Experimental study on the small‐scale diffusion flame of ethanol and the wall temperature field

An experimental investigation was carried out on the diffusion flames of liquid ethanol burning in air. Ceramic tubes with different inner diameters were used as burners. Three different flame structures at different flow rates were identified and different combustion regions were divided based on the experimental results. Some relevant factors which may affect the flame height and width were discussed. The outer surface wall temperature field of the tubes was measured in the combustion process. The results showed that both flame height and flame width all increased proportionally with an increasing flow rate in the steady flame region. Both flame height and flame width decreased with a decreasing tube inner diameter at the same flow rate. By decreasing the tube inner diameter, the quenching flow rate was decreased, the flow rate according to the produced periodic explosive flame decreased, and the flow rate range of the steady flames decreased. The outer wall temperature field presented an exponential distribution, and the wall temperature reached the greatest value at the outlet of the ceramic tube. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20282