NO{sub x} emissions of a jet diffusion flame which is surrounded by a shroud of combustion air

Abstract

The present work reports an experimental study on the behavior of a jet flame surrounded by a shroud of combustion air. Measurements focussed on the flame length and the emissions of NO{sub x}, total unburned hydrocarbons, CO{sub 2}, and O{sub 2}. Four different fuel flow rates (40.0, 78.33, 138.33, and 166.6 cm/s), air flow rates up to 2500 cm{sup 3}/s and four different air injector diameters (0.079 cm, 0. 158 cm, 0.237 cm, and 0.316 cm) were used. The shroud of combustion air causes the flame length to decrease by a factor proportional to 1/[p{sub a}/p{sub f} + C{sub 2}({mu}{sub a}Re,a/{mu}{sub f}Re,f){sup 2}]{sup {1/2}}. A substantial shortening of the flame length occurred by increasing the air injection velocity keeping fuel rate fixed or conversely by lowering the fuel flow rate keeping air flow rate constant. NO{sub x} emissions ranging from 5 ppm to 64 ppm were observed and the emission of NO{sub x} decreased strongly with the increased air velocity. The decrease of NO{sub x} emissions was found to follow a similar scaling law as does the flame length. However, the emission of the total hydrocarbons increased with the increased air velocity or the decreased fuel flow rate. A crossover condition where both NO{sub x} and unburned- hydrocarbon emissions are low, was identified. At an air-to-fuel velocity ratio of about 1, the emissions of NO{sub x} and the total hydrocarbons were found to be under 20 ppm.