Effects of fuel inlet boundary condition on aromatic species formation in coflow diffusion flames

Abstract

In a number of previous numerical studies, the fuel inlet velocity boundary conditions (BC) of coflow diffusion flames were specified at the exit of the fuel nozzle with a parabolic velocity profile. Such choices were based on the assumption that the flow inside the vertical fuel tube is fully developed and the buoyancy has negligible impact on the fuel flow at the nozzle exit. These assumptions, however, might not hold in practical experiments. This study demonstrates it is necessary to account for the effect of inlet BC location to accurately predict the nozzle exit velocity profile as well as the velocity, temperature profiles downstream, which are prerequisites for meaningful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and soot prediction in coflow diffusion flames. In particular, laboratory-scale laminar coflow diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure have been studied computationally with a focus on the effects of the fuel inlet velocity profile on PAH formation. Two sets of simulations were conducted which differ in the location specified for the fuel inlet boundary. In the first case, the fuel inlet boundary was specified at the nozzle exit while in the second case it was specified at a distance of 7 cm upstream of the nozzle exit. Parabolic velocity profiles were specified for both cases. In each set of simulations, flames with three different fuels (methane, ethylene and propane) were tested. Detailed high-temperature reaction mechanisms accounting for the formation of aromatic species were employed. The results showed that the fuel inlet BC location notably influence the predicted flow/temperature field and the resultant PAH concentration. Moreover, the effects become more notable with lower fuel stream velocities. It was also found that for propane with a density larger than air, recirculation zones were formed near the nozzle exit which exerted an additional influence on the flow development and temperature field as well as PAH formation. In addition, the effects of nozzle heating on flow development and PAH formation were also investigated.