Numerical simulation of tulip flame dynamics
A finite difference reactive flow hydrodynamics program based on the full Navier-Stokes equations was used to simulate the combustion process in a homogeneous-charge, constant-volume combustion bomb in which an oddly shaped flame, known as a tulip flame'' in the literature, occurred. The tulip flame'' was readily reproduced in the numerical simulations, producing good agreement with the experimental flame shapes and positions at various times. The calculations provide sufficient detail about the dynamics of the experiment to provide some insight into the physical mechanisms responsible for the peculiar flame shape. Several factors seem to contribute to the tulip formation. The most important process is the baroclinic production of vorticity by the flame front, and this rate of production appears to be dramatically increased by the nonaxial flow generated when the initial semicircular flame front burns out along the sides of the chamber. The vorticity produces a pair of vortices behind the flame that advects the flame into the tulip shape. Boundary layer effects contribute to the details of the flame shape next to the walls of the chamber, but are otherwise not important. 24 refs.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5420171
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-109083; CONF-920707-20; ON: DE92008553
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 24. international symposium on combustion, Sydney (Australia), 5-10 Jul 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
FLAME PROPAGATION
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS
C CODES
BOUNDARY LAYERS
COMBUSTION
DYNAMICS
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
HYDRODYNAMICS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
VORTICES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPUTER CODES
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
ITERATIVE METHODS
LAYERS
MECHANICS
OXIDATION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
SIMULATION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
400800* - Combustion
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990200 - Mathematics & Computers