The cellular nature of confined spherical propane-air flames

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Combust. Flame; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-2180(82)90115-8· OSTI ID:6523839

Groff, E G

Cellular structures of hydrodynamic origin are observed in laminar propane-air flames confined in a constant volume vessel. The flame structure is observed and the flame speed measured by high speed Schlieren photography. Measured pressure and time data are also used to compute the flame speeds, utilizing a two-zone thermodynamic combustion model. Results show that the onset of the observed cellular structure corresponds to a critical flame Reynolds number which is a function of the flame expansion ratio. In addition, the cellular flames are found to have stoichiometric or fuel-lean mixture compositions, with the fuel having a diffusivity less than oxygen for diffusion in air. This behavior is determined to be in qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions of Istratov and Librovich (1969) based on Markstein's first-order perturbation treatment, which considers the flame to be a hydrodynamic discontinuity in the gas density profile.

• Research Organization: GM Research Laboratories, Warren, MI
• OSTI ID: 6523839
• Journal Information: Combust. Flame; (United States), Journal Name: Combust. Flame; (United States) Vol. 48; ISSN CBFMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400800* -- Combustion
Pyrolysis
& High-Temperature Chemistry
AIR
ALKANES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
COMBUSTION KINETICS
CONFIGURATION
DIFFUSION
FLAME PROPAGATION
FLAMES
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GASEOUS DIFFUSION
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
KINETICS
LAMINAR FLOW
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOTOGRAPHY
PROPANE
REACTION KINETICS
REYNOLDS NUMBER
SCHLIEREN METHOD
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
VELOCITY