a x3/2L scaling, which can be predicted with a simplified momentum equation analysis for the buoyancy-dominated regime. The underlying turbulent structure and mean mixture fraction characteristics were investigated in nonreacting and reacting jets with a PLMS diagnostic system developed for the UT-Austin 1.25-second drop tower. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Influence of Steam Injection and Water-in-Oil Emulsions on Diesel Fuel Combustion Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Meagan

Water injection can be an effective strategy for reducing NOx because water's high specific heat allows it to absorb heat and lower system temperatures. Introducing water as an emulsion can potentially be more effective at reducing emissions than steam injection due to physical properties (such as microexplosions) that can improve atomization and increase mixing. Unfortunately, the immiscibility of emulsions makes them difficult to work with so they must be mixed properly. In this effort, a method for adequately mixing surfactant-free emulsions was established and verified using high speed cinematography. As the water to fuel mass ratio (W/F) increased, emulsion atomization tests showed little change in droplet size and spray angle, but a shorter overall breakup point. Dual-wavelength planar laser induced fluorescence (D-PLIF) patternation showed an increase in water near the center of the spray. Steam injection flames saw little change in reaction stability, but emulsion flames experienced significant losses in stability that limited reaction operability at higher W/F. Emulsions were more effective at reducing NOx than steam injection, likely because of liquid water's latent heat of vaporization and the strategic injection of water into the flame core. OH* chemiluminescence showed a decrease in heat release for both methods, though the decrease was greater for emulsions. Both methods saw decreases in flame length for W/F 0.15. Lastly, flame imaging showed a shift towards a redder appearance with the addition or more water, as well as a reduction in flame flares.

The coupling between flame surface dynamics and species mass conservation in premixed turbulent combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trouve, A.; Veynante, D.; Bray, K. N. C.; Mantel, T.

1994-01-01

Current flamelot models based on a description of the flame surface dynamics require the closure of two inter-related equations: a transport equation for the mean reaction progress variable, (tilde)c, and a transport equation for the flame surface density, Sigma. The coupling between these two equations is investigated using direct numerical simulations (DNS) with emphasis on the correlation between the turbulent fluxes of (tilde)c, bar(pu''c''), and Sigma, (u'')(sub S)Sigma. Two different DNS databases are used in the present work: a database developed at CTR by A. Trouve and a database developed by C. J. Rutland using a different code. Both databases correspond to statistically one-dimensional premixed flames in isotropic turbulent flow. The run parameters, however, are significantly different, and the two databases correspond to different combustion regimes. It is found that in all simulated flames, the correlation between bar(pu''c'') and (u'')(sub S)Sigma is always strong. The sign, however, of the turbulent flux of (tilde)c or Sigma with respect to the mean gradients, delta(tilde)c/delta(x) or delta(Sigma)/delta(x), is case-dependent. The CTR database is found to exhibit gradient turbulent transport of (tilde)c and Sigma, whereas the Rutland DNS features counter-gradient diffusion. The two databases are analyzed and compared using various tools (a local analysis of the flow field near the flame, a classical analysis of the conservation equation for (tilde)(u''c''), and a thin flame theoretical analysis). A mechanism is then proposed to explain the discrepancies between the two databases and a preliminary simple criterion is derived to predict the occurrence of gradient/counter-gradient turbulent diffusion.

Buoyancy Effects in Strongly-Pulsed, Turbulent Diffusion Flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermanson, James; Johari, Hamid; Stocker, Dennis; Hegde, Uday

2004-11-01

Buoyancy effects in pulsed, turbulent flames are studied in microgravity in a 2.2 s drop-tower. The fuel is pure ethylene or a 50/50 mixture with nitrogen; the oxidizer co-flow is either air or 30% oxygen in nitrogen. A fast solenoid valve fully modulates (shuts off) the fuel flow between pulses. The jet Reynolds number is 5000 with a nozzle i.d. of 2 mm. For short injection times and small duty cycle (jet-on fraction), compact, puff-like flames occur. The invariance in flame length of these puffs with buoyancy is due to offsetting changes in puff celerity and burnout time. Buoyancy does impact interacting flame puffs, with the flame length generally increasing with injection duty cycle. The mean centerline temperatures for all flames are generally higher in microgravity than in normal gravity. The transition in temperatures with increasing injection time is more gradual in micro-g than in 1-g. These observations can be explained in terms of the local duty cycle in the flame and differences in entrainment in normal- vs. microgravity.

Quantitative Measurements of Electronically Excited CH Concentration in Normal Gravity and Microgravity Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giassi, D.; Cao, S.; Stocker, D. P.; Takahashi, F.; Bennett, B. A. V.; Smooke, M. D.; Long, M. B.

2015-01-01

With the conclusion of the SLICE campaign aboard the ISS in 2012, a large amount of data was made available for the analysis of the effect of microgravity on laminar coflow diffusion flames. Previous work focused on the study of sooty flames in microgravity as well as the ability of numerical models to predict its formation in a simplified buoyancy-free environment. The current work shifts the investigation to soot-free flames, putting an emphasis on the chemiluminescence emission from electronically excited CH (CH*). This radical species is of significant interest in combustion studies: it has been shown that the electronically excited CH spatial distribution is indicative of the flame front position and, given the relatively simple diagnostic involved with its measurement, several works have been done trying to understand the ability of electronically excited CH chemiluminescence to predict the total and local flame heat release rate. In this work, a subset of the SLICE nitrogen-diluted methane flames has been considered, and the effect of fuel and coflow velocity on electronically excited CH concentration is discussed and compared with both normal gravity results and numerical simulations. Experimentally, the spectral characterization of the DSLR color camera used to acquire the flame images allowed the signal collected by the blue channel to be considered representative of the electronically excited CH emission centered around 431 nm. Due to the axisymmetric flame structure, an Abel deconvolution of the line-of-sight chemiluminescence was used to obtain the radial intensity profile and, thanks to an absolute light intensity calibration, a quantification of the electronically excited CH concentration was possible. Results show that, in microgravity, the maximum flame electronically excited CH concentration increases with the coflow velocity, but it is weakly dependent on the fuel velocity; normal gravity flames, if not lifted, tend to follow the same trend, albeit with different peak concentrations. Comparisons with numerical simulations display reasonably good agreement between measured and computed flame lengths and radii, and it is shown that the integrated electronically excited CH emission scales proportionally to the computed total heat release rate; the two-dimensional electronically excited CH spatial distribution, however, does not appear to be a good marker for the local heat release rate.

Interactions between flames on parallel solid surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.

1995-01-01

The interactions between flames spreading over parallel solid sheets of paper are being studied in normal gravity and in microgravity. This geometry is of practical importance since in most heterogeneous combustion systems, the condensed phase is non-continuous and spatially distributed. This spatial distribution can strongly affect burning and/or spread rate. This is due to radiant and diffusive interactions between the surface and the flames above the surfaces. Tests were conducted over a variety of pressures and separation distances to expose the influence of the parallel sheets on oxidizer transport and on radiative feedback.

Effects of elliptical burner geometry on partially premixed gas jet flames in quiescent surroundings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baird, Benjamin

This study is the investigation of the effect of elliptical nozzle burner geometry and partial premixing, both 'passive control' methods, on a hydrogen/hydrocarbon flame. Both laminar and turbulent flames for circular, 3:1, and 4:1 aspect ratio (AR) elliptical burners are considered. The amount of air mixed with the fuel is varied from fuel-lean premixed flames to fuel-rich partially premixed flames. The work includes measurements of flame stability, global pollutant emissions, flame radiation, and flame structure for the differing burner types and fuel conditions. Special emphasis is placed on the near-burner region. Experimentally, both conventional (IR absorption, chemiluminecent, and polarographic emission analysis,) and advanced (laser induced fluorescence, planar laser induced fluorescence, Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV), Rayleigh scattering) diagnostic techniques are used. Numerically, simulations of 3-dimensional laminar and turbulent reacting flow are conducted. These simulations are run with reduced chemical kinetics and with a Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) for the turbulence modeling. It was found that the laminar flames were similar in appearance and overall flame length for the 3:1 AR elliptical and the circular burner. The laminar 4:1 AR elliptical burner flame split into two sub-flames along the burner major axis. This splitting had the effect of greatly shortening the 4:1 AR elliptical burner flame to have an overall flame length about half of that of the circular and 3:1 AR elliptical burner flames. The length of all three burners flames increased with increasing burner exit equivalence ratio. The blowout velocity for the three burners increased with increase in hydrogen mass fraction of the hydrogen/propane fuel mixture. For the rich premixed flames, the circular burner was the most stable, the 3:1 AR elliptical burner, was the least stable, and the 4:1 AR elliptical burner was intermediate to the two other burners. This order of stability was due to two reasons. The elliptical burners have enhanced turbulence generation that lowers their stability when compared to the circular burner. The 4:1 AR elliptical burner had greater stability due to a greater velocity decay rate and wider OH reaction zones particularly in the region between the two jets. The 3:1 AR elliptical and circular burners produced similar carbon monoxide and nitric oxide emission indexes over the range of equivalence ratios of 0.55 to 4.0, for laminar flames. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

A direct numerical simulation study of flame structure and stabilization of an experimental high Ka CH 4/air premixed jet flame

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Haiou; Hawkes, Evatt R.; Chen, Jacqueline H.

In the present work, a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of an experimental high Karlovitz number (Ka) CH 4/air piloted premixed flame was analyzed to study the inner structure and the stabilization mechanism of the turbulent flame. A reduced chemical mechanism for premixed CH 4/air combustion with NO x based on GRI-Mech3.0 was used, including 268 elementary reactions and 28 transported species. The evolution of the stretch factor, I0, indicates that the burning rate per unit flame surface area is considerably reduced in the near field and exhibits a minimum at x/D = 8. Downstream, the burning rate gradually increases. Themore » stretch factor is different between different species, suggesting the quenching of some reactions but not others. Comparison between the turbulent flame and strained laminar flames indicates that certain aspects of the mean flame structure can be represented surprisingly well by flamelets if changes in boundary conditions are accounted for and the strain rate of the mean flow is employed; however, the thickening of the flame due to turbulence is not captured. The spatial development of displacement speeds is studied at higher Ka than previous DNS. In contrast to almost all previous studies, the mean displacement speed conditioned on the flame front is negative in the near field, and the dominant contribution to the displacement speed is normal diffusion with the reaction contribution being secondary. Further downstream, reaction overtakes normal diffusion, contributing to a positive displacement speed. The negative displacement speed in the near field implies that the flame front situates itself in the pilot region where the inner structure of the turbulent flame is affected significantly, and the flame stabilizes in balance with the inward flow. Notably, in the upstream region of the turbulent flame, the main reaction contributing to the production of OH, H+O 2⇌O+OH (R35), is weak. Moreover, oxidation reactions, H 2+OH⇌H+H 2O (R79) and CO+OH⇌CO 2+H (R94), are influenced by H 2O and CO 2 from the pilot and are completely quenched. Hence, the entire radical pool of OH, H and O is affected. Furthermore, the fuel consumption layer remains comparably active and generates heat, mainly via the reaction CH 4+OH⇌CH 3+H 2O (R93).« less

A direct numerical simulation study of flame structure and stabilization of an experimental high Ka CH 4/air premixed jet flame

DOE PAGES

Wang, Haiou; Hawkes, Evatt R.; Chen, Jacqueline H.

2017-03-17

In the present work, a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of an experimental high Karlovitz number (Ka) CH 4/air piloted premixed flame was analyzed to study the inner structure and the stabilization mechanism of the turbulent flame. A reduced chemical mechanism for premixed CH 4/air combustion with NO x based on GRI-Mech3.0 was used, including 268 elementary reactions and 28 transported species. The evolution of the stretch factor, I0, indicates that the burning rate per unit flame surface area is considerably reduced in the near field and exhibits a minimum at x/D = 8. Downstream, the burning rate gradually increases. Themore » stretch factor is different between different species, suggesting the quenching of some reactions but not others. Comparison between the turbulent flame and strained laminar flames indicates that certain aspects of the mean flame structure can be represented surprisingly well by flamelets if changes in boundary conditions are accounted for and the strain rate of the mean flow is employed; however, the thickening of the flame due to turbulence is not captured. The spatial development of displacement speeds is studied at higher Ka than previous DNS. In contrast to almost all previous studies, the mean displacement speed conditioned on the flame front is negative in the near field, and the dominant contribution to the displacement speed is normal diffusion with the reaction contribution being secondary. Further downstream, reaction overtakes normal diffusion, contributing to a positive displacement speed. The negative displacement speed in the near field implies that the flame front situates itself in the pilot region where the inner structure of the turbulent flame is affected significantly, and the flame stabilizes in balance with the inward flow. Notably, in the upstream region of the turbulent flame, the main reaction contributing to the production of OH, H+O 2⇌O+OH (R35), is weak. Moreover, oxidation reactions, H 2+OH⇌H+H 2O (R79) and CO+OH⇌CO 2+H (R94), are influenced by H 2O and CO 2 from the pilot and are completely quenched. Hence, the entire radical pool of OH, H and O is affected. Furthermore, the fuel consumption layer remains comparably active and generates heat, mainly via the reaction CH 4+OH⇌CH 3+H 2O (R93).« less

Sustained multi-kHz flamefront and 3-component velocity-field measurements for the study of turbulent flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boxx, I.; Stöhr, M.; Carter, C.; Meier, W.

2009-04-01

We describe an approach of imaging the dynamic interaction of the flamefront and flowfield. Here, a diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser operating at 5 kHz is used to pump a dye laser, which is then frequency doubled to 283 nm to probe flamefront OH, while a dual cavity diode-pumped Nd:YAG system produces pulse-pairs for particle image velocimetry (PIV). CMOS digital cameras are used to detect both planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) and particle scattering (in a stereo arrangement) such that a 5 kHz measurement frequency is attained. This diagnostic is demonstrated in lifted-jet and swirl-stabilized flames, wherein the dynamics of the flame stabilization processes are seen. Nonperiodic effects such as local ignition and/or extinction, lift-off and flashback events, and their histories can be captured by this technique. As such, this system has the potential to significantly extend our understanding of nonstationary combustion processes relevant to industrial and technical applications.

Tomographic data fusion with CFD simulations associated with a planar sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Liu, S.; Sun, S.; Zhou, W.; Schlaberg, I. H. I.; Wang, M.; Yan, Y.

2017-04-01

Tomographic techniques have great abilities to interrogate the combustion processes, especially when it is combined with the physical models of the combustion itself. In this study, a data fusion algorithm is developed to investigate the flame distribution of a swirl-induced environmental (EV) burner, a new type of burner for low NOx combustion. An electric capacitance tomography (ECT) system is used to acquire 3D flame images and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is applied to calculate an initial distribution of the temperature profile for the EV burner. Experiments were also carried out to visualize flames at a series of locations above the burner. While the ECT images essentially agree with the CFD temperature distribution, discrepancies exist at a certain height. When data fusion is applied, the discrepancy is visibly reduced and the ECT images are improved. The methods used in this study can lead to a new route where combustion visualization can be much improved and applied to clean energy conversion and new burner development.

Enhancement of fine-scale mixing for fuel-rich plume combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schadow, K. C.; Gutmark, E.; Parr, T. P.; Parr, D. M.; Wilson, K. J.; Ferrell, G. B.

1987-01-01

The effect of enhancing small-scale turbulent structures on the combustion intensity and flame stability was studied in nonreacting and reacting flows. Hot-wire anemometry was used to map the mean and turbulent flow fields of the nonreacting flows. Reacting flows were studied in a free flame and in a ducted gas-generator fuel-rich plume using Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence, a rake of thermocouples and high speed photography. A modified circular nozzle having several backward facing steps upstream of its exit was used to introduce numerous inflection points in the initial mean velocity profiles, thus producing multiple corresponding sources of small-scale turbulence generators. Cold flow tests showed turbulence increases of up to six times the initial turbulence level relative to a circular nozzle. The ensuing result was that the flame of this nozzle was more intense with a homogeneous heat release. The fuel-rich plume was stable even in supersonic speeds, and secondary ignition was obtained under conditions that prevented sustained afterburning using the circular nozzle.

Isolated Liquid Droplet Combustion: Inhibition and Extinction Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dryer, F. L.; Kroenlein, K. G.; Kazakov, A.; Williams, F. A.; Nayagam, V.

2004-01-01

Introduction of fire suppressants to the ambient environment surrounding a heterogeneous diffusion flame may be an inefficient technique for fire safety in systems without buoyant flows. Carbon dioxide substitution for nitrogen diluent leads to significant modifications of the sphero-symmetric burning behavior of isolated n-heptane droplets, partly through increased heat capacity within the gaseous diffusion flame, but mostly because of modifications in spectral radiative coupling in the gas phase. Effects of longer time scale phenomena such as sooting and slow gas-phase/droplet convection remain to be determined. Similar methodologies can be applied to evaluate the effects and efficacy of chemical inhibitors in the liquid and gas phases.

Optical properties of Zn-diffused InP layers for the planar-type InGaAs/InP photodetectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Guifeng; Wang, Mengxue; Yang, Wenxian; Tan, Ming; Wu, Yuanyuan; Dai, Pan; Huang, Yuyang; Lu, Shulong

2017-12-01

Zn diffusion into InP was carried out ex-situ using a new Zn diffusion technique with zinc phosphorus particles placed around InP materials as zinc source in a semi-closed chamber formed by a modified diffusion furnace. The optical characteristics of the Zn-diffused InP layer for the planar-type InGaAs/InP PIN photodetectors grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been investigated by photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The temperature-dependent PL spectrum of Zn-diffused InP samples at different diffusion temperatures showed that band-to-acceptor transition dominates the PL emission, which indicates that Zn was commendably diffused into InP layer as the acceptor. High quality Zn-diffused InP layer with typically smooth surface was obtained at 580 °C for 10 min. Furthermore, more interstitial Zn atoms were activated to act as acceptors after a rapid annealing process. Based on the above Zn-diffusion technique, a 50 μm planar-type InGaAs/InP PIN photodector device was fabricated and exhibited a low dark current of 7.73 pA under a reverse bias potential of -5 V and a high breakdown voltage of larger than 41 V (I < 10 μA). In addition, a high responsivity of 0.81 A/W at 1.31 μm and 0.97 A/W at 1.55 μm was obtained in the developed PIN photodetector. Project supported by the Key R&D Program of Jiangsu Province (No. BE2016085) , the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61674051), and the External Cooperation Program of BIC, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. 121E32KYSB20160071).

Ceramic oxide powders and the formation thereof

DOEpatents

Katz, J.L.; Chenghung Hung.

1993-12-07

Ceramic oxide powders and a method for their preparation. Ceramic oxide powders are obtained using a flame process whereby two or more precursors of ceramic oxides are introduced into a counterflow diffusion flame burner wherein said precursors are converted into ceramic oxide powders. The morphology, particle size, and crystalline form of the ceramic oxide powders are determined by process conditions. 14 figures.

Finite-rate chemistry effects in a Mach 2 reacting flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, T. S.; Wehrmeyer, J. A.; Pitz, R. W.; Jarrett, O., Jr.; Northam, G. B.

1991-01-01

UV spontaneous vibrational Raman scattering and laser-induced predissociative fluorescence (LIPF) are combined and applied to a supersonic flame. For the first time, simultaneous measurements of temperature, major species (H2, O2, N2, H2O), and minor species (OH) concentrations are obtained with a 'single' excimer laser in a supersonic-lifted hydrogen-air diffusion flame. In the supersonic flame, a small amount of reaction occurs upstream of the lifted flame base, due to shock wave interactions and mixing with hot vitiated air. The strong turbulent mixing and high total enthalpy fluctuations lead to nonequilibrium values of temperature, and major and minor species concentrations. Combustion occurs farther downstream of the lifted region where slow three-body recombination reactions result in superequilibrium OH concentrations that depress the temperatures below their equilibrium values. Farther downstream, ambient air entrainment contaminates flame properties.

Stability of planar traveling waves in a Keller-Segel equation on an infinite strip domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chae, Myeongju; Choi, Kyudong; Kang, Kyungkeun; Lee, Jihoon

2018-07-01

We consider a simplified model of tumor angiogenesis, described by a Keller-Segel equation on the two dimensional domain (x , y) ∈ R ×Sλ where Sλ is the circle of perimeter λ. It is known that the system allows planar traveling wave solutions of an invading type. In case that λ is sufficiently small, we establish the nonlinear stability of traveling wave solutions in the absence of chemical diffusion if the initial perturbation is sufficiently small in some weighted Sobolev space. When chemical diffusion is present, it can be shown that the system is linearly stable. Lastly, we prove that any solution with our front condition eventually becomes planar under certain regularity conditions.

Experimental and Computational Study fo CH, CH*, and OH* in an Axisymmetric Laminar Diffusion Flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, K. T.

1998-01-01

In this study, we extend the results of previous combined numerical and experimental investigations of an axisymmetric laminar diffusion flame in which difference Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), and a multidimensional flame model were used to generate profiles of the temperature and major and minor species. A procedure is outlined by which the number densities of ground-state CH (X(sup 2)II) excited-state CH (A(sup 2)Delta, denoted CH*), and excited-state OH (A(sup 2)Sigma, denoted OH*) are measured and modeled. CH* and OH* number densities are deconvoluted from line-of-sight flame-emission measurements. Ground-state CH is measured using linear LIF. The computations are done with GRI Mech 2.11 as well as an alternate hydrocarbon mechanism. In both cases, additional reactions for the production and consumption of CH* and OH* are added from recent kinetic studies. Collisional quenching and spontaneous emission are responsible for the de-excitation of the excited-state radicals. As with our previous investigations, GRI Mech 2.11 continues to produce very good agreement with the overall flame length observed in the experiments, while significantly under predicting the flame lift-off height. The alternate kinetic scheme is much more accurate in predicting lift-off height but overpredicts the over-all flame length. Ground-state CH profiles predicted with GRI Mech 2.11 are in excellent agreement with the corresponding measurements, regarding both spatial distribution and absolute concentration (measured at 4 ppm) of the CH radical. Calculations of the excited-state species show reasonable agreement with the measurements as far as spatial distribution and overall characteristics are concerned. For OH*, the measured peak mole fraction, 1.3 x 10(exp -8), compared well with computed peaks, while the measured peak level for CH*, 2 x 10(exp -9), was severely underpredicted by both kinetic schemes, indicating that the formation and destruction kinetics associated with excited-state species in flames require further research.

Large Eddy Simulation Modeling of Flashback and Flame Stabilization in Hydrogen-Rich Gas Turbines Using a Hierarchical Validation Approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clemens, Noel

This project was a combined computational and experimental effort to improve predictive capability for boundary layer flashback of premixed swirl flames relevant to gas-turbine power plants operating with high-hydrogen-content fuels. During the course of this project, significant progress in modeling was made on four major fronts: 1) use of direct numerical simulation of turbulent flames to understand the coupling between the flame and the turbulent boundary layer; 2) improved modeling capability for flame propagation in stratified pre-mixtures; 3) improved portability of computer codes using the OpenFOAM platform to facilitate transfer to industry and other researchers; and 4) application of LESmore » to flashback in swirl combustors, and a detailed assessment of its capabilities and limitations for predictive purposes. A major component of the project was an experimental program that focused on developing a rich experimental database of boundary layer flashback in swirl flames. Both methane and high-hydrogen fuels, including effects of elevated pressure (1 to 5 atm), were explored. For this project, a new model swirl combustor was developed. Kilohertz-rate stereoscopic PIV and chemiluminescence imaging were used to investigate the flame propagation dynamics. In addition to the planar measurements, a technique capable of detecting the instantaneous, time-resolved 3D flame front topography was developed and applied successfully to investigate the flow-flame interaction. The UT measurements and legacy data were used in a hierarchical validation approach where flows with increasingly complex physics were used for validation. First component models were validated with DNS and literature data in simplified configurations, and this was followed by validation with the UT 1-atm flashback cases, and then the UT high-pressure flashback cases. The new models and portable code represent a major improvement over what was available before this project was initiated.« less