An experimental study of temperature and heat flux in a channel with an asymmetric thermal plume

Abstract

A set of small-scale experiments were conducted to investigate the temperature and heat flux characteristics in a channel with an asymmetric thermal plume led by the restriction effect of sidewall. Rectangle heptane pools with different aspect ratios were burned to produce the thermal plume, and distance between the pool and sidewall was varied systematically. The classical McCaffery equation was modified to characterize the vertical flame temperature distribution under the channel ceiling. The ceiling temperature contours were analyzed by which the correlation between ceiling temperature, incident heat flux below, and ceiling flame length were investigated involving the sidewall effects. The dimensionless longitudinal heat flux distribution was correlated to the dimensionless distance to the pool using an exponential equation, while the decay rate of longitudinal heat flux was also investigated taking into account the pool aspect ratio. The heat flux at the fuel level for both symmetrical and asymmetrical flames can be predicted well by introducing a dimensionless heat release rate.