Experimental study on self-excitations in nitrogen-diluted laminar lifted butane flames

Abstract

Laminar lifted butane flames diluted with nitrogen have been investigated experimentally to determine distinctive self-excitation regimes in the flame stability maps and also to elucidate the individual self-excitation characteristics. Self-excitations of lift-off height are classified into five regimes in laminar free-jet lift-off butane flames diluted with nitrogen: a stationary lifted regime (regime I), a heat-loss-induced self-excitation (regime II), a buoyancy-induced self-excitation due to flame flicker as well as a heat-loss-induced self-excitation (III), a combined form of an oscillation prior to blow-out and a heat-loss-induced oscillation (regime IV), and a combined form of an buoyancy-induced self-excitation and a heat-loss-induced oscillation as well as an additional buoyancy-driven self-excitation due to flame flicker (regime V). Extremely low-frequency (<0.1Hz) self-excitation is caused by conductive heat loss from the premixed wings to the trailing diffusion flame and can be explained by a proposed mechanism. It is also found that the flame oscillation prior to flame blow-out is also caused by buoyancy and also significantly affected by the conductive heat loss from the premixed wings to the trailing diffusion flame, thereby showing that the frequency with nozzle exit velocity increases in the triple-flame propagation mode and then decreases in the flame-front propagation mode. Characterization of the individual self-excitation mode is presented and also discussed with Strouhal numbers and its relevant parameters through the analysis of power spectrum for temporal variation of lift-off height.