The Effect of Uniform and Non-Uniform Electric Fields on Flame Propagation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to elucidate flame propagation behavior under the application of uniform and non-uniform electric fields by using a constant volume vessel. Two electrodes are attached to the ceiling and the bottom of the combustion chamber and electric fields are applied in the direction of the chamber's vertical axis. A Nd:YAG laser is used to apply laser-induced breakdown for igniting the mixture at the center of the combustion chamber. A homogeneous propane-air mixture is supplied at three equivalence ratios of 0.7, 1.0 and 1.5 and ignited under atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Under a uniform electric field, the premixed flame rapidly propagates both upward and downward, forming a cylindrically shaped flame front. The maximum combustion pressure decreases with increasing input voltage because the flame front reaches the chamber wall rapidly and the heat loss to electrodes increases. However, the combustion duration is little affected by the input voltage. In a non-uniform electric field, the flame propagation velocity in the downward direction increases. Combustion is markedly enhanced when the input voltage is larger than 12 kV because a brush corona discharge occurs and intense turbulence is generated at the flame front. For both uniform and non-uniform electric fields, the horizontal flame velocity is almost the same.