Flame Structure of a Jet Flame with Penetration of Side Micro-jets

Abstract

In this paper, an innovative jet lifted flame with side micro-jets has been proposed and its effects on the flame structure have also been investigated. Due to the changes of the initial combustion conditions, mixing and aerodynamics which resulted from the perturbation of the side micro-jets, such a lifted jet flame has different flame structure compared with the common premixed flame. Results demonstrate that use of the micro-jets can control, to a certain extent, the flame structure, including the flame length, lift-off distance and blow-off limit. With the same fuel and air flow rate, the flame length with the side micro-jets will decrease about 5%-40% as the air volume ratio α increases from 58%-76%. Compared with the common diffusion flame, the jet flame with the side micro-jets demonstrates to be easier to be a momentum-dominated flame. The flame length with 2 micro-jets is about 5% less than with 6 micro-jets under the same fuel and air flow rate. With the same α, the fewer number of the controlled jets lead to the flame with relatively shorter length, not easier to be blown off and higher NO x emission. With certain fuel flow rate, the critical air volume ratio is largest for the flame with 3 micro-jets, which is more difficult to be blown off than the cases with 2, 4 or 6 micro-jets.