Forced convective heat transfer from premixed flames: —Part 1: Flame structure

Abstract

In this, the first part of a two-part study of convective heat transfer from impinging flames, the aerodynamic structure of four flames was studied. The flames examined were of stoichiometric mixtures of methane and air with a Reynolds number range extending from the laminar to fully turbulent flow regimes. Instantaneous Schlieren photographs revealed that with increasing Reynolds number the flame reaction zone extended further downstream and became thicker and more diffuse. Associated with this, measurements of mean and rms velocities and mean temperatures showed that the properties of the flames became drawn out in the downstream direction as Reynolds number increased. Schlierenstroboscopic techniques also revealed the existence of large scale vortex rings which originated in the shear layer of the flames, and which were found to cause low frequency oscillations in measured instantaneous velocities. These oscillations lead to misleadingly high levels of rms velocities downstream of the flame reaction zone which should not be interpreted as representing turbulence within the flame.