Extinction of turbulent diffusion flames by Kolmogorov microscale turbulence

Abstract

The effects of turbulent straining on the structure and response of cylindrical diffusion flames were studied experimentally by using the counterflow flame configuration formed in the forward stagnation region of a porous cylinder from which propane or methane was ejected. From the shadowgraphs, it was found that the turbulence caused large-scale distortions with small amplitude on a diffusion flame which had a locally laminar structure. The time-averaged flame thickness was three times as large as the laminar flame. The turbulent flow field was measured in detail by a hot-wire anemometer. The temperature profiles were determined as functions of the applied strain rate by using a fine-wire thermocouple the thermal inertia of which was compensated electrically. The total strain rate applied to the flame was decomposed into the bulk strain rate induced by the mean flow velocity gradient and the turbulent strain rate which was modelled. In the present study, the latter was modelled by the reciprocal of the Kolmogorov time scale. The total strain rate at which the turbulent diffusion flame was extinguished coincided with the critical velocity gradient at which the extinction of a laminar flame occurred. With the increased of the total strain rate, the turbulent diffusion flame became thinner, and the maximum mean temperature gradually decreased due to the decrease of the maximum temperature within the laminar flamelet. On the other hand, the maximum rms fluctuating temperature was rather insensitive to the total strain rate over a wide range of total strain rates. However, close to extinction, nonreactive holes appeared intermittently in the flame along the stagnation line established in the forward stagnation region of the porous cylinder. These holes led to an abrupt increase in the maximum rms fluctuating temperature and, also, a decrease in the maximum mean temperature very close to the state of extinction.