Correlation of turbulent burning velocities of ethanol–air, measured in a fan-stirred bomb up to 1.2 MPa

The turbulent burning velocity is defined by the mass rate of burning and this also requires that the associated flame surface area should be defined. Previous measurements of the radial distribution of the mean reaction progress variable in turbulent explosion flames provide a basis for definitions of such surface areas for turbulent burning velocities. These inter-relationships. in general, are different from those for burner flames. Burning velocities are presented for a spherical flame surface, at which the mass of unburned gas inside it is equal to the mass of burned gas outside it. These can readily be transformed to burning velocities based on other surfaces.The measurements of the turbulent burning velocities presented are the mean from five different explosions, all under the same conditions. These cover a wide range of equivalence ratios, pressures and rms turbulent velocities for ethanol–air mixtures. Two techniques are employed, one based on measurements of high speed schlieren images, the other on pressure transducer measurements. There is good agreement between turbulent burning velocities measured by the two techniques. All the measurement are generalised in plots of burning velocity normalised by the effective unburned gas rms velocity as a function of the Karlovitz stretch factor for different strain rate Markstein numbers. For a given value of this stretch factor a decrease in Markstein number increases the normalised burning velocity. Comparisons are made with the findings of other workers.     

An experimental evaluation of an entrainment flame-propagation model

Experimental burning-velocity and propagation-velocity data are presented for laminar and turbulent flames ignited in a constant-volume vessel. Burning velocities were obtained using a double-kernel technique whereby the expansion component of the propagation velocity is canceled by propagating two flames toward one another. Propagation velocities were obtained from freely propagating flames. The turbulent flow field was the same in both experiments. High-speed schlieren photography was used to determine flame velocities.The burnig-velocity data are used as one input parameter to a two-parameter entrainment flame-propagation model published in the literature. The model is then fit to the flame-radius and propagation-velocity data to determine the other parameter, a characteristic reaction time. It is shown than the model underestimates experimentally observed flame acceleration unless burning velocity is reduced at small flame radii with an empirical term which is a function of flame radius and thickness. With the empirical term the entrainment model does a reasonable job of predicting flame-propagation rates for the flames examined.     

Turbulent burning rates of methane and methane-hydrogen mixtures

Methane and methane-hydrogen (10%, 20% and 50% hydrogen by volume) mixtures have been ignited in a fan stirred bomb in turbulence and filmed using high speed cine schlieren imaging. Measurements were performed at 0.1 MPa (absolute) and 360 K. A turbulent burning velocity was determined for a range of turbulence velocities and equivalence ratios. Experimental laminar burning velocities and Markstein numbers were also derived. For all fuels the turbulent burning velocity increased with turbulence velocity. The addition of hydrogen generally resulted in increased turbulent and laminar burning velocity and decreased Markstein number. Those flames that were less sensitive to stretch (lower Markstein number) burned faster under turbulent conditions, especially as the turbulence levels were increased, compared to stretch-sensitive (high Markstein number) flames.     

Effect of initial turbulence on vented explosion overpressures from lean hydrogen–air deflagrations

To examine the effect of initial turbulence on vented explosions, experiments were performed for lean hydrogen–air mixtures, with hydrogen concentrations ranging from 12 to 15% vol., at elevated initial turbulence. As expected, it was found that an increase in initial turbulence increased the overall flame propagation speed and this increased flame propagation speed translated into higher peak overpressures during the external explosion. The peak pressures generated by flame–acoustic interactions, however, did not vary significantly with initial turbulence. When flame speeds measurements were examined, it was found that the burning velocity increased with flame radius as a power function of radius with a relatively constant exponent over the range of weak initial turbulence studied and did not vary systematically with initial turbulence. Instead, the elevated initial turbulence increased the initial flame propagation velocities of the various mixtures. The initial turbulence thus appears to act primarily by generating higher initial flame wrinkling while having a minimal effect on the growth rate of the wrinkles. For practical purposes of modeling flame propagation and pressure generation in vented explosions, the increase in burning velocity due to turbulence is suggested to be approximated by a single constant factor that increases the effective burning velocity of the mixture. When this approach is applied to a previously developed vent sizing correlation, the correlation performs well for almost all of the peaks. It was found, however, that in certain situations, this approach significantly under predicts the flame–acoustic peak. This suggests that further research may be necessary to better understand the influence of initial turbulence on the development of flame–acoustic peaks in vented explosions.     

Modeling of vented deflagrations

A mathematical model of vented gas-phase deflagrations is presented. By introducing several empirical parameters, account is taken of initial turbulence in the gases, flame acceleration due to hydrodynamic instabilities prior to vent opening, and increased burning velocity due to turbulence generated by the venting process. Additionally, a mixture of burned and unburned gases is vented. Essential information needed to compute the pressure development during vented deflagrations (or in large closed vessels) is the rate of increase of flame area due to cell formation in the flame front prior to the vent opening.The model has been tested against methane/air mixtures at initial pressures of 45 psia in vessels up to 3.8 m³ in volume. Good agreement has been obtained.Further work is underway to gather data on vented deflagrations for gases such as propane, ethylene, and hydrogen (which represent a series of increasing burning velocities) and to investigate more fully the effect of initial turbulence and elevated pressures.     

Measurement of laminar burning velocity and Markstein length relative to fresh gases using a new postprocessing procedure: Application to laminar spherical flames for methane,ethanol and isooctane/air mixtures

The purpose of this study is to present a new tool for extracting the laminar burning velocity in the case of spherically outward expanding flames. This new procedure makes it possible to determine the laminar burning velocity directly based on the flame displacement speed and the global fresh gas velocity near the preheat zone of the flame front. It therefore presents a very interesting alternative to the standard method (commonly used in the literature), which is based on the flame front displacement and the ratio of unburned and burned gas densities. The influence of external flame stretching on the burning velocity can be characterized and the Markstein length relative to the unburned gases (i.e., fresh gases) can be deduced by using this new tool. Contrary to the standard procedure, the unstretched laminar burning velocity is determined directly without using the fuel mixture properties. The temporal evolution of the flame front is visualized by high-speed laser tomography and the algorithm, based on a tomographic image correlation method, makes it possible to accurately measure the fresh gas velocity near the preheat zone of the flame front. The measurements of laminar flame speeds are carried out in a high-pressure and high-temperature constant-volume vessel over a wide range of equivalence ratios for methane, ethanol, and isooctane/air mixtures. To validate the experimental facility and the postprocessing of the flame images, fresh gas velocities and unstretched laminar burning velocities, as well as Markstein lengths relative to burned and unburned gases, are presented and compared with experimental and numerical results of the literature for methane/air flames. New results concerning ethanol/air and isooctane/air flames are presented for various experimental conditions (373 K, equivalence ratios range 0.7–1.5, pressure range 0.1–5 MPa).     

Experimental investigation on the self-acceleration of 10%H2/90%CO/air turbulent expanding premixed flame

The self-acceleration characteristics of a syngas/air mixture turbulent premixed flame were experimentally evaluated using a 10% H₂/90% CO/air mixture turbulent premixed flame by varying the turbulence intensity and equivalence ratio at atmospheric pressure and temperature. The propagation characteristics of the turbulent premixed flame including the variation in the flame propagation speed and turbulent burning velocity of the syngas/air mixture turbulent premixed flame were evaluated. In addition, the effect of the self-acceleration characteristics of the turbulent premixed flame was also evaluated. The results show that turbulence gradually changes the radius of the premixed flame from linear growth to nonlinear growth. With the increase of turbulence intensity, the formation of a cellular structure of the flame front accelerated, increasing the flame propagation speed and burning speed. In the transition stage, the acceleration exponent and fractal excess of the turbulent premixed flame decreased with increasing equivalence ratio and increased with increasing turbulence intensity at an equivalence ratio of 0.6. The acceleration exponent was always greater than 1.5.     

Flame brush characteristics and burning velocities of premixed turbulent methane/air Bunsen flames

The flame brush characteristics and turbulent burning velocities of premixed turbulent methane/air flames stabilized on a Bunsen-type burner were studied. Particle image velocimetry and Rayleigh scattering techniques were used to measure the instantaneous velocity and temperature fields, respectively. Experiments were performed at various equivalence ratios and bulk flow velocities from 0.7 to 1.0, and 7.7 to 17.0 m/s, respectively. The total turbulence intensity and turbulent integral length scale were controlled by the perforated plate mounted at different positions upstream of the burner exit. The normalized characteristic flame height and centerline flame brush thickness decreased with increasing equivalence ratio, total turbulence intensity, and longitudinal integral length scale, whereas they increased with increasing bulk flow velocity. The normalized horizontal flame brush thickness increased with increasing axial distance from the burner exit and increasing equivalence ratio. The non-dimensional leading edge and half-burning surface turbulent burning velocities increased with increasing non-dimensional turbulence intensity, and they decreased with increasing non-dimensional bulk flow velocity when other turbulence statistics were kept constant. Results show that the non-dimensional leading edge and half-burning surface turbulent burning velocities increased with increasing non-dimensional longitudinal integral length scale. Two correlations to represent the leading edge and half-burning surface turbulent burning velocities were presented as a function of the equivalence ratio, non-dimensional turbulence intensity, non-dimensional bulk flow velocity, and non-dimensional longitudinal integral length scale. Results show that the half-burning surface turbulent burning velocity normalized by the bulk flow velocity decreased as the normalized characteristic flame height increased.     

Further refinement and validation of a turbulent flame propagation model for spark-ignition engines

A turbulent flame propagation model that is dependent on the structure of the turbulent flow field is formulated and applied to combustion in a spark-ignition engine. The turbulence structure is modeled after the work of Tennekes and assumes that the flow is composed of vortex tubes the diameter of the Kolmogorov scale and the spacing of the Taylor mircoscale. Combustion is assumed instantaneous over the Kolmogorov scale and the burned gases in the vortex tubes are assumed to propagate at a rate equal to U′ + S_L. Combustion is assumed to proceed in a laminar fashion across the microscale. In applying the model to a spark-ignition engine, we conserve the turbulent kinetic energy and angular momemtum in the unburned gases. Validation of the model is presented in the form of mass fraction burned versus crank angle curves. Comparisons of predicted versus experimental data show good agreement for variations in equivalence ratio, dilution, speed, load, and spark advance.     

Effect of cylindrical confinement on the determination of laminar flame speeds using outwardly propagating flames

The effect of nonspherical (i.e. cylindrical) bomb geometry on the evolution of outwardly propagating flames and the determination of laminar flame speeds using the conventional constant-pressure technique is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The cylindrical chamber boundary modifies the propagation rate through the interaction of the wall with the flow induced by thermal expansion across the flame (even with constant pressure), which leads to significant distortion of the flame surface for large flame radii. These departures from the unconfined case, especially the resulting nonzero burned gas velocities, can lead to significant errors in flame speeds calculated using the conventional assumptions, especially for large flame radii. For example, at a flame radius of 0.5 times the wall radius, the flame speed calculated neglecting confinement effects can be low by ∼15% (even with constant pressure).A methodology to estimate the effect of nonzero burned gas velocities on the measured flame speed in cylindrical chambers is presented. Modeling and experiments indicate that the effect of confinement can be neglected for flame radii less than 0.3 times the wall radius while still achieving acceptable accuracy (within 3%). The methodology is applied to correct the flame speed for nonzero burned gas speeds, in order to extend the range of flame radii useful for flame speed measurements. Under the proposed scaling, the burned gas speed can be well approximated as a function of only flame radius for a given chamber geometry - i.e. the correction function need only be determined once for an apparatus and then it can be used for any mixture. Results indicate that the flow correction can be used to extract flame speeds for flame radii up to 0.5 times the wall radius with somewhat larger, yet still acceptable uncertainties for the cases studied. Flow-corrected burning velocities are measured for hydrogen and syngas mixtures at atmospheric and elevated pressures. Flow-corrected flame speeds in the small cylindrical chamber used here agree well with previously reported flame speeds from large spherical chambers. Previous papers presenting burning velocities from cylindrical chambers report performing data analysis on flame radii less than 0.5 or 0.6 times the wall radius, where the flame speed calculated neglecting confinement effects may be low by ∼15 or 20%, respectively. For cylindrical chambers, data analysis should be restricted to flame radii less than 0.3 times the wall radius or a flow correction should be employed to account for the burned gas motions.With regard to the design of future vessels, larger vessels that minimize the flow aberrations for the same flame radius are preferred. Larger vessels maximize the relatively unaffected region of data allowing for a more straightforward approach to interpret the experimental data.     

The influence of turbulence on the structure and propagation of enclosed flames

This investigation was undertaken to examine the influence of turbulence on burning velocity and on the physical structure of the flame surface under flow conditions similar to those experienced in turbojet afterburner systems. Uniform propane-air mixtures were supplied to a combustion chamber 12 in. long and of 4 in. × 4 in. cross section. Control over the turbulence level was achieved by means of grids located at entry to the chamber. Schlieren photographs were taken through transparent side walls at turbulence levels ranging from 2 to 14 per cent and at velocities up to 250 ft/sec. These photographs provided the basic data for the investigation. Turbulent flume velocities were derived as the product of the inlet velocity and the sine of the angle between the flow direction and the mean surface of the flame.

The results fully supported the wrinkled laminar flame concept of turbulent flame propagation. Turbulent flame speed was found to increase with increases in laminar flame speed, turbulent velocity and flow velocity. Under turbulent flow conditions the flame surface was characterized by a cellular structure, the average cell size diminishing with increase in approach stream velocity and turbulence. However, the main effect of turbulence was in lacerating and disrupting the flame and thereby increasing its surface area.

The results of previous investigations were confirmed in regard to the relatively slight dependence of flame spreading rate on inlet velocity, especially at high velocities. However, flame spreading rate was found to vary appreciably with turbulence and also with fuel-air ratio, a result which was consistent with the wrinkled laminar flame model, but which contradicted previous findings on enclosed flames.     

The turbulent burning velocity of iso-octane/air mixtures

Turbulent burning velocities of iso-octane air mixtures have been measured for expanding flame kernels within a turbulent combustion bomb. High speed schlieren images were used to derive turbulent burning velocity. Turbulent velocity measurements were made at u′ = 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 m/s, equivalence ratios of 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and pressures of P = 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 MPa. The turbulent burning velocity was found to increase with time and radius from ignition, this was attributed to turbulent flame development. The turbulent burning velocity increased with increasing rms turbulent velocity, and with pressure; although differences were found in the magnitude of this increase for different turbulent velocities. Generally, raising the equivalence ratio resulted in enhanced turbulent burning velocity, excepting measurements made at the lowest turbulent velocity. The results obtained in this study have been compared with those evaluated for a number turbulent burning velocity correlations and the differences are discussed.     

Understanding ignition processes in spray-guided gasoline engines using high-speed imaging and the extended spark-ignition model SparkCIMM: Part B: Importance of molecular fuel properties in early flame front propagation

Recent high-speed imaging of ignition processes in spray-guided gasoline engines has motivated the development of the physically-based spark channel ignition monitoring model SparkCIMM, which bridges the gap between a detailed spray/vaporization model and a model for fully developed turbulent flame front propagation. Previously, both SparkCIMM and high-speed optical imaging data have shown that, in spray-guided engines, the spark plasma channel is stretched and wrinkled by the local turbulence, excessive stretching results in spark re-strikes, large variations occur in turbulence intensity and local equivalence ratio along the spark channel, and ignition occurs in localized regions along the spark channel (based upon a Karlovitz-number criteria).In this paper, SparkCIMM is enhanced by: (1) an extended flamelet model to predict localized ignition spots along the spark plasma channel, (2) a detailed chemical mechanism for gasoline surrogate oxidation, and (3) a formulation of early flame kernel propagation based on the G-equation theory that includes detailed chemistry and a local enthalpy flamelet model to consider turbulent enthalpy fluctuations. In agreement with new experimental data from broadband spark and hot soot luminosity imaging, the model establishes that ignition prefers to occur in fuel-rich regions along the spark channel. In this highly-turbulent highly-stratified environment, these ignition spots burn as quasi-laminar flame kernels. In this paper, the laminar burning velocities and flame thicknesses of these kernels are calculated along the mean turbulent flame front, using tabulated detailed chemistry flamelets over a wide range of stoichiometry and exhaust gas dilution. The criteria for flame propagation include chemical (cross-over temperature based) and turbulence (Karlovitz-number based) effects. Numerical simulations using ignition models of different physical complexity demonstrate the significance of turbulent mixture fraction and enthalpy fluctuations in the prediction of early flame front propagation. A third paper on SparkCIMM (companion paper to this one) focuses on the importance of molecular fuel properties and flame curvature on early flame propagation and compares computed flame propagation with high speed combustion imaging and computed heat release rates with cylinder pressure analysis.The goals of SparkCIMM development are to (a) enhance our fundamental understanding of ignition and combustion processes in highly-turbulent highly-stratified engine conditions, (b) incorporate that understanding into a physically-based submodel for RANS engine calculations that can be reliably used without modification for a wide range of conditions (i.e., homogeneous or stratified, low or high turbulence, low or high dilution), and (c) provide a submodel that can be incorporated into a future LES model for physically-based modeling of cycle-to-cycle variability in engines.     

Experimental annular stratified flames characterisation stabilised by weak swirl

A burner for the investigation of lean stratified premixed flames propagating in intense isotropic turbulence has been developed. Lean pre-mixtures of methane at different equivalence ratios were divided between two concentric co-flows to obtain annular stratification. Turbulence generators were used to control the level of turbulence intensity in the oncoming flow. A third annular weakly swirling airflow provided the flame stabilisation mechanism. A fundamental characteristic was that flame stabilisation did not rely on flow recirculation. The flames were maintained at a position where the local mass flux balanced the burning rate, resulting in a freely propagating turbulent flame front. The absence of physical surfaces in the vicinity of the flame provided free access for laser diagnostics. Stereoscopic Planar Image Velocimetry (SPIV) was applied to obtain the three components of the instantaneous velocity vectors on a vertical plane above the burner at the point of flame stabilisation. The instantaneous temperature fields were determined through Laser Induced Rayleigh (LIRay) scattering. Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) of acetone was used to calculate the average equivalence ratio distributions. Instantaneous turbulent burning velocities were extracted from SPIV results, while flame curvature and flame thermal thickness were calculated using the instantaneous temperature fields. The PDFs of these quantities were analysed to consider the separate influence of equivalence ratio stratification and turbulence. Increased levels of turbulence resulted in the expected higher turbulent burning velocities and flame front wrinkling. Flames characterised by higher fuel gradients showed higher turbulent burning velocities. Increased fuel concentration gradients gave rise to increased flame wrinkling, particularly when associated with positive small radius of curvature.     

Liftoff of turbulent jet flames—assessment of edge flame and other concepts using cinema-PIV

Three theories of the liftoff of a turbulent jet flame were assessed using cinema-particle imaging velocimetry movies recorded at 8000 images/s. The images visualize the time histories of the eddies, the flame motion, the turbulence intensity, and streamline divergence. The first theory assumes that the flame base has a propagation speed that is controlled by the turbulence intensity. Results conflict with this idea; measured propagation speeds remains close to the laminar burning velocity and are not correlated with the turbulence levels. Even when the turbulence intensity increases by a factor of 3, there is no increase in the propagation speed. The second theory assumes that large eddies stabilize the flame; results also conflict with this idea since there is no significant correlation between propagation speed and the passage of large eddies. The data do support the “edge flame” concept. Even though the turbulence level and the mean velocity in the undisturbed jet are large (at jet Reynolds numbers of 4300 and 8500), the edge flame creates its own local low-velocity, low-turbulence-level region due to streamline divergence caused by heat release. The edge flame has two propagation velocities. The actual velocity of the flame base with respect to the disturbed local flow is found to be nearly equal to the laminar burning velocity; however, the effective propagation velocity of the entire edge flame with respect to the upstream (undisturbed) flow exceeds the laminar burning velocity. A simple model is proposed which simulates the divergence of the streamlines by considering the potential flow over a source. It predicts the well-established empirical formula for liftoff height, and it agrees with experiment in that the controlling factor is streamline divergence, and not turbulence intensity or large eddy passage. The results apply only to jet flames for Re<8500; for other geometries the role of turbulence could be larger.     

A computational study and correlation of premixed isooctane–air laminar reaction front properties under spark ignited and spark assisted compression ignition engine conditions

To address the need for reliable premixed laminar burning velocity and thickness information within the spark assisted compression ignition (SACI) combustion regime, a large dataset of simulated reaction fronts has been generated in this work. A transient one dimensional premixed laminar flame simulation was applied to isooctane–air mixtures using a 215 species chemical kinetic mechanism. The simulation was exercised over fuel–air equivalence ratios, unburned gas temperatures and pressures ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, 298 to 1000 K and 1 to 250 bar, respectively, a range that extends beyond that of previous researchers. Steady reaction fronts with burning velocities in excess of 5 cm/s could not be established under all of these conditions, especially when burned gas temperatures were below 1500 K and/or when characteristic reaction front times were on the order of the unburned gas ignition delay. Steady premixed laminar burning velocities were correlated using a modified two-equation form based upon the asymptotic structure of a laminar flame, which produced an average error of 2.5% between the simulated and correlated laminar burning velocities, with a standard deviation of 3.0%. Additional correlations were constructed for reaction front thickness and adiabatic flame temperature. The resulting premixed laminar burning velocity correlation showed good agreement with experiments and existing correlations within the spark-ignited (SI) regime. Analysis of the simulated characteristic reaction front times and ignition delays suggests that homogeneous SACI combustion is most useful under medium and high load operating conditions.     

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.     

在定容燃烧弹中湍流特征参数对预混燃烧的影响

:给出在定容燃烧弹中火花点燃 CH4-空气充量进行湍流预混合燃烧的试验结果并进行了分析 ,得到一些有价值的结论 :如在火核起始发展期中存在一个最小火焰传播速度 ,此时的火核半径与湍流积分长度标尺大致相等 ,增加湍流强度 (u <1 .8m/s) ,瞬时燃烧率增加 ,燃烧持续期缩短 ,相对缓燃期增加 ,相对主燃期缩短 ,这是组织湍流可以提高火花点火发动机热效率的主要原因。此外本文还给出不同间隙的失火率并指出减少火核向电极传热是减少失火率的主要措施     

Effects of the external turbulence on centrally-ignited spherical unstable Ch4/H2/air flames in the constant-volume combustion bomb

In the present study, we conducted experiments to investigate the effects of external turbulence on the development of spherical H₂/CH₄/air unstable flames developments at two different equivalence ratios associated with different turbulent intensities using a spherical constant-volume turbulent combustion bomb and high speed schlieren photography technology. Flame front morphology and acceleration process were recorded and different effects of weak external turbulent flow field and intrinsic flame instability on the unstable flame propagation were compared. Results showed the external turbulence has a great influence on the unstable flame propagation under rich fuel conditions. For fuel-lean premixed flames, however, the effects of external turbulence on the morphology of the cellular structure on the flame front was not that obvious. Critical radius decreased firstly and then kept almost unchanged with the augment of the turbulence intensity. This indicated the dominating inhibiting effect of flame stretch on the turbulent premixed flame at the initial stage of the flame front development. Beyond the critical radius, the acceleration exponent was found increasing with the enhancement of initial turbulence intensity for fuel-lean premixed flames. For fuel-rich conditions, however, the initial turbulence intensity had little effect on acceleration exponent. In order to evaluate the important impact of the intrinsic flame instability and external turbulent flow field for spherical propagating premixed flames, intrinsic flame instability scale and average diameter of vortex tube were calculated. Intrinsic flame instability scale decreased greatly and then stayed unchanged with the propagation of the flame front. The comparison between intrinsic flame instability scale and average diameter of vortex tube demonstrated that the external turbulent flow filed will be more important for the evolution of wrinkle structure in the final stage of the flame propagation, when the turbulence intensity was more than 0.404 m/s.