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Title: Turbulent combustion in a jet stirred reactor

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6086870

The applicability of a jet stirred reactor for the study of constant volume turbulent flame propagation has been confirmed by generating combustion data for methane/air mixtures that agrees with that reported in the literature which employed a fan stirred reactor. For dust/air mixtures, measurements have shown the concentration and turbulence intensity are uniform and steady within the jet stirred reactor. The turbulent burning velocities have been measured for Mira-Gel, cornstarch (varying in particle size and moisture content), polyethylene, para-dichlorobenzene, graphite, corncobs, oil treated sweepings and Pittsburgh seam coal. The turbulence level inside the reactor was measured using a Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA), and the results deviate slightly from the previously measured hot wire results. The LDA measurements show that the dust has little effect on the turbulence intensity. The values of the laminar burning velocity for coal dust obtained by this method, are of the same magnitude, as those obtained from open flame tubes. Since all parameters are controllable with this apparatus, the combustion phenomena of cornstarch or graphite dust mixed with methane/air mixtures is also investigated. The hybrid mixture of methane and cornstarch has a much lower explosion limit than each substance alone. The relation between the ratio of turbulent to laminar burning velocity and turbulence level for methane/air flame is obtained from the experiment and this matches with an other researcher's three-region model of a turbulent flame.

Research Organization:
Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor (USA)
OSTI ID:
6086870
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English