Laminar burning velocities and transition to unstable flames in H2/O2/N2 and C3H8/O2/N2 mixtures

Effects of positive flame stretch on laminar burning velocities, and conditions for transition to unstable flames, were studied experimentally for freely propagating spherical flames at both stable and unstable preferential-diffusion conditions. The data base involved new measurements for H₂/O₂/N₂ mixtures at values of flame stretch up to 7600 s⁻¹, and existing measurements for C₃H₈/O₂/N₂ mixtures at values of flame stretch up to 900 s⁻¹. Laminar burning velocities varied linearly with increasing Karlovitz numbers—either decreasing or increasing at stable or unstable preferential-diffusion conditions—yielding Markstein numbers that primarily varied with the fuel-equivalence ratio. Neutral preferential-diffusion conditions, however, were shifted toward the unstable side of the maximum laminar burning velocity condition that the simplest preferential-diffusion theories associate with neutral stability. All flames exhibited transition to unstable flames: unstable preferential-diffusion coditions yielded early transition to irregular flame surfaces, and stable preferential-diffusion conditions yielded delayed transition to cellular flames by hydrodynamic instability. Conditions for hydrodynamic instability transitions for H₂/O₂/N₂ mixtures were consistent with an earlier correlation due to Groff for propane/air flames, based on the predictions of Istratov and Librovich.     

Measurements of laminar burning velocities and onset of cellular instabilities of methane–hydrogen–air flames at elevated pressures and temperatures

An experimental study on laminar burning velocities and onset of cellular instabilities of the premixed methane–hydrogen–air flames was conducted in a constant volume combustion vessel at elevated pressures and temperatures. The unstretched laminar burning velocity and Markstein length were obtained over a wide range of hydrogen fractions. Besides, the effects of hydrogen addition, initial pressure and initial temperature on flame instabilities were analyzed. The results show that the unstretched flame propagation speed and the unstretched laminar burning velocity are increased with the increase of initial temperature and hydrogen fraction, and they are decreased with the increase of initial pressure. Early onset of cellular instability is presented and the critical radius and Markstein length are decreased with the increase of initial pressure, indicating the increase of hydrodynamic instability with the increase of initial pressure. Flame instability is insensitive to initial temperature compared to initial pressure. With the increase of hydrogen fraction, significant decrease in critical radius and Markstein length is presented, indicating the increase in both diffusional-thermal and hydrodynamic instabilities as hydrogen fraction is increased.     

二甲醚-空气混合气层流燃烧速度的测定

在定容燃烧弹中利用高速纹影摄像法系统地研究了不同燃空当量比和初始压力下二甲醚-空气混合气的层流燃烧特性.利用球形扩散火焰理论分析纹影照片,获得了不同初始压力和当量比下的二甲醚-空气混合气层流燃烧速率.结果表明：随着初始压力的增大,层流燃烧速率显著减小,层流燃烧速率的峰值向浓混合气侧偏移.拉伸层流燃烧速率随拉伸率的增加而增加,拉伸层流质量燃烧速率随拉伸率的增加而减小.根据球形扩散火焰模型得到混合气的马克斯坦长度值表明：在各初始压力下,随着当量比的增加,二甲醚-空气混合气的马克斯坦长度值逐渐减小,火焰前锋面的不稳定性增加.     

天然气-氢气-空气混合气的层流燃烧速度测定

在定容燃烧弹内研究了常温常压下天然气-氢气-空气混合气的火焰传播规律,得到了不同掺氢比例（氢气在天然气中的体积掺混比例为0％～100％）和燃空当量比（0．6～1．4）下混合气的层流燃烧速率和马克斯坦长度,通过对马克斯坦长度的测量,分析了拉伸对火焰传播的影响。结果表明,随着天然气中掺氢比例的增加,混合气的燃烧速率呈指数规律增加,马克斯坦长度值减小,火焰的稳定性下降。各掺氢比例下,随当量比的增加,马克斯坦长度值增加,火焰的稳定性增强。通过对试验结果的数据拟合,得到了计算天然气-氢气-空气混合气层流燃烧速率的关系式。     

Experimental and numerical study on the effect of composition on laminar burning velocities of H2/CO/N2/CO2/air mixtures

Experimental and numerical study on laminar burning velocity of H₂/CO/N₂/CO₂/air mixtures was conducted by using a constant volume bomb and Chemkin package. Good agreement between experimental measurements and numerical calculations by using USCII Mech is achieved. Diffusional-thermal instability is enhanced but hydrodynamic instability is insensitive to the increase of hydrogen fraction in fuel mixtures. For mixtures with different hydrogen fractions, the adiabatic flame temperature is not the dominant influencing factor while high thermal diffusivity of hydrogen obviously enhances the laminar burning velocity. Laminar burning velocities increase with increasing hydrogen fraction and equivalence ratio (0.4–1.0). This is mainly due to the high reactivity of H₂ leading to high production rate of H and OH radicals. Reactions  and  play the dominant role in the production of H radical for mixtures with high hydrogen fraction, and reaction R31 plays the dominant role for mixtures with low hydrogen fraction.     

Premixed flamelet modelling: Factors influencing the turbulent heat release rate source term and the turbulent burning velocity

A flamelet approach is adopted in a study of the factors affecting the volumetric heat release source term in turbulent combustion. This term is expressed as the product of an instability enhanced burning rate factor, Pbi, and the mean volumetric heat release rate in an unstretched laminar flamelet of the mixture. Included in the expression for Pbi are a pdf of the flame stretch rate and a flame stretch factor. Fractal considerations link the turbulent burning velocity normalised by the effective rms turbulent velocity to Pbi. Evaluation of this last parameter focuses on problems of (i) the pdfs of the flame stretch rate, (ii) the effects of flame stretch rate on the burning rate, (iii) the effects of any flamelet instability on the burning rate, (iv) flamelet extinctions under positive and negative flame stretch rates, and (v) the effects of the unsteadiness of flame stretch rates. The Markstein number influences both the rate of burning and the possibility of flamelet instabilities developing which, through their ensuing wrinkling, increase the burning rate. The flame stretch factor is extended to embrace potential Darrieus-Landau thermo-diffusive flamelet instabilities. A major limitation is the insufficient understanding of the effects of negative stretch rates that might cause flame extinction. The influences of positive and negative Markstein numbers are considered separately. For the former, a computed theoretical relationship for turbulent burning velocity, normalised by the effective rms velocity, is developed which, although close to that measured experimentally, tends to be somewhat lower at the higher values of the Karlovitz stretch factor. This might be attributed to reduced flame extinction and reduced effective Markstein numbers when the increasingly nonsteady conditions reduce the ability of the flame to respond to changes in flame stretch rates. As the pressure increases, Markstein numbers decrease. For negative Markstein numbers the predicted values of Pbi and turbulent burning velocity are significantly increased above the values for positive Markstein numbers. This is confirmed experimentally and these values are close to those predicted theoretically. The increased values are due to the greater stretch rate required for flame extinction, the increased burning rate at positive values of flame stretch rate, and, in some instances, the development of flame instabilities. At lower values of turbulence than those covered by these computations, burning velocities can be enhanced by flame instabilities, as they are with laminar flames, particularly at negative Markstein numbers.     

Effect of ignition position and inert gas on hydrogen/air explosions

The effects of inert gas (i.e., He, Ar, and N₂) and ignition position on flame dynamics in a half-open duct with an aspect-ratio of 10 are analyzed for hydrogen/air mixtures with constant laminar burning velocity S_L. The results indicate that hydrodynamic and thermo-diffusive instabilities dominate flame propagations with ignition at the right-half part of the duct, while Rayleigh–Taylor instability dominates with ignition at the left-half part of the duct. The flame-sound interaction results in the periodic pressure oscillations. Due to decreased instability, the He-diluted flame exhibits a weaker sensitivity of explosion parameters to the ignition position. The maximum pressure P_max is dominated by different mechanisms depending on the ignition position. Although constant S_L is used, P_max for the worst case with N₂ dilution is two times that with He dilution, demonstrating the considerable effect of flame instabilities. Finally, a chemical kinetic calculation is performed to clarify the flame stabilities.     

Effects of hydrogen addition and nitrogen dilution on the laminar flame characteristics of premixed methane–air flames

The effect of hydrogen addition and nitrogen dilution on laminar flame characteristics was investigated. The spherical expanding flame technique, in a constant volume bomb, was employed to extract laminar flame characteristics. The mole fraction of hydrogen in the methane–hydrogen mixture was varied from 0 to 1 and the mole fraction of nitrogen in the total mixture (methane–hydrogen–air–diluent) from 0 to 0.35. Measurements were performed at an initial pressure of 0.1 MPa and an initial temperature of 300 K. The mixtures investigated were under stoichiometric conditions. Based on experimental measurements, a new correlation for calculating the laminar burning velocity of methane–hydrogen–air–nitrogen mixtures is proposed. The laminar burning velocity was found to increase linearly with hydrogen mass fraction for all dilution ratios while the burned gas Markstein length decreases with the increase in hydrogen amount in the mixture except for high hydrogen mole fractions (>0.6). Nitrogen dilution has a nonlinear reducing effect on the laminar burning velocity and an increasing effect on the burned gas Markstein length. The experimental results and the proposed correlation obtained are in good agreement with literature values.     

Laminar burning velocities and flame stability analysis of syngas mixtures at sub-atmospheric pressures

The effects of low pressure on the laminar burning velocity and flame stability of H₂/CO mixtures and equimolar H₂/CO mixtures diluted with N₂ and CO₂ were studied experimentally and theoretically. Experiments were conducted at real sub-atmospheric conditions in three places located at high altitudes 500 m.a.s.l. (0.947 atm), 1550 m.a.s.l. (0.838 atm), and 2300 m.a.s.l. (0.767 atm). Flames were generated using contoured slot-type nozzle burners and Schlieren images were used to determine the laminar burning velocity with the angle method. The behavior of the laminar burning velocity at low pressures depends on the equivalence ratio considered; it decreases at lean and very rich equivalence ratios when pressure is increased. However, a contrary behavior was obtained at equivalence ratios corresponding to the highest values of the laminar burning velocity, where it increases as pressure increases. Numerical calculations were also conducted using a detailed reaction mechanism, and these do not reproduce the behavior obtained experimentally; a sensitivity analysis was carried out to examine the differences found. At lean equivalence ratios, flame instabilities were observed for all the syngas mixtures. The range of equivalence ratios where flames are stable increases at lower pressures. This behavior is due to the increase of the flame thickness, which considerably reduces the hydrodynamic instabilities in the flame front.     

Determination of the laminar burning velocities for mixtures of ethanol and air at elevated temperatures

Experimental test for premixed laminar combustion of ethanol–air mixtures has been conducted in a constant volume combustion bomb. The laminar burning velocities of ethanol–air mixtures are determined over a wide range of equivalence ratio at elevated temperatures, by means of the measurements of spherically expanding flames using schlieren photography technique. The effect of flame stretch imposed at the flame front has been discussed and the Markstein lengths are deduced to characterize the stretch effect on flame propagation. Following a linear relation between flame speed and flame stretch, the unstretched laminar burning velocities of ethanol–air flames have been derived. Over the ranges studied, a power law correlation has been suggested for the unstretched laminar burning velocities as a function of initial temperature and equivalence ratio. The empirical correlation is also compared with those data available in the literature, and it is found that the discrepancies are acceptable.     

Derivation of burning velocities of premixed hydrogen/air flames at engine-relevant conditions using a single-cylinder compression machine with optical access

With respect to hydrogen internal combustion engines beside turbulence also flame front instabilities of high-pressure combustion provoke an acceleration of the flame. To account for this effect within engine simulations, it is suggested to include the impact of flame front instabilities directly into a “quasi-laminar” burning velocity that is an input for turbulent combustion models. Premixed hydrogen/air flames are investigated in a single-cylinder compression machine using OH-chemiluminescence and in-cylinder pressure analysis. Values of burning velocities are calculated from flame front velocities considering thermal expansion effects. A flame speed correlation is derived which covers temperatures and pressures of the unburned mixture, relevant for internal combustion engines, ranging from 350 K to 700 K and 5 bar to 45 bar. Values of air/fuel equivalence ratio cover lean and rich regimes between 0.4 ≤ λ ≤ 2.8. For an evaluation of stretch and instability effects a comparison to fundamental laminar burning velocities of a one-dimensional flame computed with a detailed chemical kinetic-mechanism is given. At high-pressure conditions flame speed measurements demonstrate that flame front instabilities have an accelerating effect on the value of laminar burning velocities, which cannot be reproduced by computations with a chemical model. A linear stability analysis is applied in order to estimate the magnitude of instabilities. The proposed “quasi-laminar” burning velocity does not account for interaction between turbulence and instability effects. Consequently, at increasing turbulence levels partially counter-balancing of instabilities by turbulence is not followed which may allegorize a possible limitation of the suggested approach.     

高温高压下二甲醚—空气预混层流燃烧特性研究

在定容燃烧弹内研究了初始压力为0.5 MPa时,不同初始温度和燃空当量比下二甲醚-空气混合气预混层流火焰的层流燃烧速率和马克斯坦长度,分析了火焰拉伸对火焰传播速率的影响.基于容弹燃烧的双区模型计算了预混层流燃烧的燃烧特性参数.结果表明:随着初始温度的增加,二甲醚-空气预混合气的无拉伸火焰传播速率和无拉伸层流燃烧率增加;对于给定的初始温度,在化学当量比偏浓混合气一侧存在一个层流燃烧速度的峰值;随初始温度和当最比增加,马克斯坦长度值减小,火焰前锋面的不稳定性增加;最大燃烧压力随初始温度的增加而下降,压力升高率随初始温度的增加而降低.     

Laminar burning velocities and flame instabilities of diluted H2/CO/air mixtures under different hydrogen fractions

An experimental study was conducted using outwardly propagating flame to evaluate the laminar burning velocity and flame intrinsic instability of diluted H₂/CO/air mixtures. The laminar burning velocity of H₂/CO/air mixtures diluted with CO₂ and N₂ was measured at lean equivalence ratios with different dilution fractions and hydrogen fractions at 0.1 MPa; two fitting formulas are proposed to express the laminar burning velocity in our experimental scope. The flame instability was evaluated for diluted H₂/CO/air mixtures under different hydrogen fractions at 0.3 MPa and room temperature. As the H₂ fraction in H₂/CO mixtures was more than 50%, the flame became more unstable with the decrease in equivalence ratio; however, the flame became more stable with the decrease in equivalence ratio when the hydrogen fraction was low. The flame instability of 70%H₂/30%CO premixed flames hardly changed with increasing dilution fraction. However, the flames became more stable with increasing dilution fraction for 30%H₂/70%CO premixed flames. The variation in cellular instability was analyzed, and the effects of hydrogen fraction, equivalence ratio, and dilution fraction on diffusive-thermal and hydrodynamic instabilities were discussed.     

Laminar burning velocities and flame instabilities of 2,5-dimethylfuran–air mixtures at elevated pressures

An experimental investigation on laminar burning velocities and onset of flame instabilities on spherically expanding flames in 2,5-dimethylfuran–air mixtures at elevated pressures was conducted over a wide range of equivalence ratios. The laminar burning velocities, laminar burning fluxes and Markstein lengths at different equivalence ratios and initial pressures were obtained. Furthermore, the diffusional–thermal and hydrodynamic effects on flame front instabilities were specified, and the onset of cellularity was reported. Results show that laminar burning velocities are decreased with increasing initial pressure due to the increase of the free-stream density and the progressively more important three-body termination reactions. With increasing initial pressure, Markstein length decrease, while the laminar burning flux increases. Onsets of flame instabilities, expressed in terms of critical radius or Peclet number, were found to be promoted with increasing equivalence ratio and initial pressures, due to the combined effects of diffusional–thermal and hydrodynamic instabilities.     

氮气稀释气对天然气燃烧特性的影响

为获得氮气稀释气对天然气燃烧特性的影响规律,在定容燃烧反应器中对不同当量比与初始压力下天然气的火焰传播特性、燃烧稳定性及燃烧特性进行了试验测试,并分析了氮气稀释度对天然气火焰传播特性、燃烧稳定性及燃烧特性的影响规律。研究结果表明:随着初始压力与氮气稀释度的升高,火焰前锋面将出现细小裂纹,火核逐渐向定容燃烧反应器上部漂移,火焰稳定性变差;随着初始压力的提高,马克斯坦长度明显变短,火焰稳定性变差,无拉伸火焰传播速度与层流燃烧速度明显降低,但最大燃烧压力显著升高。随着当量比的提高,层流燃烧速度与最大燃烧压力出现先增加后降低的趋势,两者的最大值出现在当量比为1.0时。马克斯坦长度随氮气稀释度的增加逐渐变短,表明火焰逐渐趋于不稳定;同时,无拉伸火焰传播速度、层流燃烧速度与最大燃烧压力随氮气稀释度的增加显著降低。     

异丁醇/辛酸甲酯混合燃料预混层流火焰速度的研究

针对生物柴油与醇类混合燃料燃烧机理研究的需求,采用高速纹影光学诊断方法和定容燃烧弹系统试验研究了异丁醇/辛酸甲酯混合燃料的预混层流燃烧特性。测量了不同当量比和初始压力条件下的不同配比混合燃料—空气预混合气的层流燃烧火焰速度,火焰拉伸率以及马克斯坦长度。分析了燃烧初始条件及异丁醇掺混比例对混合燃料的无拉伸层流燃烧速度及火焰不稳定性的影响规律。结果表明:异丁醇/辛酸甲酯混合燃料的拉伸层流火焰传播速度和层流火焰燃烧速度随着当量比的增加先增加后减少,随着初始压力的增加而减小;马克斯坦长度随着当量比和初始压力的增加而减小;异丁醇掺混比例的增加加快了层流火焰燃烧速度,但使得火焰的不稳定性倾向增加。     

Measurements of laminar burning velocities and flame stability analysis for dissociated methanol–air–diluent mixtures at elevated temperatures and pressures

The laminar burning velocities and Markstein lengths for the dissociated methanol–air–diluent mixtures were measured at different equivalence ratios, initial temperatures and pressures, diluents (N₂ and CO₂) and dilution ratios by using the spherically outward expanding flame. The influences of these parameters on the laminar burning velocity and Markstein length were analyzed. The results show that the laminar burning velocity of dissociated methanol–air mixture increases with an increase in initial temperature and decreases with an increase in initial pressure. The peak laminar burning velocity occurs at equivalence ratio of 1.8. The Markstein length decreases with an increase in initial temperature and initial pressure. Cellular flame structures are presented at early flame propagation stage with the decrease of equivalence ratio or dilution ratio. The transition positions can be observed in the curve of flame propagation speed to stretch rate, indicating the occurrence of cellular structure at flame fronts. Mixture diluents (N₂ and CO₂) will decrease the laminar burning velocities of mixtures and increase the sensitivity of flame front to flame stretch rate. Markstein length increases with an increase in dilution ratio except for very lean mixture (equivalence ratio less than 0.8). CO₂ dilution has a greater impact on laminar flame speed and flame front stability compared to N₂. It is also demonstrated that the normalized unstretched laminar burning velocity is only related to dilution ratio and is not influenced by equivalence ratio.     

Effect of initial pressure on laminar combustion characteristics of hydrogen enriched natural gas

Flame propagation of premixed natural gas–hydrogen–air mixtures was studied in a constant volume combustion bomb. Laminar burning velocities and mass burning fluxes were obtained under various hydrogen fractions and equivalence ratios with various initial pressures, while flame stability and their influencing factors (Markstein length, density ratio and flame thickness) were obtained by analyzing the flame images at various hydrogen fractions, initial pressures and equivalence ratios. The results show that hydrogen fraction, initial pressure as well as equivalence ratio have combined influence on both unstretched laminar burning velocity and flame instability. Meanwhile, according to flame propagation pictures taken by the high speed camera, flame stability decreases with the increase of initial pressures; for given equivalence ratio and hydrogen fraction, flame thickness is more sensitive to the variation of the initial pressure than to that of the density ratio.     

Ignition and burning process in a divided chamber bomb

Ignition and burning mechanisms of the main chamber mixture by a torch jet were experimentally investigated using a divided chamber bomb. The effects of the nozzle diameter and volume ratio on the structure of the torch jet, ignition process, and subsequent burning process in the main chamber were minutely examined, in both uniform and stratified charges, by measurements of ion current, light emission, OH-emission (306.4 nm), initial torch jet velocity, and main chamber pressure histories and by schlieren photography. The structure of the torch jet was greatly influenced by the nozzle diameter and volume ratio independently of the main chamber mixture ratio. According to the physical and chemical characteristics obtained for it, the structure of the torch jet could be classified into four types, and the ignition and burning processes in the main chamber could also be classified into four patterns depending on the torch jet structure: pattern I, chemical chain ignition and well-dispersed burning; pattern II, composite ignition and well-dispersed burning followed by wrinkled laminar burning; pattern III, flame kernel torch ignition and wrinkled laminar burning; and pattern IV, flame front torch ignition and wrinkled laminar burning. Combustion characteristics such as main chamber pressure and net burning time in the main chamber also showed their own peculiar features. Examination of the lean flammability limit gave a possibility of lean burning outside of the normal flammability limit by using divided chamber systems. From these results combustion pattern II was found to be most favorable for lean burning.     

Experimental and numerical study on laminar burning velocities and flame instabilities of hydrogen–air mixtures at elevated pressures and temperatures

Experimental and numerical study on hydrogen–air flames at elevated pressures and temperatures was conducted. Meanwhile, the calculation is extended to initial pressure and temperature up to 8.0 MPa and 950 K, respectively. Laminar burning velocities and Markstein lengths were obtained at the elevated pressures and temperatures. Sensitivity analysis and flame structure were also analyzed. The results show good agreement between the computed results and experimental data. The study shows that laminar burning velocities are increased with the increase of initial temperature, and they decrease with the increase of initial pressure. With the increase of initial pressure, advancement of the onset of cellular instability is presented and Markstein length is decreased, indicating an increase of flame instability with the increase of initial pressure. The study shows insensitivity of flame instability to initial temperature. Laminar burning velocity is depended on the competition between the main chain branching reactions and chain termination reaction. The chain branching reactions are the temperature-sensitive reaction, while the termination reaction is the temperature-insensitive reaction. Through the extraction of the overall reaction orders, it is demonstrated that with increasing pressure, the overall reaction orders give a decreasing trend and then increasing trend. This behavior suggests an analogy to three explosion limits of hydrogen/oxygen mixtures. Numerical study also shows that the suppression (or enhancement) of overall chemical reaction with the increase of initial pressure (or temperature) is closely linking to the decrease (or increase) of H, O and OH mole fractions in the flames. Strong correlation is existed between burning velocity and maximum radical concentrations of H and OH radicals in the reaction zone of premixed flames. On the basis of the numerical data, an empirical formula for laminar burning velocity is correlated for the hydrogen–air premixed mixture at elevated pressures and temperatures. The correlated laminar burning velocities are in good agreement with the known experimental results and simulated results with CHEMKIN. The correlation can be used in the calculation of laminar burning velocities at evaluated pressures and temperatures.