Turbulent Crossflow Research Articles

The mitigation of airframe noise using a Krueger flap as a leading-edge device in a high-lift configuration

High-lift device is a potent airframe noise contributor. The conventional slat, commonly used in a high-lift device, is known as one of the dominant noise sources. Here, we combine an experimental and a numerical approach to investigate the noise generation of a conventional slat and two Krueger flaps as leading-edge devices in a high-lift configuration. To reduce the computational cost, a short span of the entire high-lift device is selected as the focusing region for scale-resolving and acoustic computations using Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (IDDES) coupled with the Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings (FWH) analogy. Simulation results show that turbulent cross flows induce slightly lower-level noise spectra at frequencies less than 300 Hz when the two spanwise sides of the FWH permeable integral surface are closed. Wind-tunnel test results show that the reference and optimal Krueger configurations effectively attenuate the dominant tone of the conventional slat by 4 and 6 dB, respectively. Besides, the optimal configuration is very effective in noise reduction in a wide frequency range. However, the reference Krueger configuration increases the noise level by 0 − 4 dB at frequencies exceeding 5, 500 Hz. Overall, the optimal Krueger configuration is a good choice for high-lift device noise mitigation.

Simultaneous measurement of the distributed longitudinal strain and velocity field for a cantilevered cylinder exposed to turbulent cross flow

The structural response of a cantilevered cylinder under free-stream conditions both with low and high turbulence intensity generated by turbulence-generating grids is analysed with concurrent measurements of the velocity field and the distributed strain. The thin-walled cylinder, with a diameter (D) of 50 mm, is mounted in a water flume as a cantilevered beam supported at one end, with 95% of its body submerged and exposed to cross flow yielding a Reynolds number of Re = 25000. We employ a novel combination of simultaneous particle image velocimetry and distributed strain measurements using Rayleigh backscattering fibre optic sensors. These sensors are embedded onto the surface of the cylinder to measure the experienced strain (ε\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\varepsilon $$\\end{document}) of the structure along its spanwise direction, covering both the windward and leeward faces of the cylinder. The sensors fine spatial resolution allows us to discern the influence of the flow on the structural response of the cylinder in two distinct regions of the structure: upstream and downstream of the mean separation location. This differentiation allows us to isolate the local effects introduced by the free-stream conditions on the loading events over the body from the global force generated by the vortex shedding and other coherent motions present within the flow. Distinguishing between these direct and indirect effects helps determine which is more relevant for fatigue-life cycle analysis. The cross power spectral density between the fluctuating velocity field and the strain reveals that the load is dominated by the vortex shedding, and this relationship is intensified with the introduction of free-stream turbulence. It also helps to discern the different dynamics imposed by the two free-stream turbulence conditions.

Local Burning Behavior of Wind-Driven Flames under the Influence of Mixed-Convective Turbulent Flow Conditions

ABSTRACT Experiments were conducted to investigate the burning behavior of wind-driven turbulent flames stabilized over a condensed fuel surface. A controlled turbulent crossflow environment was established to examine the impact of external flow velocity and turbulence intensity on the flame profile parameters and mass burning rates. To address the complexities of practical fire scenarios, a mixed-convection parameter ξ x in the form of G r x 1 / ψ x 2 n was defined, encapsulating the combined effects of momentum, buoyancy, and freestream turbulence. Furthermore, the property of fuel (in terms of mass transfer number B) was integrated into the mixed-convection parameter ( ξ x ) to establish a fuel-dependency factor within the formulation . The interdependence of flame characteristics and the mass burning process was observed using ξ x , that yielded several meaningful correlations. In this regard, a power-law trend was obtained between flame standoff distance and the dimensionless parameter ξ x . Finally, the local mass burning rates were estimated and plotted against mixed-convective parameter ( ξ x ), resulting in a unified local mass burning rate correlation. This correlation incorporates the fuel-dependency aspect in its formulation and is applicable in both laminar and turbulent crossflow environments.

Analysis of the explicit volume diffusion subgrid closure for the [formula omitted] model to interfacial flows over a wide range of Weber numbers

The explicit volume diffusion (EVD) method was recently proposed for simulating interfacial flows based on the volume of fluid method. In this work, the EVD equations are derived rigorously from the Σ−Y (surface density and mass fraction) perspective under the large eddy simulation (LES) framework. Volume averaging is applied over an explicit length scale ℓV that is grid-independent. The sub-volume flux and stress are closed through gradient diffusion and viscosity models that account for the presence of an interface and turbulence, and have the correct limits in the absence of interface vorticity and in the pure phases. An EVD equation for Σ is introduced for the first time to model the volume averaged surface tension. The EVD model and closures are tested for three different liquid jet breakup cases: a series of laminar round jets in the Rayleigh-Plateau regime (12<Wel<34), a turbulent coaxial air-blast jet (Weg=75) and a high Weber number turbulent crossflow (Weg=330). Numerical convergence and sensitivity to ℓV are investigated, along with comparisons to linear theory, experimental data, empirical correlations and previous simulations. The effects of the closures on flow dynamics and key dimensionless numbers are also analysed.

Drag on circular cylinders with porous outer layers in turbulent cross-flow

The effects of free-stream turbulence intensity and porosity on the drag on cylinders with porous outer layers in cross-flow was investigated experimentally. This work is motivated by the need to better model spotting—a forest fire propagation mechanism in which burning branches and other debris (termed firebrands) are transported away from the main fire by the prevailing wind and ignite new fires. Multiple levels of background turbulence were studied by using no grid, passive grids, and an active grid to generate turbulence intensities of 0.4%, 1.7%, 2.7% and 12.4%. The porous char-layer on the outer surface of firebrands was mimicked by wrapping wire meshes (of 10, 20 and 40 pores per cylinder diameter or PPD) around the cylinders, each to three different layer-thickness fractions ( 1/16 , 1/8 and 1/4 ) of the cylinder’s outer diameter. The drag on one smooth cylinder and nine cylinders with porous outer layers was measured for Reynolds numbers in the range 7000–17 000, at the aforementioned four turbulence intensities. The results showed that (i) the free-stream turbulence intensity and PPD of the wire meshes affect the Reynolds number dependence of the drag coefficient; (ii) the drag coefficient increases with free-stream turbulence intensity when it is relatively low (0.4%–2.7%), then decreases at high intensities (12.4%), and this decrease is more pronounced as the PPD increases; (iii) the drag coefficient increases with the thickness of the porous layer, and asymptotes to an effectively constant value after a critical thickness of about 1/8 of the cylinder’s diameter; and iv) the drag coefficient exhibits a non-monotonic dependence on the PPD of the wire mesh. These results demonstrate the importance of accounting for free-stream turbulence intensity and the parameters that characterize the porous outer layers of cylinders when modeling the drag on firebrands, or in other applications in which there is cross flow over cylinders with porous outer surfaces.

Characteristics of planar buoyant jets and plumes in a turbulent channel crossflow from direct numerical simulations

AbstractThis paper is motivated by an interest in understanding the characteristics of buoyant fluids discharged from the bottom wall of channels, such as encountered during tunnel fires or in river effluent discharge. Direct numerical simulation is used to model the upward release of a planar buoyant jet or plume from the bottom wall of a channel into an incoming turbulent crossflow. The well-studied jet-in-crossflow with only a momentum source is simulated first, and subsequently, fixing the incoming Reynolds number, buoyancy source as heat flux is added alongside varying momentum source, with two cases where only a buoyancy source is present. Appropriate five non-dimensional parameters relevant for this flow are defined, of which three are fixed and two—source to channel momentum ratio and Richardson number—are varied. The changes in turbulence characteristics as the buoyant jet or plume evolves downstream are presented. In all cases with buoyancy, except for the pure jet case, the plume is initially confined to the lower half of the channel before it suddenly lifts to the top half, an effect that occurs at an increasingly smaller downstream distance with increasing buoyancy, and dividing the flow into a near and far field. The distributions of mean and Reynolds stresses in the near and far field of the source are reported, and it is found that the channel flow becomes more turbulent downstream of the source, and further, the turbulent vertical temperature flux switches sign from near to far field owing the a change in the mean temperature gradient sign. From the input parameters and using the integrated temperature equation a reasonable estimate of the far field mean channel temperature can be obtained by a reference temperature based on the heat conservation that includes the convective and diffusive source heat flux. A monotonic behaviour of the back-layering distance is also observed a function of this reference temperature, which was difficult to obtain with the two specified non-dimensional parameters.

In-cylinder spray evolution in a motored central-injection gasoline engine: Imaging and simulating the effects of flash-boiling and intake crossflow

Accurate predictions of fuel spray behavior and mixture formation in simulations of direct-injection spark-ignition (DISI) engines are fundamental to ensure proper description of all subsequent processes including ignition, combustion, and emissions. In this work, the spray evolution in a single-cylinder optical DISI engine was studied experimentally and numerically with the goal of enabling predictive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of in-cylinder sprays. The authors explored a wide range of operating conditions characterized by several fuel injection temperatures and engine speeds, using a well-characterized nine-component gasoline surrogate known as PACE-20. The effect of flash boiling and intake crossflow on the spray is discussed, with a focus on evaluating the ability of the spray models to capture highly transient spray behavior. In the experiments, the fuel temperature was varied between 20°C and 80°C, allowing for non-flash- to flash-boiling transition to emerge with enhanced flashing intensity at the highest temperatures. Spray collapse resulted in vapor-rich regions, owing to the locally lower inertia of the fluid. Varying the engine speed from 650 to 1950 rpm promoted increasingly more turbulent in-cylinder crossflow which interacted with the spray during the injection event and resulted in enhanced spray dispersion. The CFD model was able to capture the spray morphology transition at different fuel temperatures and engine speeds adequately. It is shown that the spray breakup model could capture the transitional spray behavior induced by flash boiling atomization and intake flow via proper initialization of the spray cone angle and calibration of the spray models’ constants.

Improving Three-Dimensional Synthetic Jet Modeling in a Crossflow

Abstract Three different circular synthetic jet modeling inlet conditions are studied for a turbulent crossflow. The study examines the differences when modeling the whole synthetic jet actuators (SJA), neck-only or jet-slot-only under constant actuation frequency (f = 300 Hz), and crossflow blowing ratio (CB = 0.67). Phase-averaged and time-averaged results reveal that both whole SJA and neck-only methods generated nearly identical flow fields. For the neck-only case, a notable reduction in computational cost is achieved through the implementation of an analytical jet profile. The jet-slot-only method, on the other hand, introduces reversed flow during the ingestion cycle, leading to the injection of false-momentum into the crossflow. However, the false-momentum primarily affects the flow immediately downstream of the jet exit, with the boundary layer profile recovering rapidly. A parametric study highlights the importance of maintaining a volume ratio less than 1 of ingested to modeled neck volume to prevent the creation of false-momentum.

Features of the dynamics of several elevated jets in a cross-flow

Using the thermoanemometric method, the effect of turbulent cross-flow on vertical low-speed elevated axisymmetric jets with a relative velocity of approximately 2.45 has been experimentally investigated. Processing and qualitative analysis of experimental data on velocity profiles for the case of two and four identical isothermal turbulent jets propagating in a uniform cross-flow are carried out. The analysis of velocity contours in different cross-sections showed that the interaction of the jets proceeds in a complex way; and in this interaction, in addition to the jets and the cross flow, the trace under the jets and tubes – the sources of the jets – are involved. It is obtained that the trajectory of a twin parallel jet shows less penetration than that of a single jet. At the same time, the trajectory of the tandem jet after the merging of the rows shows significant penetration into the transverse flow compared to the single one.

Sound radiation from a coated cylindrical shell in turbulent cross flow

The sound radiation from a cylindrical shell with an acoustic coating subject to structural excitation in the presence of turbulent flow is studied. A multiphysics numerical model combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element method (FEM) is developed. Results show that the sound radiation from the coated shell is significantly affected by flow at low frequencies.

Investigation of the wake flow and the oscillation process of two free-to-rotate tandem cylinders due to a flow disturbance

This paper presents an exploratory analysis of the oscillation process of a set of two circular cylinders (D = 25 mm) mounted with a fixed pitch-to-diameter ratio P/D = 1.26 and attached to a free-to-rotate circular table submitted to a turbulent crossflow in a wind tunnel. Measurements were performed with hot wire anemometers placed in the wake of the cylinders synchronized with a high-speed digital camera. Flow visualizations with static cylinders in a water channel were performed to investigate the wake formation around the cylinders. The analysis of the results was made through Fourier and wavelet transforms. The main objective is to address the observed phenomenon with its causing physical mechanism. Wind tunnel results showed that, depending on the imposed mean flow velocity, the set starts oscillating with a low steady amplitude. When the flow is disturbed, an increase in the oscillation amplitude is observed, remaining in this steady regime even after removing the disturbance. Although the interaction between the flow and cylinder set generates two stable states, the properties of the oscillation phenomena (frequency and amplitude) remained the same, pointing out an intrinsic property of the dynamical system. The vortex shedding is identified to be the primary mechanism responsible for initiating the small amplitude oscillation, while the flow passing through the gap between the cylinders is the cause of the high amplitude oscillation. The flow visualization corroborated the wake analysis described in the wind tunnel experiments. No evidence of coherence between the vortex shedding from the first cylinder and the oscillation process was identified. Considering the results in the present work, the configuration analyzed may work as a vortex-shedding suppressor.

Degradation analysis of horizontal steam generator tube bundles through crack growth due to two-phase flow induced vibration

A correct understanding of vibration-based degradation is crucial from the standpoint of maintenance for Steam Generators (SG) as crucial mechanical equipment in nuclear power plants. This study has established a novel approach to developing a model for investigating tube bundle degradation according to crack growth caused by two-phase Flow-Induced Vibration (FIV). An important step in the approach is to calculate the two-phase flow field parameters between the SG tube bundles in various zones using the porous media model to determine the velocity and vapor volume fraction. Afterward, to determine the vibration properties of the tube bundles, the Fluid-Solid Interaction (FSI) analysis is performed in eighteen thermal-hydraulic zones. Tube bundle degradation based on crack growth using the sixteen most probable initial cracks and within each SG thermal-hydraulic zone is performed to calculate useful lifetime. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model, Paris law, and Wiener process model are considered to model the turbulent crossflow around the tube bundles, simulation of elliptical crack growth due to the vibration characteristics, and estimation of SG tube bundles degradation, respectively. The analysis shows that the tube deforms most noticeably in the zone with the highest velocity. As a result, cracks propagate more quickly in the tube with a higher height. In all simulations based on different initial crack sizes, it was observed that zone 16 experiences the greatest deformation and, subsequently, the fastest degradation, with a velocity and vapor volume fraction of 0.5 m/s and 0.4, respectively.

Air-blast atomization and ignition of a kerosene spray in hot vitiated crossflow

Increasingly stringent regulations of pollutant emissions from aviation require rapid implementation of novel combustion technologies. Promising concepts based on moderate or intense low-oxygen dilution (MILD) combustion have been investigated in academia and industry. This MILD regime can be obtained from the recirculation of the hot vitiated combustion products to raise the temperature of the reactants, resulting in distributed reaction regions and lower flame temperatures. In the present work, we consider the air-blast atomization of a kerosene spray in crossflow, which enables efficient mixing between fuel and oxidizer. We investigate experimentally and numerically the effect of the spray air-to-liquid mass-flow ratio (ALR) variation on the reaction front and flame topology of a kerosene spray flame. The spray is injected transversely into a turbulent vitiated crossflow composed of the products of a lean CH4-H2 flame. The spray flame thermal power is varied between 2.5 and 5 kW, along with the atomizer ALR between 2 and 6. The experimental characterization of the reaction zone is performed using OH* chemiluminescence and OH and fuel planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF). The Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of the multiphase reactive flow provide good agreement with the experimental observations. Experiments and simulations show that the ALR governs mixing, resulting in different flame stabilization mechanisms and combustion regimes. Low ALR results in a relatively small jet-to-crossflow momentum ratio and a large spray Sauter mean diameter (SMD). A thick windward reaction region is formed due to inefficient shear layer mixing between the fuel spray and the crossflow. Meanwhile, the correspondingly large spray SMD leads to isolated penetration and localized combustion of fuel clusters. At high ALR, the higher penetration and the faster droplet evaporation due to the lower spray SMD result in an efficient entrainment-induced mixing between the two streams, forming more distributed reaction regions.

Direct contact condensation heat transfer characteristics of vapor with noncondensable gases in horizontal tubes

Direct contact heat transfer characteristics of vapor condensation with noncondensable gases in horizontal tubes are studied in this paper. A three-dimensional computational model is proposed and effects of cross-flow and droplet particles interactions are investigated. During the vapor condensation process, the convective heat transfer is attenuated due to the presence of noncondensable gases and the condensation rate is significantly reduced by 34% in the horizontal tubes due to gravity effects. A pair of counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP) is formed as influenced by adding droplet particles. Because of the centrifugal effect of vortical pair, the droplet particles are not uniformly distributed. This is not beneficial to the heat and mass transfer phenomenon. The cross-flow turbulence intensity is increased by 41.6%, as confirmed between the coherent structure in the main flow region and the CVP structure. The coherent structure can transfer energy between the CVP structure and the mainstream region, and suppress the droplet particle diffusion. In addition, the operating pressure up to 3 MPa is found to enhance the heat transfer performance. The optimal flow ratio is 1 to 8. The work provides new insights into the direct contact flow and heat transfer characteristics of vapor with noncondensable gases.

Numerical study of different Pr number medium turbulent cross flow in staggered tube bundle

Tube bundle heat exchangers have been recognized as the most efficient means of thermal exchange. The staggered row method can enhance the performance of a heat exchanger. However, it results in a large pressure drop loss. As working media with high thermal conductivities, liquid metals can potentially replace conventional working media. In this study, for working fluids with low Prandtl number cross flowing through a staggered tube bundle, the turbulent Prandtl number model of cross flow was verified. The unsteady characteristics of the two working fluids traversing through the tube bundle were analyzed. The effects of molecular thermal diffusion on the total heat transfer capacity of the two working fluids during heat transfer were compared, along with the changes in the circumferential heat transfer characteristics of the tube bundles under different Reynolds numbers. The ζ factor was then proposed to analyze the non-uniformity in the heat transfer characteristics of a single tube. An empirical correlation describing the heat transfer non-uniformity at the fully developed region and inlet region and involving parameters such as working properties and flow state was proposed based on computational fluid dynamics data. Finally, the performance evaluation criteria(PEC) factor was used to analyze the comprehensive performance of the two heat transfer fluids. The results revealed that the comprehensive heat transfer performance of mercury was 60–70 times that of conventional working fluids.

Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Cross-flow in a Staggered Tube Bundle with Wavy Cylinders

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the effects of wavy cylindrical tubes on the turbulent cross-flow in a staggered tube bundle arrangement with transverse and longitudinal pitch-to-diameter ratios of 3.8 and 2.1, respectively. Two models of staggered tube bundles equipped with wavy cylinders are tested; the Model-A having a wavelength ratio (λ/DSUBm/SUB= 2) corresponding to a wave steepness (a/λ = 0.1) and the Model-B having (λ/DSUBm/SUB= 1) corresponding to (a/λ= 0.2).Experimental measurements were performed using a subsonic wind tunnel to study and compare the flow characteristics of the new configuration of cylindrical tubes with that of a similar arrangement with smooth cylinders for Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.5×10⁴ to 2×10⁴ based on the mean tube diameter and the free stream velocity. Experimental results show that the circumferential minimum pressure coefficients for wavy tube bundles are greater than at the bundle with smooth cylinders. As a result, the lift forces of wavy tube bundles are suppressed and a significant drag reduction is observed up to 20% for both wavy models. This continuous reduction of the drag force becomes larger with the increase of Reynolds number.

The interactions of a circular synthetic jet with a turbulent crossflow

The three-dimensional flow of a circular synthetic jet interacting with a turbulent crossflow is investigated with unsteady Reynold-Averaged Navier–Stokes simulations. The effects of jet momentum are examined using three blowing ratios (CB=0.32, 0.67, and 1.10) at constant actuation frequency (f=300 Hz), approach crossflow Reynolds number, Reθ=900, and boundary layer thickness, δ/d=7.25, where d is the jet diameter. The results showed that the expelled jet is accompanied by a reverse flow region on the downstream side which undergoes alternating expansion and contraction during the jet cycle. The size of the reverse flow region and depth of penetration increased with increasing jet momentum. For the low momentum jet, the expelled flow structure evolved into a hairpin vortex which significantly enhanced the wall shear stress in the spanwise direction and near the jet exit. The higher momentum jets, on the other hand, exhibited strong vortex loops around the expelled jet column that transitioned into trailing vortex pairs and a tilted vortex ring further downstream. Along the wall, both horseshoe vortex upstream of the jet exit and tertiary vortices downstream were found attached to the wall. The strong tertiary vortices promoted downwash of fluids which significantly enhanced the wall shear stress along the symmetry plane for the medium and high momentum jets. The impact of the tertiary vortices increased with the jet momentum, offering greater potential for flow separation control.

Jet in Accelerating Turbulent Crossflow with Passive Scalar Transport

The interaction of a turbulent, spatially developing crossflow with a transverse jet possesses several engineering and technological applications such as film cooling of turbine blades, exhaust plumes, thrust vector control, fuel injection, etc. Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of a jet in a crossflow under different streamwise pressure gradients (zero and favorable pressure gradient) is carried out. The purpose is to study the physics behind the transport phenomena and coherent structure dynamics in turbulent crossflow jets at different streamwise pressure gradients and low/high-velocity ratios (0.5 and 1). The temperature was regarded as a passive scalar with a molecular Prandtl number of 0.71. The analysis is performed by prescribing accurate turbulent information (instantaneous velocity and temperature) at the inlet of a computational domain. The upward motion of low-momentum fluid created by the “legs” of the counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP) encounters the downward inviscid flow coming from outside of the turbulent boundary layer, inducing a stagnation point and a shear layer. This layer is characterized by high levels of turbulent mixing, turbulence production, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and thermal fluctuations. The formation and development of the above-mentioned shear layer are more evident at higher velocity ratios.

Modal decomposition methods for distributed excitation force field on tube bundle in cross flow

To rapidly and accurately identify the characteristics of the distributed force and reconstruct the force field on tube bundles in a cross flow, modal decomposition methods for a three-dimensional turbulent flow are studied. This is done with proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), and the regularization method for DMD. A 3-D turbulent cross flow computational fluid dynamics model is simulated to obtain the temporal–spatial force field acting on the tubes. Applying direct Fourier transformation to the data yields the frequency contents of the field as a reference for other analyses. POD provides high-accuracy reconstruction of the force field with 43 modes, and each mode contains multiple frequency contents of the Fourier transformation. In comparison, DMD successfully demonstrates the relation between single frequencies and the spatial distribution on the tube surface. To solve the ill-posedness of singular value decomposition (SVD), the key mathematical processing of both decomposition methods, the Tikhonov regularization method is introduced into field reconstruction. The regularization operator and parameter determined by solving a functional extremum problem yield a criterion that can be applied to the SVD of the DMD, which effectively reduces the number of DMD modes required to reconstruct the field to 16 with the same level of norm error.

Anchoring of premixed jet flames in vitiated crossflow with pulsed nanosecond spark discharge

This paper deals with the effect of non-equilibrium plasma on the anchoring of a premixed jet flame in hot vitiated crossflow at atmospheric pressure. The turbulent vitiated crossflow was generated by an array of 4×4 premixed turbulent jet flames burning a lean mixture of air and natural gas at an equivalence ratio of 0.7 and a thermal power of 50 kW. The rich jet, with equivalence ratio ϕjet varied between 1 and 3, was injected perpendicularly to the vitiated crossflow in a rectangular duct, with jet-to-crossflow momentum flux ratios J ranging from 1 to 26. A nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharge was initiated in the vicinity of the windward side of the jet root. The effect of discharge power and repetition rate on the lift-off height of the flame is systematically analyzed for different combinations of ϕjet and J. High speed chemiluminescence imaging of the flame and of the discharge shows that the initiation of the discharge on the windward side of the jet enhances the combustion chemistry, reducing the ignition time and the lift-off height of the flame. It is shown that the nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges are able to maintain a robust anchoring of the flame for a wide range of operating conditions at relatively low electric power cost. Emission spectroscopy and OH-PLIF measurements were carried out to show that the plasma has both thermal and kinetic effects on flame anchoring respectively via intense localized heating of the mixture at temperatures exceeding 3000 K and via an intense production of OH radicals.