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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Flame Shapes of Nonbuoyant Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

The shapes (flame-sheet and luminous-flame boundaries) of steady nonbuoyant round hydrocarbon-fueled laminar-jet diffusion flames in still and coflowing air were studied both experimentally and theoretically. Flame-sheet shapes were measured from photographs using a CH optical filter to distinguish flame-sheet boundaries in the presence of blue C02 and OH emissions and yellow continuum radiation from soot. Present experimental conditions included acetylene-, methane-, propane-, and ethylene-fueled flames having initial reactant temperatures of 300 K, ambient pressures of 4-50 kPa, jet exit Reynolds number of 3-54, initial air/fuel velocity ratios of 0-9 and luminous flame lengths of 5-55 mm; earlier measurements for propylene- and 1,3-butadiene-fueled flames for similar conditions were considered as well. Nonbuoyant flames in still air were observed at micro-gravity conditions; essentially nonbuoyant flames in coflowing air were observed at small pressures to control effects of buoyancy. Predictions of luminous flame boundaries from soot luminosity were limited to laminar smoke-point conditions, whereas predictions of flame-sheet boundaries ranged from soot-free to smoke-point conditions. Flame-shape predictions were based on simplified analyses using the boundary layer approximations along with empirical parameters to distinguish flame-sheet and luminous-flame (at the laminar smoke point) boundaries. The comparison between measurements and predictions was remarkably good and showed that both flame-sheet and luminous-flame lengths are primarily controlled by fuel flow rates with lengths in coflowing air approaching 2/3 lengths in still air as coflowing air velocities are increased. Finally, luminous flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were roughly twice as long as flame-sheet lengths at comparable conditions due to the presence of luminous soot particles in the fuel-lean region of the flames.

Xu, F.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Flame Shapes of Nonbuoyant Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

The shapes (flame-sheet and luminous-flame boundaries) of steady nonbuoyant round hydrocarbon-fueled laminar-jet diffusion flames in still and coflowing air were studied both experimentally and theoretically. Flame-sheet shapes were measured from photographs using a CH optical filter to distinguish flame-sheet boundaries in the presence of blue CO2 and OH emissions and yellow continuum radiation from soot. Present experimental conditions included acetylene-, methane-, propane-, and ethylene-fueled flames having initial reactant temperatures of 300 K, ambient pressures of 4-50 kPa, jet exit Reynolds number of 3-54, initial air/fuel velocity ratios of 0-9 and luminous flame lengths of 5-55 mm; earlier measurements for propylene- and 1,3-butadiene-fueled flames for similar conditions were considered as well. Nonbuoyant flames in still air were observed at micro-gravity conditions; essentially nonbuoyant flames in coflowing air were observed at small pressures to control effects of buoyancy. Predictions of luminous flame boundaries from soot luminosity were limited to laminar smokepoint conditions, whereas predictions of flame-sheet boundaries ranged from soot-free to smokepoint conditions. Flame-shape predictions were based on simplified analyses using the boundary layer approximations along with empirical parameters to distinguish flame-sheet and luminous flame (at the laminar smoke point) boundaries. The comparison between measurements and predictions was remarkably good and showed that both flame-sheet and luminous-flame lengths are primarily controlled by fuel flow rates with lengths in coflowing air approaching 2/3 lengths in still air as coflowing air velocities are increased. Finally, luminous flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were roughly twice as long as flame-sheet lengths at comparable conditions due to the presence of luminous soot particles in the fuel-lean region of the flames.

Xu, F.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Flame and Soot Boundaries of Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

The shapes (flame-sheet and luminous-flame boundaries) or steady weakly buoyant round hydrocarbon-fueled laminar-jet diffusion flames in still and coflowing air were studied both experimentally and theoretically. Flame-sheet shapes were measured from photographs using a CH optical filter to distinguish flame-sheet boundaries in the presence of blue CO2 and OH emissions and yellow continuum radiation from soot. Present experimental conditions included acetylene-, methane-, propane-, and ethylene-fueled flames having initial reactant temperatures of 300 K. ambient pressures of 4-50 kPa, jet-exit Reynolds numbers of 3-54, initial air/fuel velocity ratios of 0-9, and luminous flame lengths of 5-55 mm; earlier measurements for propylene- and 1,3-butadiene-fueled flames for similar conditions were considered as well. Nonbuoyant flames in still air were observed at microgravity conditions; essentially nonbuoyant flames in coflowing air were observed at small pressures to control effects of buoyancy. Predictions of luminous flame boundaries from soot luminosity were limited to laminar smoke-point conditions, whereas predictions of flame-sheet boundaries ranged from soot-free to smoke-point conditions. Flame-shape predictions were based on simplified analyses using the boundary-layer approximations along with empirical parameters to distinguish flame-sheet and luminous-flame (at the laminar smoke point) boundaries. The comparison between measurements and predictions was remarkably good and showed that both flame-sheet and luminous-flame lengths are primarily controlled by fuel flow rates with lengths in coflowing air approaching 2/3 of the lengths in still air as coflowing air velocities are increased. Finally, luminous flame lengths at laminar smoke-point conditions were roughly twice as long as flame-sheet lengths at comparable conditions because of the presence of luminous soot particles in the fuel-lean region of the flames.

Xu, F.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Reference Natural Gas Flames at Nominally Autoignitive Engine-Relevant Conditions

Laminar natural gas flames are investigated at engine-relevant thermochemical conditions where the ignition delay time r is short due to very high ambient temperatures and pressures. At these conditions, it is not possible to measure or calculate well-defined values for the laminar flame speed S-l, laminar flame thickness delta(l), and laminar flame time scale tau(l) = delta(l)/S-l due to the explosive thermochemical state. Here, the corresponding reference values, S-R, delta(R), and tau(R) = S-R/S-R, that account for the effects of autoignition, are numerically estimated to investigate the enhancement of flame propagation, and the competition with autoignition that arises under nominally autoignitive conditions (characterised here by the number tau/tau(R)). Large values of tau/tau(R) indicate that autoignition is unimportant, values near or below unity indicate that flame propagation is not possible, and intermediate values indicate that a combination of both flame propagation and autoignition may be important, depending upon factors such as device geometry, turbulence, stratification, et cetera. The reference quantities are presented for a wide range of temperatures, equivalence ratios, pressures, and hydrogen concentrations, which includes conditions relevant to stationary gas turbine reheat burners and boosted spark ignition engines. It is demonstrated that the transition from flame propagation to autoignition is only dependent on residence time, when the results are non-dimensionalised by the reference values. The temporal evolution of the reference values are also reported for a modelled boosted SI engine. It is shown that the nominally autoignitive conditions enhance flame propagation, which may be an ameliorating factor for the onset of engine knock. The calculations are performed using a recently-developed, detailed 177 species mechanism for C0-C3 chemistry that is derived from theoretical chemistry and is suitable for a wide range of thermochemical conditions as it is not tuned or optimised for a particular operating condition. (C) 2018 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

autoignition↗
DOE OSTI2010

The role of shock-flame interactions on flame acceleration in an obstacle laden channel

Flame acceleration was investigated in an obstructed, square-cross-section channel. Flame acceleration was promoted by an array of top and bottom surface mounted obstacles that were distributed along the entire channel length at an equal spacing corresponding to one channel height. This work is based on a previous investigation of the effects of blockage ratio on the early stage of flame acceleration. This study is focused on the later stage of flame acceleration when compression waves, and eventually a shock wave, form ahead of the flame. The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of obstacle blockage on the rate of flame acceleration and on the final quasi-steady flame-tip velocity. Schlieren photography was used to track the development of the shock-flame complex. It was determined that the interaction between the flame front and the reflected shock waves produced from contact of the lead shock wave with the channel top, channel bottom, and obstacle surfaces govern the late stage of flame acceleration process. The shock-flame interactions produce oscillations in the flame-tip velocity similar to that observed in the early stage of flame acceleration, but only much larger in magnitude. Eventually the flame achieves a globally quasi-steady velocity. For the lowest blockage obstacles, the velocity approaches the speed of sound of the combustion products. The final quasi-steady flame velocity was lower in tests with the higher obstacle blockage. In the quasi-steady propagation regime with the lowest blockage obstacles, burning pockets of gas extended only a few obstacles back from the flame-tip, whereas burning pockets were observed further back in tests with the higher obstacle blockage. (author)

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1998

Effects of Buoyancy on Lean Premixed V-Flames Part I: Laminar and Turblent Flame Structure

Laser schlieren and planar laser-induced fluorescence techniques have been used to investigate laminar and turbulent v-flames in +g, -g, and micro g under flow conditions that span the regimes of momentum domination (Ri < 0. 1) and buoyancy domination (Ri > 0.1). Overall flame features shown by schlieren indicate that buoyancy dominates the entire flow field for conditions close to Ri = 1. With decreasing Ri, buoyancy effects are observed only in the far-field regions. Analyses of the mean flame angles demonstrate that laminar and turbulent flames do not have similar responses to buoyancy. Difference in the laminar +g and -g flame angles decrease with Ri (i.e., increasing Re) and converge to the microgravity flame angle at the momentum limit (Ri - 0). This is consistent with the notion that the effects of buoyancy diminish with increasing flow momentum. The +g and -g turbulent flame angles, however, do not converge at Ri = 0. As shown by OH-PLIF images, the inconsistency in +g and -g turbulent flame angles is associated with the differences in flame wrinkles. Turbulent flame wrinkles evolve more slowly in +g than in -g. The difference in flame wrinkle structures, however, cannot be explained in terms of buoyancy effects on flame instability mechanisms. It seems to be associated with the field effects of buoyancy that stretches the turbulent flame brushes in +g and compresses the flame brush in -g. Flame wrinkling offers a mechanism through which the flame responds to the field effects of buoyancy despite increasing flow momentum. These observations point to the need to include both upstream and downstream contributions in theoretical analysis of flame turbulence interactions.

Cheng, Robert K.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Flame-Vortex Interactions Imaged in Microgravity - To Assess the Theory Flame Stretch

The goals of this research are to: 1) Assess the Theory of Flame Stretch by operating a unique flame-vortex experiment under microgravity conditions in the NASA Glenn 2.2 Second Drop Tower (drops to identify operating conditions have been completed); 2) Obtain high speed shadowgraph images (500-1000 frames/s) using the drop rig (images were obtained at one-g, and the NASA Kodak RO camera is being mounted on the drop rig); 3) Obtain shadowgraph and PIV images at 1-g while varying the effects of buoyancy by controlling the Froude number (completed); 4) Numerically model the inwardly-propagating spherical flame that is observed in the experiment using full chemistry and the RUN 1DL code (completed); 5) Send images of the flame shape to Dr. G. Patniak at NRL who is numerically simulating the entire flame-vortex interaction of the present experiment (data transfer completed); and 6) Assess the feasibility of obtaining PIV velocity field images in the drop rig, which would be useful (but not required) for our assessment of the Theory of Flame Stretch (PIV images were obtained at one-g using same low laser power that is available from fiber optic cable in drop tower). The motivation for the work is to obtain novel measurement needed to develop a physically accurate model of turbulent combustion that can help in the control of engine pollutants. The unique experiment allows, for the first time, the detailed study of a negatively-curved (negatively stretched) flame, which is one of the five fundamental types of premixed flames. While there have been studies of flat flames, positively-curved (outwardly-propagating) cases and positively-strained (counterflow) cases, this is the first detailed study of a negatively-curved (inwardly-propagating) flame. The first set of drops in the 2.2 Second Drop Tower showed that microgravity provides more favorable conditions for achieving inwardly-propagating flames (IPFs) than 1-g. A vortex interacts with a flame and creates a spherical pocket, which burns inwardly. Shadowgraphs at 1000 frames/sec quantify the Markstein number and flame speed. A Low-Laser Power PIV System was developed and is being added to the drop package. Numerical computations were required to explain why the Markstein numbers measured for the inwardly-propagating flames differ from those of outward propagating flames; this is an important research issue in the assessment of the Theory of Flame Stretch. The RUN-1DL code (developed by Prof. B. Rogg) was run for IPF and OPFs with complex methane and propane chemistry. Results confirmed that Ma for the IPFs are larger than for OPFs as was observed experimentally. Physical reasons for these new findings about the Theory of Flame Stretch are being determined from the experiments and the computations. Several journal papers have been published; the drop package is described in the AIAA Journal, while the one-g results appear in three other journal papers.

Driscoll, James F.↗
DOE OSTI2011

The interaction of high-speed turbulence with flames: Turbulent flame speed

Direct numerical simulations of the interaction of a premixed flame with driven, subsonic, homogeneous, isotropic, Kolmogorov-type turbulence in an unconfined system are used to study the mechanisms determining the turbulent flame speed, S{sub T}, in the thin reaction zone regime. High intensity turbulence is considered with the r.m.s. velocity 35 times the laminar flame speed, S{sub L}, resulting in the Damkoehler number Da=0.05. The simulations were performed with Athena-RFX, a massively parallel, fully compressible, high-order, dimensionally unsplit, reactive-flow code. A simplified reaction-diffusion model, based on the one-step Arrhenius kinetics, represents a stoichiometric H{sub 2}-air mixture under the assumption of the Lewis number Le=1. Global properties and the internal structure of the flame were analyzed in an earlier paper, which showed that this system represents turbulent combustion in the thin reaction zone regime. This paper demonstrates that: (1) The flame brush has a complex internal structure, in which the isosurfaces of higher fuel mass fractions are folded on progressively smaller scales. (2) Global properties of the turbulent flame are best represented by the structure of the region of peak reaction rate, which defines the flame surface. (3) In the thin reaction zone regime, S{sub T} is predominantly determined by the increase of the flame surface area, A{sub T}, caused by turbulence. (4) The observed increase of S{sub T} relative to S{sub L} exceeds the corresponding increase of A{sub T} relative to the surface area of the planar laminar flame, on average, by {approx}14%, varying from only a few percent to as high as {approx}30%. (5) This exaggerated response is the result of tight flame packing by turbulence, which causes frequent flame collisions and formation of regions of high flame curvature >or similar 1/{delta}{sub L}, or ''cusps,'' where {delta}{sub L} is the thermal width of the laminar flame. (6) The local flame speed in the cusps substantially exceeds its laminar value, which results in a disproportionately large contribution of cusps to S{sub T} compared with the flame surface area in them. (7) A criterion is established for transition to the regime significantly influenced by cusp formation. In particular, at Karlovitz numbers Ka >or similar 20, flame collisions provide an important mechanism controlling S{sub T}, in addition to the increase of A{sub T} by large-scale motions and the potential enhancement of diffusive transport by small-scale turbulence. (author)

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Significance of the Direct Excitation Mechanism for High-Frequency Response of Premixed Flames to Flow Oscillations

Premixed flames are sensitive to flow disturbances, which can arise from acoustic or vortical fluctuations. For transverse instabilities, it is known that a dominant mechanism for flame response is “injector coupling,” whereby pressure oscillations associated with transverse waves excite axial flow disturbances. These axial flow disturbances then excite heat release oscillations. The objective of this paper is to consider another mechanism—the direct sensitivity of the unsteady heat release to transverse acoustic waves—and to compare its significance relative to the induced axial disturbances, in a linear framework. The rate at which the flame adds energy to the disturbance field is quantified using the Rayleigh criterion and evaluated over a range of control parameters, such as flame length and swirl number. The results show that radial modes induce heat release fluctuations that always add energy to the acoustic field, whereas heat release fluctuations induced by mixed radial-azimuthal modes can add or remove energy. These amplification rates are then compared to the flame response from induced axial fluctuations. For combustor-centered flames, these results show that the direct excitation mechanism has negligible amplification rates relative to the induced axial mechanism for radial modes. For transverse modes, the fact that the nozzle is located at a pressure node indicates that negligible induced axial velocity disturbances are excited; as such, the direct mechanism dominates. As a result, for flames that are not centered on pressure nodes, the direct mechanism for mixed modes dominates for certain nozzle locations and flame angles.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1994

Triple flames and flame stabilization

It is now well established that when turbulent jet flames are lifted, combustion begins, i.e., the flame is stabilized, at an axial station where the fuel and air are partially premixed. One might expect, therefore, that the beginning of the combustion zone would be a triple flame. Such flames have been described; however, other experiments provide data that are difficult to reconcile with the presence of triple flames. In particular, laser images of CH and OH, marking combustion zones, do not exhibit shapes typical of triple flames, and, more significantly, the lifted flame appears to have a propagation speed that is an order of magnitude higher than the laminar flame speed. The speed of triple flames studied thus far exceeds the laminar value by a factor less than two. The objective of the present task is the resolution of the apparent conflict between the experiments and the triple flame characteristics, and the clarification of the mechanisms controlling flame stability. Being investigated are the resolution achieved in the experiments, the flow field in the neighborhood of the stabilization point, propagation speeds of triple flames, laboratory flame unsteadiness, and the importance of flame ignition limits in the calculation of triple flames that resemble lifted flames.

Broadwell, James E.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Large eddy simulation/dynamic thickened flame modeling of a high Karlovitz number turbulent premixed jet flame

Due to the complex multiscale interaction between intense turbulence and relatively weak flames, turbulent premixed flames in the thin and broken reaction zones regimes exhibit strong finite-rate chemistry and strain effects and are hence challenging to model. Here, in this paper, a laboratory premixed jet flame in the broken reaction zone, which has recently been studied using direct numerical simulation (DNS), is modeled using a large eddy simulation (LES)/dynamic thickened flame (DTF) approach with detailed chemistry. The presence of substantial flame thickening due to strong turbulence-chemistry interactions, which can be characterized by a high Karlovitz number ( Ka ), requires the DTF model to thicken the flame in an adaptive way based on the local resolution of flame scales. Here, an appropriate flame sensor and strain-sensitive flame thickness are used to automatically determine the thickening location and thickening factor, respectively. To account for finite-rate chemistry and strain effects, the chemistry is described in two different ways: (1) detailed chemistry denoted as full transport and chemistry (FTC), and (2) tabulated chemistry based on a strained premixed flamelet (SPF) model. The performance of the augmented LES/DTF approach for modeling the high Ka premixed flame is assessed through detailed a posteriori comparisons with DNS of the same flame. It is found that the LES/DTF/FTC model is capable of reproducing most features of the high Ka turbulent premixed flame including accurate CO and NO prediction. The LES/DTF/SPF model has the potential to capture the impact of strong turbulence on the flame structure and provides reasonable prediction of pollutant emissions at a reasonable computational cost. In order to identify the impact of aerodynamic strain, the turbulent flame structure is analyzed and compared with unstrained and strained premixed flamelet solutions. Lastly, the results indicate that detailed strain effects should be considered when using tabulated methods to model high Ka premixed flames.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2010

A comparative experimental and computational study of methanol, ethanol, and n-butanol flames

Laminar flame speeds and extinction strain rates of premixed methanol, ethanol, and n-butanol flames were determined experimentally in the counterflow configuration at atmospheric pressure and elevated unburned mixture temperatures. Additional measurements were conducted also to determine the laminar flame speeds of their n-alkane/air counterparts, namely methane, ethane, and n-butane in order to compare the effect of alkane and alcohol molecular structures on high-temperature flame kinetics. For both propagation and extinction experiments the flow velocities were determined using the digital particle image velocimetry method. Laminar flame speeds were derived through a non-linear extrapolation approach based on direct numerical simulations of the experiments. Two recently developed detailed kinetics models of n-butanol oxidation were used to simulate the experiments. The experimental results revealed that laminar flame speeds of ethanol/air and n-butanol/air flames are similar to those of their n-alkane/air counterparts, and that methane/air flames have consistently lower laminar flame speeds than methanol/air flames. The laminar flame speeds of methanol/air flames are considerably higher compared to both ethanol/air and n-butanol/air flames under fuel-rich conditions. Numerical simulations of n-butanol/air freely propagating flames, revealed discrepancies between the two kinetic models regarding the consumption pathways of n-butanol and its intermediates. (author)

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1994

Triple flame structure and diffusion flame stabilization

The stabilization of diffusion flames is studied using asymptotic techniques and numerical tools. The configuration studied corresponds to parallel streams of cold oxidizer and fuel initially separated by a splitter plate. It is shown that stabilization of a diffusion flame may only occur in this situation by two processes. First, the flame may be stabilized behind the flame holder in the wake of the splitter plate. For this case, numerical simulations confirm scalings previously predicted by asymptotic analysis. Second, the flame may be lifted. In this case a triple flame is found at longer distances downstream of the flame holder. The structure and propagation speed of this flame are studied by using an actively controlled numerical technique in which the triple flame is tracked in its own reference frame. It is then possible to investigate the triple flame structure and velocity. It is shown, as suggested from asymptotic analysis, that heat release may induce displacement speeds of the triple flame larger than the laminar flame speed corresponding to the stoichiometric conditions prevailing in the mixture approaching the triple flame. In addition to studying the characteristics of triple flames in a uniform flow, their resistance to turbulence is investigated by subjecting triple flames to different vortical configurations.

Veynante, D.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Flame Shapes of Luminous NonBuoyant Laminar Coflowing Jet Diffusion Flames

Laminar diffusion flames are of interest as model flame systems that are more tractable for analysis and experiments than practical turbulent diffusion flames. Certainly understanding laminar flames must precede understanding more complex turbulent flames while man'y laminar diffusion flame properties are directly relevant to turbulent diffusion flames using laminar flamelet concepts. Laminar diffusion flame shapes have been of interest since the classical study of Burke and Schumann because they involve a simple nonintrusive measurement that is convenient for evaluating flame structure predictions. Motivated by these observations, the shapes of laminar flames were considered during the present investigation. The present study was limited to nonbuoyant flames because most practical flames are not buoyant. Effects of buoyancy were minimized by observing flames having large flow velocities at small pressures. Present methods were based on the study of the shapes of nonbu,3yant round laminar jet diffusion flames of Lin et al. where it was found that a simple analysis due to Spalding yielded good predictions of the flame shapes reported by Urban et al. and Sunderland et al.

Lin, K.-C.↗
DOE OSTI2017

An equivalent dissipation rate model for capturing history effects in non-premixed flames

The effects of strain rate history on turbulent flames have been studied in the. past decades with 1D counter flow diffusion flame (CFDF) configurations subjected to oscillating strain rates. In this work, these unsteady effects are studied for complex hydrocarbon fuel surrogates at engine relevant conditions with unsteady strain rates experienced by flamelets in a typical spray flame. Tabulated combustion models are based on a steady scalar dissipation rate (SDR) assumption and hence cannot capture these unsteady strain effects; even though they can capture the unsteady chemistry. In this work, 1D CFDF with varying strain rates are simulated using two different modeling approaches: steady SDR assumption and unsteady flamelet model. Comparative studies show that the history effects due to unsteady SDR are directly proportional to the temporal gradient of the SDR. A new equivalent SDR model based on the history of a flamelet is proposed. An averaging procedure is constructed such that the most recent histories are given higher weights. This equivalent SDR is then used with the steady SDR assumption in 1D flamelets. Results show a good agreement between tabulated flamelet solution and the unsteady flamelet results. This equivalent SDR concept is further implemented and compared against 3D spray flames (Engine Combustion Network Spray A). Tabulated models based on steady SDR assumption under-predict autoignition and flame lift-off when compared with an unsteady Representative Interactive Flamelet (RIF) model. However, equivalent SDR model coupled with the tabulated model predicted autoignition and flame lift-off very close to those reported by the RIF model. This model is further validated for a range of injection pressures for Spray A flames. The new modeling framework now enables tabulated models with significantly lower computational cost to account for unsteady history effects. (C) 2016 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kundu, Prithwish↗
DOE OSTI2021

End-gas autoignition fraction and flame propagation rate in laser-ignited primary reference fuel mixtures at elevated temperature and pressure

Knock in spark-ignited (SI) engines is initiated by autoignition of the unburned gasses upstream of spark-ignited, propagating, turbulent premixed flames. Knock propensity of fuel/air mixtures is typically quantified using research octane number (RON), motor octane number (MON), or methane number (MN; for gaseous fuels), which are measured using single-cylinder, variable compression ratio engines. In this study, knock propensity of SI fuels was quantified via observations of end-gas autoignition (EGAI) in unburned gasses upstream of laser-ignited, premixed flames at elevated pressures and temperatures in a rapid compression machine. Stoichiometric primary reference fuel (PRF; n-heptane/isooctane) blends of varying reactivity (50 ≤ PRF ≤ 100) were ignited using an Nd:YAG laser over a range of temperatures and pressures, all in excess of 545 K and 16.1 bar. Laser ignition produced outwardly-propagating premixed flames. High-speed pressure measurements and schlieren images indicated the presence of EGAI. The fraction of the total heat release attributed to EGAI (i.e., EGAI fraction) varied with fuel reactivity (i.e., octane number) and the time-integrated temperature of the end-gas prior to ignition. Flame propagation rates, which were measured using schlieren images, were only weakly correlated with octane number but were affected by turbulence caused by variation in piston timing. Under conditions of low turbulence, measured flame propagation rates approached one-dimensional premixed laminar flame speed computations performed at the same conditions. Experiments were simulated with a three-dimensional CONVERGE™ model using reduced chemical kinetics (121 species, 538 reactions). The simulations accurately captured the measured flame propagation rates, as well as the variation in EGAI fraction with fuel reactivity and time-integrated end-gas temperature. The simulations also revealed low-temperature heat release as well as formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide formation in the end-gas upstream of the propagating flame, which increased the temperature and degree of chain branching in the end-gas, ultimately leading to EGAI.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2015

Large eddy simulation of a reacting spray flame with multiple realizations under compression ignition engine conditions

An n-dodecane spray flame (Spray A from Engine Combustion Network) was simulated using a detailed combustion model along with a dynamic structure LES model to evaluate its performance at engine-relevant conditions and understand the transient behavior of this turbulent flame. The liquid spray was treated with a traditional Lagrangian method and the gas-phase reaction was modeled using a detailed combustion model. A 103-species skeletal mechanism was used for the n-dodecane chemical kinetic model. Significantly different flame structures and ignition processes are observed for the LES compared to those of RANS predictions. The LES data suggests that the first ignition initiates in lean mixture and propagates to rich mixture, and the main ignition happens in rich mixture, preferable less than 0.14 in mixture fraction space. LES was observed to have multiple ignition spots in the mixing layer simultaneously while the main ignition initiates in a clearly asymmetric fashion. The temporal flame development also indicates the flame stabilization mechanism is auto-ignition controlled and modulated by flame propagation. Soot predictions by LES present much better agreement with experiments compared to RANS both qualitatively and quantitatively. Multiple realizations for LES were performed to understand the realization to realization variation and to establish best practices for ensemble-averaging diesel spray flames. The relevance index analysis suggests that an average of 2 and 5 realizations can reach 99\% of similarity to the target average of 16 realizations on the temperature and mixture fraction fields, respectively. However, more realizations are necessary for OH and soot mass fraction due to their high fluctuations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗