• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.181-188
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• 2012

The present study on nitrogen-diluted non-premixed counterflow flames with finite burner diameters experimentally investigates the important role of the outer edge flame in flame extinction. Flame stability diagrams mapping the flame extinction response of nitrogen-diluted non-premixed counterflow flames to varying global strain rates in terms of the burner diameter, burner gap, and velocity ratio are explored. There exists a critical nitrogen mole fraction beyond which the flame cannot be sustained, and also the curves of the critical nitrogen mole fraction versus the global strain rate have C-shapes in terms of burner diameter, burner gap, and velocity ratio. In flames with sufficiently high strain rates, the curves of the critical nitrogen mole fractions versus global strain rate collapse into one curve, and the flames can have the 1-D flame response of typical diffusion flames. Three flame extinction modes are identified: flame extinctions through the shrinkage of the outer edge flame with and without an oscillation of the outer edge flame prior to the extinction and flame extinction through a flame hole at the flame center. The measured flame surface temperature and a numerical evaluation of the fractional contribution of each term in the energy equation show that the radial conductive heat loss at the flame edge destabilizes the outer edge flame, and the conductive and convection heat addition to the outer edge from the trailing diffusion flame stabilizes the outer edge flame. The radial conductive heat loss at the flame edge is the dominant extinction mechanism acting through the shrinkage of the outer edge flame.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.145-152
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• 2007

The dynamic behaviors of counterflow non-premixed flame have been investigated experimentally to study effects of heat losses on edge flame oscillation, which result from the advancing and retreating edge flame motion of outer flame edge at low strain rate flame. For low strain rate flame, lateral conduction heat loss in addition to radiation heat loss could be more remarkable than the others. Oscillatory instabilities appear at fuel Lewis number greater than unity. But excessive lateral conduction heat loss causes edge flame instability even at fuel Lewis number less than unity. The dramatic change of burner diameters in which flame length is an indicator of lateral conduction heat loss was applied to examine the onset condition of edge flame oscillation and flame oscillation modes. Especially, extinction behaviors quite different from the previous study were observed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.34-41
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• 2007

The dynamic behaviors of counterflow non-premixed flame have been investigated experimentally to study effects of heat losses and Lewis number on edge flame oscillation, which result from the advancing and retreating edge flame motion of outer flame edge at low strain rate flame. For low strain rate flame, lateral conduction heat loss in addition to radiation heat loss could be more remarkable than the others. Oscillatory instabilities appear at fuel Lewis number greater than unity. But excessive lateral conduction heat loss causes edge flame instability even at fuel Lewis number less than unity. The excessive heat loss caused by the smaller burner diameter in which the flame length is an indicator of lateral conduction heat loss extends the region of flame oscillation and accelerates oscillatory instability in comparison to the previous study with the burner diameter of 26mm. Extinction behaviors quite different from the previous study are also addressed.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.11a
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• pp.379-381
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• 2014

Influence of fuel concentration gradient was investigated near flame extinction limit in buoyancy-suppressed non-premixed counterflow flame with triple co-flow burner. The use of He curtain flow produced a microgravity level of $10^{-2}-10^{-3}g$ in He-diluted non-premixed counter triple co-flow flame experiments. Flame stability map was presented based on flame extinction and oscillation near extinction limit. The stability map via critical diluent mole fraction with global strain rate was represented by varying outer and inner He-diluted mole fractions. The flame extinction modes could be classified into five: an extinction through the shrinkage of the outmost edge flame forward the flame center with and without self-excitation, respectively ((I) and (II)), an extinction via the rapid expansion of a flame hole while the outmost edge flame is stationary (III), both the outermost and the center edge flames oscillate, and then a donut shaped flame is formed or the flame is entirely extinguished (IV), a shrinkage of the outermost edge flame without self-excitation followed by shrinking or sustain the inner flame (V).

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.11a
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• pp.23-26
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• 2012

Experimental study was conducted to elucidate flame extinction phenomena in counterflow flame. Using a curtain helium flow significantly reduced buoyancy such that the flame can be positioned at the center between the upper and lower nozzles even at the velocity ratio of 1.0. The curves of critical diluent mole fraction versus global strain rate have C-shapes. The flame oscillation was observed prior to low strain rate flame extinction at both flame conditions with and without minimizing buoyancy force. The results show that, at low strain rate flame, the self-excitation frequency with the order of 1.0 Hz in the case of utilizing pure helium gradually decreases in increase of $N_2$ mole fraction in the curtain flow, meaning that buoyancy suppresses the self-excitation of the outer edge flame.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.38-43
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• 2012

Experimental study was conducted to elucidate flame extinction phenomena in counterflow flame. Using a curtain helium flow significantly reduced buoyancy such that the flame can be positioned at the center between the upper and lower nozzles even at the velocity ratio of 1.0. The curves of critical diluent mole fraction versus global strain rate have C-shapes. The flame oscillation was observed prior to low strain rate flame extinction at both flame conditions with and without minimizing buoyancy force. The results show that, at low strain rate flame, the self-excitation frequency with the order of 1.0 Hz in the case of utilizing pure helium gradually decreases in increase of $N_2$ mole fraction in the curtain flow, meaning that buoyancy suppresses the self-excitation of the outer edge flame.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2002

The morphology of deposits on $15-{\mu}m$ thin SiC filaments has been investigated with SEM and compared with UV-excited laser induced broadband fluorescences in co-flowing, propane laminar diffusion flames in a reduced oxidizer environment. The homogeneous morphology of droplet-like deposits inner flame zone and the agglomeration of condensed-phase deposits and the transition to soots from grown up droplet-like precursors with approaching the flame surface can be observed in a barely sooting flame. The average size of the mature soots deposited in the luminous flame edge is scarcely dependent on their axial position in a confined flame under reduced oxidizer condition. A double structure of PAH fluorescence is observed in near-extinction flames with further decreasing of oxidizer. A comparison of the PAH fluorescence with the morphologies of deposits indicates that appearance of the "dark" hollow zone is caused by a decreased number density of developed liquid-phase large molecules and the outer weak fluorescence zone is caused by the diffusion of gas-phase small molecules.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.29 no.9 s.240
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• pp.997-1005
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• 2005

The extinction characteristics of low strain rate normal gravity (1-g) nonpremixed methane-air flames were studied numerically and experimentally. A time-dependent axisymmetric two-dimensional (2D) model considering buoyancy effects and radiative heat transfer was developed to capture the structure and extinction limits of 1-g flames. One-dimensional (1D) computations were also conducted to provide information on 0-g flames. A 3-step global reaction mechanism was used in both the 1D and 2D computations to predict the measured extinction limit and flame temperature. A specific maximum heat release rate was introduced to quantify the local flame strength and to elucidate the extinction mechanism. Overall fractional contribution by each term in the energy equation to the heat release was evaluated to investigate the multi-dimensional structure and radiative extinction of 1-g flames. Images of flames were taken for comparison with the model calculation undergoing extinction. The two-dimensional numerical model was validated by comparing flame temperature profiles and extinction limits with experiments and ID computation results. The 2D computations yielded insight into the extinction mode and flame structure of 1-g flames. Two combustion regimes depending on the extinction mode were identified. Lateral heat loss effects and multi-dimensional flame structure were also found. At low strain rates of 1-g flame ('Regime A'), the flame is extinguished from the weak outer flame edge, which is attributed to multi-dimensional flame structure and flow field. At high strain rates, ('Regime B'), the flame extinction initiates near the flame centerline due to an increased diluent concentration in reaction zone, which is the same as the extinction mode of 1D flame. These two extinction modes could be clearly explained with the specific maximum heat release rate.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.29 no.9 s.240
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• pp.988-996
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• 2005

Flame structure and extinction mechanism of counterflow methane/air non-premixed flame diluted with nitrogen are studied by NASA 2.2 s drop tower experiments and two-dimensional numerical simulations with finite rate chemistry and transport properties. Extinction mechanism at low strain rate is examined through the comparison among results of microgravity experiment, 1D and 2D simulations with a finite burner diameter. A two-dimensional simulation in counterflow flame especially with a finite burner diameter is shown to be very important in explaining the importance of multidimensional effects and lateral heat loss in flame extinction, effects that cannot be understood using a one-dimensional flamelet model. Extinction mechanism at low strain rate is quite different from that at high strain rate. Low strain rate flame is extinguished initially at the outer flame edge, the flame shrinks inward, and finally is extinguished at the center. It is clarified from the overall fractional contribution by each term in energy equation to heat release rate that the contribution of radiation fraction with 1D and 2D simulations does not change so much and the overall fractional contribution is decisively attributed to radial conduction ('lateral heat loss'). The experiments by Maruta et at. can be only completely understood if multi-dimensional heat loss effects are considered. It is, as a result, verified that the turning point, which is caused only by pure radiation heat loss, has to be shifted towards much lower global strain rate in microgravity flame.