Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

A multidimensional numerical model for turbulent premixed flames with fractal geometries

Conference ·
OSTI ID:186847
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
  2. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

The authors present a multidimensional numerical model that calculates turbulent premixed flame propagation, assuming the flames have fractal geometries. Two scaling transformations, previously developed for laminar flames, are used to incorporate the fractal burning model in KIVA-II, a numerical hydrodynamics code for chemically reactive flows. In this work the model is implemented for propane/air mixtures. For applications to internal combustion engines, the authors have also developed a fractal model for early flame kernel growth. The multidimensional model can be used in experimental comparisons to test postulated fractal parameters, and the authors begin this task by comparing calculated results with measurements of propane/air combustion in a spark ignition engine. Good agreement is obtained between computed and measured flame positions and pressures in all cases except a low engine speed case. The calculations do predict an early increase in the ratio of the turbulent to laminar flame speeds that is also observed in the experiments. The calculated increase occurs during early flame kernel growth, when the outer length scale cutoff is limited by the flame kernel size. Because of its ability to predict such phenomena, the fractal flame model shows considerable promise in predicting spark ignition engine combustion. 30 refs., 13 figs., 3 tabs.

OSTI ID:
186847
Report Number(s):
CONF-9510144--; ISBN 1-56091-707-5
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

An ignition and combustion model based on the level-set method for spark ignition engine multidimensional modeling
Journal Article · Sat Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · Combustion and Flame · OSTI ID:20727292

Fractals and turbulent premixed engine flames
Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Combustion and Flame; (USA) · OSTI ID:5521760

Evaluation of a hybrid kinetics/mixing-controlled combustion model for turbulent premixed and diffusion combustion using KIVA-2
Conference · Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1989 · OSTI ID:6278833