自由射流预混合微火焰的燃烧特性

对静止空气中自由射流微喷管甲烷/空气预混合火焰的燃烧特性进行了实验研究,考察了火焰高度特征及其相关影响因素,详细探讨了尺度变化对微火焰熄火极限的影响.结果表明:微喷管射流预混合火焰为层流火焰,火焰高度与微喷管出口流速成止比,火焰高度随当量比减小而减小;同一当量比下,无量纲参数H/d(火焰高度/微喷管直径)与出口Re数呈线性关系.微尺度效应导致预混合火焰淬熄速度明显增大,同时可燃极限当量比远大于1,微预混合火焰发生淬熄的主要原凶是微尺度下热量和质量扩散作用明显增强.     

小尺度乙醇扩散火焰及管壁温度场的实验研究

用不同的小尺度陶瓷圆管作为燃烧器,对液体乙醇在空气中的扩散火焰燃烧进行了实验研究.分析了火焰燃烧的三种不同的特性以及燃烧区域,考察了影响火焰高度与宽度的相关因素,并分析了燃烧时管壁的温度场.结果表明:稳定燃烧时火焰的高度与宽度均随流量的增大而线性增加,并随着内径的减小而减小.随着内径的减小,淬熄流量减小,振荡流量减小,稳定燃烧范围减小.同一流量下,管壁的温度以管口为基点呈指数规律递减.     

喷管内传递特性对微尺度扩散火焰的影响

对均匀空气流中微尺度甲烷扩散燃烧进行了数值模拟,重点考察微喷管内的流动和传热传质对微尺度燃烧特性的影响.结果表明,在低流速下,内径为0.3 mm的微喷管内进气速度为1.0 m/s时燃料与空气的混合已经发生,混合气被管外的热量预热,同时火焰的热损失增加.在喷管直径一定时,减小燃料喷出速度,传热传质现象对微尺度甲烷扩散火焰特性的影响增强;当进气速度为0.5 m/s时,甲烷在微喷管内开始燃烧,放出热量.在进行微尺度解析计算时,必须包含一定的喷管区域.     

丝网结构对爆炸气体淬熄的试验研究

研究了多层丝网结构对乙炔/空气混合气体和丙烷,空气混合气体燃烧爆炸的抑制作用.提出了临界淬熄速度、临界淬熄超压和熄爆参数3个概念,用火焰传播速度和压力来描述抑爆效果,使用熄爆参数来衡量抑爆结构抑制燃烧爆炸的能力.试验研究了临界淬熄速度、临界淬熄超压和熄爆参数与多层丝网抑爆结构几何参数之间的关系,并得出该关系的经验公式.随着丝网几何参数的增加,淬熄性能变好.     

惰性气体对爆燃火焰淬熄的影响

对高速爆燃火焰在He与N2作用下在圆管内的淬熄进行了数值模拟,分析了当可燃气体活性与圆管直径不同时惰性气体对淬熄的影响.结果表明,He的淬熄性能大大优于N2,火焰在圆管内的淬熄长度随着可燃气体活性的增强而增大,活性较高的可燃气体火焰在N2中不容易被淬熄.对肯尼斯层流扩散火焰的淬熄模型方程进行了修正,得出了在爆燃条件下圆管的临界淬熄直径正比于惰性气体热扩散率的1/3次方的结果.     

平板阻火单元温度变化对火焰淬熄的影响

通过模拟丙烷/空气预混火焰在不同温度平板阻火单元狭缝中传播与淬熄的过程,发现阻火单元温度变化对火焰在狭缝中传播与淬熄有非常重要的影响,得出了在丙烷/空气预混火焰不同阻火单元温度影响下火焰传播速度与平板狭缝间距、淬熄长度之间的关系.发现阻火单元温度越高,相同狭缝间距的火焰淬熄距离越长;狭缝间距越大,火焰速度越大,阻火单元温度变化对淬熄距离影响越明显.     

氢气/甲烷扩散火焰特性实验研究

燃烧的基本特性如抬举高度、层流燃烧速度以及射流出口速度等与燃烧装置的设计有关。对纯氢气火焰、氢气/甲烷、氢气/甲烷/CO2扩散火焰的抬举高度和射流出口速度进行了实验研究,并对层流燃烧速度进行了分析。研究认为,抬举高度随着射流出口速度的增加而线性增加。层流燃烧速度随氢气体积分数的增加呈指数增长,特别当氢气体积分数40%以后,层流燃烧速度随氢气体积分数显著增加。     

湍流射流火焰抬举高度的实验研究

湍流射流燃烧作为工业燃烧室中普遍存在的燃烧方式,研究湍流射流火焰不仅能促进实际燃烧室的设计改造,更能增强对湍流燃烧理论的理解。在轴对称伴流射流燃烧器实验平台上,研究了湍流自由射流火焰抬举高度随射流速度的变化及氮气稀释和伴流速度对火焰抬举高度的影响。实验结果表明湍流自由射流燃烧火焰抬举高度随射流速度呈线性增长;随氮气稀释摩尔分数的增加其抬举高度的线性斜率增大,射流火焰吹出喷嘴的雷诺数降低,火焰更易发生抬举;同时,氮气稀释摩尔分数的增加也导致射流火焰发生吹熄时雷诺数减小,射流火焰在射流速度完全进入湍流之前发生吹熄;伴流速度小于0.3 m/s时对火焰抬举高度的影响不大,当伴流速度大于0.3 m/s时抬举高度随伴流速度的增加呈线性增长,当射流速度大于20 m/s时,伴流速度的影响降低;对比伴流与稀释对抬举高度的影响可知射流速度大于30 m/s时对伴流的敏感性大于稀释,而在射流速度小于30 m/s时对稀释更敏感。     

电场作用下的液体乙醇微尺度层流扩散燃烧

采用实验和数值模拟方法研究了电场作用下液体乙醇层流扩散微燃烧的火焰结构、火焰无量纲高度和宽度以及Re之间的关系.结果表明,实验拍摄火焰结构图像与数值模拟高温区结构相似,正向电场火焰结构尺寸较反向电场高;H/d与Re呈线性关系,正向电场的H/d随Re增加幅度较反向电场快;W/d随Re先是线性增加,后期变化幅度较小;火焰中...     

试样宽度对RPU板竖向逆流火蔓延的影响

以2cm厚硬质聚氨酯(RPU)保温板为研究对象,实验研究了试样宽度对竖向逆流燃烧蔓延过程中火焰高度、脉动频率、火焰温度及蔓延速度等特征参量的影响.结果表明,宽度一定时相关特征参量不随时间变化,随着宽度的增加,燃烧程度逐渐加剧,火焰脉动频率先增大后减小,平均火焰高度与火蔓延速度的变化趋势基本一致,均表现为先增大后减小,最终趋于不变,而气相火焰最高温度基本保持不变.     

Autoignited laminar lifted flames of methane/hydrogen mixtures in heated coflow air

Autoignited lifted flame behavior in laminar jets of methane/hydrogen mixture fuels has been investigated experimentally in heated coflow air. Three regimes of autoignited lifted flames were identified depending on initial temperature and hydrogen to methane ratio. At relatively high initial temperature, addition of a small amount of hydrogen to methane improved ignition appreciably such that the liftoff height decreased significantly. In this hydrogen-assisted autoignition regime, the liftoff height increased with jet velocity, and the characteristic flow time – defined as the ratio of liftoff height to jet velocity – correlated well with the square of the adiabatic ignition delay time. At lower temperature, the autoignited lifted flame demonstrated a unique feature in that the liftoff height decreased with increasing jet velocity. Such behavior has never been observed in lifted laminar and turbulent jet flames. A transition regime existed between these two regimes at intermediate temperature.     

Parametric and statistical investigation of the behavior of a lifted flame over a turbulent free-jet structure

Partially premixed combustion is involved in many practical applications, due to partial premixing of combustible and oxidant gases before ignition, or due to local extinctions, which lead to mixing of reactants and burned gases. To investigate some features of flames in stratified flows, the stabilization processes of lifted turbulent jet flames are studied. This work offers a large database of liftoff locations of flames stabilized on turbulence-free jets for different fuels and nozzle diameters studied over their flame stability domains. Methane, propane, and ethylene flames are investigated for nozzle diameters of 2, 3, 4, and 5 mm. Blowout velocities are measured and compared with an approach based on large-scale structures of the jet. The axial and radial locations of the flame base are measured by planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of the OH radical through high sampling (at least 5000 points). From this large database the average locations of the flame base are analyzed for the fuels investigated. The pdfs exhibit an evolution of their shapes according to the region of the turbulent jet where the flame stabilizes (potential core, transition to turbulence, or fully developed turbulence regions). This dependence is probably due to the interaction of the flame with the jet structures. This is confirmed by the comparison between the amplitude of the height fluctuations and the local size of the large-scale structures deduced from particle image velocimetry measurements and self-similarity laws for velocity. The results show the flame can be carried over a distance equal to the local diameter of the jet within the region of fully developed turbulence for propane and ethylene, and over a slightly larger distance for methane.     

Flame characteristics of methane/air with hydrogen addition in the micro confined combustion space

This paper investigated methane/air flame characteristics with hydrogen addition in micro confined combustion space experimentally and computationally. The focus is on the effect of hydrogen addition on the methane/air flame stabilization, the onset of flame with repetitive extinction and ignition (FREI), and the global flame quenching in decreasing continuously combustion space. Furthermore, the effects of hydrogen addition on the flame temperature and the local equivalence ratio distribution were analyzed systematically using numerical simulations. In addition, the effects of hydrogen addition on the concentrations of OH and H radicals, and the critical scalar dissipation rate of local flame extinction were discussed. With a higher hydrogen ratio, the mixing is faster, and the flame is smaller. When the micro confined space is narrower, the heat loss to the combustor walls has a higher impact on the flames. The flames with higher hydrogen ratios have therefore lower peak flame temperatures and lower concentrations of H and OH radicals. The results show that hydrogen addition can effectively widen the stable combustion range of methane/air flames in the micro confined space by about 20% when the hydrogen addition ratio reaches 50%. The frequency and the maximum propagation velocity of FREI flames can be increased as well. The quenching distance of methane/hydrogen/air flames decreases nearly linearly with the increase of hydrogen ratio. This is attributed to the higher critical scalar dissipation rate of local flame extinction in flames with a higher hydrogen ratio.     

Dynamics of premixed hydrogen/air flames in microchannels

The stabilization and dynamics of lean (φ=0.5) premixed hydrogen/air atmospheric-pressure flames in planar microchannels of prescribed wall temperature are investigated with respect to the inflow velocity and channel height (0.3 to 1.0 mm) using direct numerical simulation with detailed chemistry and transport. Rich dynamics starting from periodic ignition and extinction of the flame and further transitioning to symmetric V-shaped flames, asymmetric flames, oscillating and pulsating flames, and finally again to asymmetric flames are observed as the inlet velocity is increased. The richest behavior is observed for the 1.0-mm-height channel. For narrower channels, some of the dynamics are suppressed. The asymmetric flames, in particular, vanish for channel heights roughly less than twice the laminar flame thickness. Stability maps delineating the regions of the different flame types in the inlet velocity/channel height parameter space are constructed.     

The effect of mono-dispersed water mist on the suppression of laminar premixed hydrogen–, methane–, and propane–air flames

Computational simulations are used to predict and understand the influence of fine water mists on the suppression of laminar, freely propagating methane–, propane–, and hydrogen–air atmospheric-pressure premixed flames. The model solves a coupled, chemically reacting, two-phase-flow problem. Flame suppression is measured in terms of a reduction in burning velocity. The effects of droplet diameter, net water loading, and fuel–air stoichiometry are reported. The results show similar qualitative features for all the flames. Generally speaking, smaller droplets are more effective than the larger droplets. Sufficiently small droplets (approximately 10 μm diameter for methane–air flames) are in a small-droplet limit, where even smaller droplets have the same suppression characteristics for the same net mass loading. Droplets above a certain diameter (approximately 30 μm for methane–air flames) lead to a turning-point extinction, where the burning velocity at the turning point is approximately half of the unperturbed burning velocity without any water-mist loading.     

Autoignited laminar lifted flames of methane, ethylene, ethane, and n-butane jets in coflow air with elevated temperature

The autoignition characteristics of laminar lifted flames of methane, ethylene, ethane, and n-butane fuels have been investigated experimentally in coflow air with elevated temperature over 800 K. The lifted flames were categorized into three regimes depending on the initial temperature and fuel mole fraction: (1) non-autoignited lifted flame, (2) autoignited lifted flame with tribrachial (or triple) edge, and (3) autoignited lifted flame with mild combustion.For the non-autoignited lifted flames at relatively low temperature, the existence of lifted flame depended on the Schmidt number of fuel, such that only the fuels with Sc > 1 exhibited stationary lifted flames. The balance mechanism between the propagation speed of tribrachial flame and local flow velocity stabilized the lifted flames. At relatively high initial temperatures, either autoignited lifted flames having tribrachial edge or autoignited lifted flames with mild combustion existed regardless of the Schmidt number of fuel. The adiabatic ignition delay time played a crucial role for the stabilization of autoignited flames. Especially, heat loss during the ignition process should be accounted for, such that the characteristic convection time, defined by the autoignition height divided by jet velocity was correlated well with the square of the adiabatic ignition delay time for the critical autoignition conditions. The liftoff height was also correlated well with the square of the adiabatic ignition delay time.     

Investigating the effect of local addition of hydrogen to acoustically excited ethylene and methane flames

While lean combustion in gas turbines is known to reduce NOx, it makes combustors more prone to thermo-acoustic instabilities, which can lead to deterioration in engine performance. The work presented in this study investigates the effectiveness of secondary injection of hydrogen to imperfectly premixed methane and ethylene flames in reducing heat release oscillations. Both acoustically forced and unforced flames were studied, and simultaneous OH and H atom PLIF (planar laser induced fluorescence) was conducted. The tests were carried out on a laboratory scale bluff-body combustor with a central V-shaped bluff body. Two-microphone method was used to estimate velocity perturbations from pressure measurements, flame boundary images were captured using high speed Mie scattering, while global heat release fluctuations were determined from OH* chemiluminescence.The results showed that hydrogen addition considerably reduced heat release oscillations for both methane and ethylene flames at all the forcing frequencies tested, with the exception of methane flames forced at 315 Hz, where oscillations increased with hydrogen addition. The addition of hydrogen reduced the extent of flame roll-up for both methane and ethylene flames, however, this reduction was larger for methane flames. NOx exhaust emissions were observed to increase with hydrogen addition for both methane and ethylene flames, with absolute NOx concentrations higher for ethylene flames, due to higher flame temperatures.     

Investigation of local flame structures and statistics in partially premixed turbulent jet flames using simultaneous single-shot CH and OH planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging

We report on the application of simultaneous single-shot imaging of CH and OH radicals using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) to investigate partially premixed turbulent jet flames. Various flames have been stabilized on a coaxial jet flame burner consisting of an outer and an inner tube of diameter 22 and 2.2 mm, respectively. From the outer tube a rich methane/air mixture was supplied at a relatively low flow velocity, while a jet of pure air was introduced from the inner one, resulting in a turbulent jet flame on top of a laminar pilot flame. The turbulence intensity was controlled by varying the inner jet flow speed from 0 up to 120 m/s, corresponding to a maximal Reynolds number of the inner jet airflow of 13,200. The CH/OH PLIF imaging clearly revealed the local structure of the studied flames. In the proximity of the burner, a two-layer reaction zone structure was identified where an inner zone characterized by strong CH signals has a typical structure of rich premixed flames. An outer reaction zone characterized by strong OH signals has a typical structure of a diffusion flame that oxidizes the intermediate fuels formed in the inner rich premixed flame. In the moderate-turbulence flow, the CH layers were very thin closed surfaces in the entire flame, whereas the OH layers were much thicker. In the high-intensity-turbulence flame, the CH layer remained thin until it vanished in the upper part of the flame, showing local extinction and reignition behavior of the flame. The single-shot PLIF images have been utilized to determine the flame surface density (FSD). In low and moderate turbulence intensity cases the FSDs determined from CH and OH agreed with each other, while in the highly turbulent case a locally broken CH layer was observed, leading to a significant difference in the FSD results determined via the OH and CH radicals. Furthermore, the means and the standard deviations of CH and OH radicals were obtained to provide statistical information about the flames that may be used for validation of numerical calculations.     

Experimental investigation on the onset of cellular instabilities and acceleration of expanding spherical flames

We experimentally investigated the cellular instabilities of expanding spherical propagation of hydrogen–air, methane–air, and propane–air flames. Using image-thresholding technique, the formations and developments of a cell on a flame surface were investigated. The size of the observed cell due to the hydrodynamic instability was larger than those generated by the diffusional–thermal instability. The critical flame radius and critical Peclet number for the onset of instability were evaluated. These critical values for hydrogen–air and methane–air flames increased with increasing concentration. The values decreased with increasing initial pressure because the flame thickness decreased with increasing initial pressure. The ratio of the increase in the burning velocity increased with increasing initial pressure, although that of the hydrogen–air flames only increased with decreasing concentration. The results demonstrated that acceleration of the flame speed is affected by the intensity of the diffusional–thermal and hydrodynamic instabilities.