Filtration combustion of a gas in a semiinfinite porous medium

An asymptotic analysis of the combustion of a gas moving in a semiinfinite porous medium is performed for large values of the Zel’dovich parameter. The case of a highly porous medium with high gas permeability is considered. The basic terms of asymptotic expansions of the main parameters of the process for combustion and separation regimes are obtained by the method of joined asymptotic expansions. The effect of the rate of motion of the gas and heat transfer from the surface of the skeleton into the ambient medium on the combustion parameters is analyzed. The critical conditions of failure of stationary combustion at the external surface of the layer and the conditions of transition of the process to the separation and induction regimes are determined. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 3–14. July–August, 2000. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (Grant No. 98-01-03009).     

Influence of geometric and regime parameters on flame stabilization of a swirl burner

The influence of geometric and regime parameters of a swirl burner with a central body and a diffuser on flow characteristics and flame stabilization in the combustion of a premixed gas mixture was investigated using Reynolds equations and thek-ε model of turbulence. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 35, No. 5, pp. 21–26, September–October 1999.     

Characteristics of the boundary layer with hydrogen combustion with variations of thermal conditions on a permeable wall

The paper describes a numerical study of the influence of thermal and boundary conditions on the structure of laminar and turbulent diffusion flames in the cases with hydrogen injection through a porous surface and with hydrogen combustion in an air flow. Two types of boundary conditions are compared: with a given constant temperature T _w = const over the length of the porous surface for arbitrary intensities of fuel injection and with a constant temperature T′ = const of the fuel injected through the porous wall. The first case occurs during combustion of a liquid fuel whose burning surface temperature remains unchanged. Injection of gaseous fuel usually leads to the second case with T′ = const. Despite significant differences in velocity and temperature profiles, the skin friction coefficients in the laminar flow are close to each other in these two regimes. In the turbulent regime, the effect of the thermal boundary conditions on friction and heat transfer is more pronounced. Moreover, the heat flux to the wall as a function of fuel-injection intensity is characterized by a clearly expressed maximum. A principal difference of the effect of combustion on friction and heat transfer in the laminar and turbulent flow regimes is demonstrated. __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 3–11, May–June, 2009.     

Premixed gas combustion stabilized in fiber felt and its application to a novel radiant burner

Premixed gas combustion stabilized in a unique ceramic fiber felt has been investigated. Our aim was to better understand the flame structure and flame stabilization mechanisms in the porous felt medium in order to develop a new radiant burner. A novel recuperative radiant burner was designed and constructed. A flame stabilizes near the downstream interface of the porous medium that is an excellent selective thermal emitter. The burner was developed for use as a gas-fired light source. The combustion performance of the burner at various operating conditions and the effect of heat recuperation are presented. Combustion modes on the fiber felt were examined carefully. An optimal flame structure for the premixed gas combustion is attained and the flame stabilizes in the porous fiber felt at radiant mode combustion over a wide range of firing rates. The burner emits desired spectral radiation and generates fairly intense light at the conditions of heat recuperation. The light radiant burner could be used as an alternative low-glare light source in an integrated heat and light system in which the light is distributed through light pipes.     

Characteristics of HMX combustion waves at various pressures and initial temperatures

Temperature profiles and combustion-wave parameters are obtained experimentally for combustion of pressed HMX at room temperature and pressures of 1–500 atm and in the case of a change in the initial temperature of the specimens from −170 to +100°C at pressures of 1–75 (90) atm. The following combustion-zone parameters are determined: the heat effect in the c-phase, the heat transfer from the gas to the c-phase by thermal conduction and radiation, the rate of heat release in the gas near the surface, and the dimensions and temperature of the combustion zones. The authorsé previous conclusion that there is one process of decomposition and evaporation of HMX during its gasification in the condensed-phase reaction layer of the combustion wave is confirmed. Dependences of the fraction of decomposed HMX on the initial temperature of the specimens and the pressure are obtained. The differential characteristics of the combustion rate, surface temperature, and radiative heat transfer, required for the nonlinear theory of HMX combustion stability, are evaluated. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 59–66, March–April, 1998.     

Pore-level numerical simulation of methane-air combustion in a simplified two-layer porous burner

A simplified two-dimensional model of two-layer porous burner based on pore level is developed.The heat transfer of solid phase in porous burner is seen as the synergistic effects of conduction through con-necting bridges and surface radiation between the solid particles in the model.A numerical simulation study on the characteristics of flow,combustion and heat transfer in the two-layer porous burner is car-ried out using the pore level model,and the effects of the control parameters such as the inlet velocity and solid thermal conductivity on thermal non-equilibrium are investigated.The results show that the flame structure is highly two-dimensional based on pore level.Obvious thermal non-equilibrium in the burner for the two phases and solid phase are observed,the largest temperature difference between the gas and solid phases is observed in combustion zone,while the temperature difference inside the solid particles is largest near the flame front.The results also reveal that thermal non-equilibrium of por-ous burner is much affected by the inlet velocity and solid thermal conductivity.     

Stabilized gas combustion wave in an inert porous medium

A stabilized gas combustion wave in an inert porous medium with intense internal interphase heat exchange (at low velocities) is considered to elucidate the mechanism underlying the increase in the burning velocity of the homogeneous gas mixture due to the porous medium. It is shown that the major factor of the increase in the burning velocity is conductive heat recuperation from the postflame zone to the region of the fresh mixture through the solid skeleton of the porous medium. Analytical dependences of the degree of increase in the burning velocity of the mixture in the stabilized wave on the determining parameters are obtained. The possibilities and restrictions of the use of the results to analyze the operation of porous burners are discussed. __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 8–15, September–October, 2008.     

Characteristics of stationary spherical waves of gas combustion in inert porous media

Stationary spherical waves of gas combustion in porous media were studied theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that in spherically convergent and divergent gas flows, the waves differ in the type of stability: they are stable in a divergent flow and unstable in a convergent flow. A mathematical model for standing spherical waves is proposed that establishes the dependences of the coordinate of a standing wave on the gas-flow rate, mixture composition, and parameters of the porous medium and the gas and describes the experiment adequately. It is shown that allowance for heat losses leads to the appearance of limits of existence for standing spherical waves. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 9–19, March–April, 1998.     

Flame propagation in porous media wetted with fuel

Some specific features of flame propagation over a gas mixture with a very low value of enthalpy have been studied experimentally in an evaporative-diffusive regime in various porous media. The combustion wave is shown to propagate steadily in a high-porosity medium wetted withn-octane at velocities of3–10 cm/sec. We have also studied the effect of the volumetric heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the material of a porous medium on the velocity and characteristics of flame propagation both in a high-velocity regime for high-enthalpy gas mixtures and in a low-velocity regime for low-enthalpy ones. The existence conditions of an evaporative-diffusive regime have been considered. Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090. Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 76–85, May–June, 1997.     

Filtration combustion of porous metallic samples in a gas diluted by an inert component

Filtration combustion of a porous layer with natural filtration of the oxidizer diluted by an inert component is studied. The problem of ignition of a porous layer by a heated surface permeable for the gas is solved, and the time of ignition is determined as a function of pressure in the reactor and initial porosity of the sample. Formation of an inert gas “plug” preventing chemical interaction is examined. It is shown that the mean depth of conversion of the condensed reagent in the porous layer depends on the sample length, porosity, pressure of the gas mixture, and concentration of the inert component. __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 73–79, January–February, 2008.     

Thermal Explosion of a Gas Mixture in a Porous Hollow Cylinder

A nonstationary model of gas combustion in a porous cylindrical heat generator with allowance for heat losses inside the body and from the outer surface is proposed and numerically analyzed. The flow pattern is demonstrated to depend on the ratio of the outer and inner radii of the working region. Critical conditions separating the stationary operation mode and the thermal explosion are found.     

Special features of the combustion process in a channel with a supersonic velocity at the entrance

Results of combustion studies in channels are presented. These researches deal with anomalous phenomena in steady turbulent flows: unsteady heat transfer, two-layer flow, oscillations of a gas column of different intensity and frequency. Under certain conditions, these phenomena lead to substantial redistributions of enthalphy and stagnation pressure at the exit of the combustion chamber, which significantly affects the integral characteristics of the combustor. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 24–32, July–August 1999.     

Critical combustion diameter

The heat loss in combustion of gaseous and condensed materials is determined in plane and axisymmetric formulations. Generalized expressions are derived for the combustion quenching conditions versus pressure and the stability boundaries for steady-state combustion of condensed materials are obtained. It is shown that theoretical dependences of the critical diameter on pressure agree with experimental data on combustion of gas mixtures and condensed liquids and solids. __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 29–39, January–February, 2007.     

Effect of a heat-conducting element on the gasless combustion of cylindrical samples under nonadiabatic conditions

The effect of a heat-conducting element on the ignition and combustion of a cylindrical layer of a gasless mixture with a nonadiabatic lateral surface is studied. It is shown that the introduction of an element with high heat conductivity allows one to extend the region of ignition of the gasless composition by a heated surface and to increase burning rate under conditions of external heat release. __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 66–71, January–February, 2007.     

Surface and layer-by-layer modes of niobium combustion in nitrogen gas: Experiment and theory

Infiltration-mediated combustion of porous Nb samples in nitrogen gas under pressures of 0.12–10 MPa was investigated by thermocouple method. Measuring the velocities of front propagation over the sample surface and along the sample axis, it turned out possible to determine the combustion front concavity inside of a sample body. Combustion with a concave front was found to occur within the pressure range 0.12–1.0 MPa while that with a planar front, in the range 1–10 MPa. Elucidated was the effect of sample melting on the phase/chemical composition of combustion products. Derived was an analytical expression for parameter SL defining a limit for deviation from the mode of planar frontal combustion: the criterion SL > 1 defines the domain of combustion with a concave front while SL < 1, the domain of planar-front combustion. Theoretical predictions were found to reasonably agree with experiment.     

Operation of a gas generator controlled by supplying a gaseous oxidizer

The possibility of arranging a gas generator with the heat-release process being controlled by supplying a gaseous oxidizer is experimentally checked. Gaseous hydrogen, liquid gasoline, and solid hexamethylene tetramine (solidified alcohol) is used as a fuel. The gas generator with a proposed configuration is demonstrated to ensure stable operation during combustion of various fuels; the pressure in the gas-generator combustion chamber does not exceed the pressure of oxidizer supply and clearly correlates with variations of the oxidizer mass flow. Quasi-steady calculations allow determining all parameters of the process, including those that are not measured in the experiment. In particular, the temperature of combustion products is found to be 600–1900 K, and the gas generator forms a high-temperature mixture containing a non-reacted fuel (the air-to-fuel ratio is α = 0.55–2.30). __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 44, No. 6, pp. 18–25, November–December, 2008.     

Effect of finite deformations of a solid propellant on dynamic processes in combustible porous media

A combustion model for porous deformable media that allows for finite deformations of the solid phase is developed. An effective numerical-analytic method of solving the combustion problem for a deformable porous medium with a system of periodically located cracks is proposed. The method is employed for a numerical analysis of the effect of the modulus of elasticity of the solid phase on the characteristics of internal heat and mass transfer. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 73–83, September–October 1998.     

Propagation of spherical gas filtration combustion waves in inert porous media

The behavior of spherical combustion waves of gases in inert porous media is described in terms of one- and two-temperature models. Parametric dependences are obtained for the wave velocity and acceleration and for the temperature of the gas and porous medium in the wave. It is shown that in a diverging spherical gas flow, combustion waves initiated at different radii of the sphere converge to the standing wave coordinater ^*, and in a converging flow, on the other hand, they diverge from it. The experimentally observed propagation behavior of spherical combustion waves is well described by the proposed models. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 60–66, January–February 1999     

A numerical investigation of the flame stability in porous burners employing various ceramic sponge-like structures

In order to optimize the porous burner for the application as a pilot burner of stationary gas turbines aiming to reduce NO_x emissions a fundamental study investigating the influence of the thermo-physical properties of the porous structure on the flame stabilization in a porous burner was conducted. This work presents a numerical study of the stability of one-dimensional laminar premixed flame in porous inert ceramic sponge structure. A set of steady computations are considered, using a numerical model that takes into account solid and gas energy equations as well as detailed chemistry. The model considers additionally the enhancement of both, thermal and species diffusivity by the flow dispersion, whereas the dispersion coefficients of the investigated structures have been determined from three-dimensional flow simulations using MRI (magnet resonance imaging) and CT (computer tomography) data to regenerate the real sponge structures. Hence, it was possible to calculate a thickened flame front as it was detected in experiments, too. The computations were conducted for different operational conditions and different burner configurations in respect to geometrical and material properties of the porous inert media. The numerical predictions showed very good agreement with the corresponding experimental stability data. The obtained numerical results were used for the formulation of a simple stability model based on the Pe number that enables a prediction of the lean blow-off limits in the combustion systems employing porous burner concept.     

Effect of Unmixedness in Large Eddies on Ignition and Combustion of Turbulent Jets of the Fuel in a Supersonic Flow

A method and results of computing the influence of unmixedness in large eddies generated by instability of a contact discontinuity on ignition and combustion of turbulent jets of a fuel in a supersonic flow are presented. The basic system of equations is the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The influence of unmixedness on chemical reaction rates is reproduced by using a random number generator adjusted in accordance with the probability of origination of favorable conditions for proceeding of chemical reactions, which is computed in each node of the computational grid. The problem of combustion of a plane hydrogen jet injected into a supersonic flow along the plate surface is considered as an example. It is shown that allowance for unmixedness in the case where the flow and the jet have favorable initial parameters for self-ignition leads to a delay in heat release and to origination of pressure and temperature fluctuations. As the parameters approach the self-ignition limit, these fluctuations increase, and the combustion becomes intermittent. __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 49–56, January–February, 2006.