Computational and experimental investigations of turbulent asymmetric vortex flames

In the present article we present computational and experimental investigations of a turbulent asymmetric vortex flame. Such flame was created in a novel asymmetric combustor, which is described for the first time in this article. The three dimensional isothermal and reacting flow fields have been described using a computational methodology that impalements the R_ε/k − ε and the eddy dissipation turbulence and combustion models, respectively. The computational model is validated for both isothermal and reacting flows. Additionally, the visible flame structure was captured by direct photography at a wide range of equivalence ratios in order to emphasize the exceptional stability of such flame. The mechanism of flame stability and interaction with the forced vortex field is preliminarily discussed. Finally, the basic characteristics of the asymmetric vortex flames are concluded.