Structure of a poly(ethylene) opposed flow diffusion flame

Conference · Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5250735

Pitz, W J; Brown, N J; Sawyer, R F

Structural measurements were obtained and compared with other investigations of diffusion flames. Departures from the commonly assumed collapsed flame model of laminar diffusion flames were observed in terms of excessive CO concentrations and oxygen penetration into the fuel side of the flame. An upper bound on the importance of oxygen diffusion to the fuel surface and subsequent surface oxidation was placed at 20% of the energy required for fuel pyrolysis, with the remainder of the energy being delivered to the surface from the flame through heat transfer processes. As the oxygen concentration in the oxidizer flow was decreased and extinction conditions approached, the CO/CO/sub 2/ ratio at the flame increased slightly, the oxygen concentration at the luminous flame zone decreased, the flame stand-off distance decreased, and the flame temperature decreased. Radial similarity in the composition and temperature profiles was established experimentally which confirms predictions and greatly simplifies the modeling of the opposed flow diffusion flame.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.; California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5250735
• Report Number(s): LBL-10784; CONF-800809-5
• Resource Relation: Conference: 18. combustion symposium, Waterloo, Canada, 17 Aug 1980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
POLYETHYLENES
COMBUSTION
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON MONOXIDE
DIFFUSION
FLAMES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
400800* - Combustion
Pyrolysis
& High-Temperature Chemistry