Role of the progress variable in models for partially premixed turbulent combustion

It is shown that if partially premixed combustion is described in terms of a mixture fraction and a progress variable, scalar dissipation terms appear in the transport equation for the progress variable. These terms are essential if not only the fully premixed limit but also the transport equation for a classical diffusion flame are to be recovered. The eddy breakup relationship between mean rate of reaction and scalar dissipation is extended to partially premixed combustion at high Damköhler numbers. Advantages and disadvantages of working in terms of a progress variable rather than a major species mass fraction or temperature are identified and discussed.     

Ignition transition in turbulent premixed combustion

Recently, Shy and his co-workers reported a turbulent ignition transition based on measurements of minimum ignition energies (MIE) of lean premixed turbulent methane combustion in a centrally-ignited, fan-stirred cruciform burner capable of generating intense isotropic turbulence. Using the same methodology, this paper presents new complete MIE data sets for stoichiometric and rich cases at three different equivalence ratios ? = 1.0, 1.2 and 1.3, each covering a wide range of a turbulent Karlovitz number (Ka) indicating a time ratio between chemical reaction and turbulence. Thus, ignition transition in premixed turbulent combustion depending on both Ka and ? can be identified for the first time. It is found that there are two distinct modes on ignition in randomly stirred methane–air mixtures (ignition transition) separated by a critical Ka where values of Ka_c ≈ 8–26 depending on ? with the minimum Ka_c occurring near ? = 1. For Ka < Ka_c, MIE increases gradually with Ka, flame kernel formation is similar to laminar ignition remaining a torus, and 2D laser tomography images of subsequent outwardly-propagating turbulent flames show sharp fronts. For Ka > Ka_c, MIE increases abruptly with Ka, flame kernel is disrupted, and subsequent randomly-propagating turbulent flames reveal distributed-like fronts. Moreover, we introduce a reaction zone Péclet number (P_RZ) indicating the diffusivity ratio between turbulence and chemical reaction, such that the aforementioned very scattering MIE data depending on Ka and ? can be collapsed into a single curve having two drastically different increasing slopes with P_RZ which are separated by a critical P_RZ ≈ 4.5 showing ignition transition. Finally, a physical model is proposed to explain these results.     

Spark ignition transitions in premixed turbulent combustion

Recent discoveries and developments on the dynamic process of premixed turbulent spark ignition are reviewed. The focus here is on the variation of turbulent minimum ignition energies (MIE_T) against laminar MIE (MIE_L) over a wide range of r.m.s. turbulence fluctuation velocity (uʹ) alongside effects of the spark gap between electrodes, Lewis number, and some other parameters on MIE. Two distinguishable spark ignition transitions are discussed. (1) A monotonic MIE transition, where MIE_L sets the lower bound, marks a critical uʹ_c between linear and exponential increase in MIE_T with uʹ increased. (2) A non-monotonic MIE transition, where the lower bound is to be set by a MIE_T at some uʹ_c, stems from a great influence of Lewis number and spark gap despite turbulence. At sufficiently large Lewis number >> 1 and small spark gap (typically less than 1 mm), turbulence facilitated ignition (TFI), where MIE_T < MIE_L, occurs; then MIE_T increases rapidly at larger uʹ > uʹ_c because turbulence re-asserts its dominating role. Both phenomena are explained by the coupling effects of differential diffusion, heat losses to electrodes, and turbulence on the spark kernel. In particular, the ratio of small-scale turbulence diffusivity to reaction zone thermal diffusivity, a reaction zone Péclet number, captures the similarity of monotonic MIE transition, regardless of different ignition sources (conventional electrodes versus laser), turbulent flows, pressure, and fuel types. Furthermore, TFI does and/or does not occur when conventional spark is replaced by nanosecond-repetitively-pulsed-discharge and/or laser spark. The latter is attributed to the third lobe formation of laser kernel with some negative curvature segments that enhance reaction rate through differential diffusion, where MIE_L < MIE_T (no TFI). Finally, the implications of MIE transitions relevant to lean-burn spark ignition engines are briefly mentioned, and future studies are suggested.     

Multidimensional flamelet-generated manifolds for partially premixed combustion

Flamelet-generated manifolds have been restricted so far to premixed or diffusion flame archetypes, even though the resulting tables have been applied to nonpremixed and partially premixed flame simulations. By using a projection of the full set of mass conservation species balance equations into a restricted subset of the composition space, unsteady multidimensional flamelet governing equations are derived from first principles, under given hypotheses. During the projection, as in usual one-dimensional flamelets, the tangential strain rate of scalar isosurfaces is expressed in the form of the scalar dissipation rates of the control parameters of the multidimensional flamelet-generated manifold (MFM), which is tested in its five-dimensional form for partially premixed combustion, with two composition space directions and three scalar dissipation rates. It is shown that strain-rate-induced effects can hardly be fully neglected in chemistry tabulation of partially premixed combustion, because of fluxes across iso-equivalence-ratio and iso-progress-of-reaction surfaces. This is illustrated by comparing the 5D flamelet-generated manifold with one-dimensional premixed flame and unsteady strained diffusion flame composition space trajectories. The formal links between the asymptotic behavior of MFM and stratified flame, weakly varying partially premixed front, triple-flame, premixed and nonpremixed edge flames are also evidenced.     

Large Eddy Simulation of combustion instabilities in a lean partially premixed swirled flame

This paper investigates one issue related to Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of self-excited combustion instabilities in gas-fueled swirled burners: the effects of incomplete mixing between fuel and air at the combustion chamber inlet. Perfect premixing of the gases entering the combustion chamber is rarely achieved in practical applications and this study investigates its impact by comparing LES assuming perfect premixing and LES where the fuel jets are resolved so that fuel/air mixing is explicitely computed. This work demonstrates that the perfect premixing assumption is reasonable for stable flows but is not acceptable to predict self-excited unstable cases. This is shown by comparing LES and experimental fields in terms of mean and RMS fields of temperature, species, velocities as well as mixture fraction pdfs and unsteady activity for two regimes: a stable one at equivalence ratio 0.83 and an unstable one at 0.7.     

DNS analysis of partially premixed combustion in spray and gaseous turbulent flame-bases stabilized in hot air

Direct numerical simulations of weakly turbulent-lifted flame bases are examined in the case of both gaseous and spray fuel jet injection. Simplified transport properties and an adjustable single-step chemistry that matches the flame response to equivalence ratio are used. The flames are stabilized within a coflowing stream of heated air. The properties of the zone where burning starts are found to strongly depend on the type of fuel injection. The gaseous flame base is essentially composed of an edge flame, with a large contribution of partially premixed combustion. This partially premixed flame takes two different forms, a nearly stoichiometric propagating kernel and a rich trailing flame whose burning rate is diffusion controlled. The rich premixed flame is parallel to the stoichiometric line, along which a diffusion flame burns the fuel left by this rich trailing flame, up to the very leading edge of the flame base. In the spray case, a nonnegligible amount of oxidizer is entrained within the dilute spray, also leading to an important contribution of partially premixed burning. However, diffusion and premixed burning are found more distributed in space in the spray case than with gaseous injection. A progress variable that is generalized to partially premixed combustion is discussed and the relative contributions of the terms of its balance equation are analyzed from the DNS. A flame partitioning into premixed and diffusion types is then examined and the stabilization zone is decomposed into basic flame prototypes. A subgrid scale flame decomposition is further discussed from a direct filtering of DNS and some a priori tests of subgrid scale modeling are reported.     

Conceptual models for partially premixed low-temperature diesel combustion

Based on recent research within optically accessible engines and combustion chambers, conceptual models for low-temperature combustion (LTC) diesel engines are proposed. To provide a reference to which the LTC conceptual models may be compared, an established conceptual model framework for conventional diesel combustion is first reviewed and updated. Then, based on multiple optical diagnostic observations and homogeneous reactor simulations using detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms, extensions to the existing conceptual model are proposed. The LTC conceptual models are not intended to describe all LTC strategies, but rather a common subset of low-load, single-injection, partially premixed compression ignition conditions that are diluted by exhaust-gas recirculation to oxygen concentrations in the range of 10–15%. The models describe the spray formation, vaporization, mixing, ignition, and pollutant formation and destruction mechanisms that are consistent with experimental observations and modeling predictions for LTC diesel engines. Two separate subcategories are offered for either heavy-duty, large-bore or for light-duty, small-bore engines. Relative to the existing conventional diesel conceptual model, the features of the LTC conceptual models include longer liquid-fuel penetration, an extended ignition delay that allows more premixing of fuel, a more distinct and temporally extended two-stage ignition, more spatially uniform second-stage ignition, reduced and altered soot formation regions, and increased overmixing leading to incomplete combustion.     

Stability characteristics of lifted turbulent partially premixed jet flames

The stability characteristics of partially premixed turbulent lifted methane flames have been investigated and discussed in the present work. Mixture fraction and reaction zone behavior have been measured using a combined 2-D technique of simultaneous Rayleigh scattering, Laser Induced Predissociation Fluorescence (LIPF) of OH and Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) of C₂H_x. The stability characteristics and simultaneous mixture fraction-LIPF-LIF measurements in three lifted flames with originally partially premixed jets at different mean equivalence ratio and Reynolds number are presented and discussed in this paper. Higher stability of partially premixed flames as compared to non-premixed flames has been observed. Lifted, attached, blow-out and blow-off regimes have been addressed and discussed in this work. The data show that the mixture fraction field on approaching the stabilization region is uniquely characterized by a certain level of mean and rms fluctuations. This suggests that the stabilization mechanism is likely to be controlled by premixed flame propagation at the stabilization region. Triple flame structure has been detected in the present flames, which is likely to be the appropriate model at the stabilization point.     

湍流预混燃烧器燃烧自激振动的数值研究

对湍流预混燃烧器的燃烧不稳定现象应用湍流燃烧CFD的方法进行了数值研究。计算模拟了Krueger等人的实验研究,并着重对自激振动的频率和火焰动态特性进行了分析。计算表明,非稳态雷诺平均Navier Stokes(URANS)方法和基于重整化群的RNGk-ε湍流模型以及有限速率/涡漩耗散(FR/EDM)燃烧模型是适用的。将预测结果与实验结果进行比较可以看出,数值计算得到的燃烧室内压力振动的频率和幅值与实验很好地吻合,自激振动过程中火焰的动态行为也被计算很好地捕捉到,可以在计算的流动域的图像中看到整个激励循环的火焰前锋的变形和分离过程。同时从计算结果中还可以看出热释放的波动与压力波动的频率是一致的,这也进一步验证了瑞利准则。所得结果为进一步深入研究燃烧不稳定性产生的驱动机理和对燃烧不稳定的控制奠定了基础。     

Flame dynamics analysis of highly hydrogen-enrichment premixed turbulent combustion

The highly hydrogen blended turbulent natural gas flames were stabilized on a nozzle-type Bunsen burner and measured with laser diagnostic technique. Flame topology characteristics and turbulent burning velocities for the lean turbulent combustion and uniform laminar flame speed of S_L ≈ 40 cm/s were investigated and compared. Hydrogen effect of high diffusivity on combustion properties was analyzed. The local flame structure parameters were obtained and analyzed. Results show that finer wrinkled structure is not only induced by increasing turbulence intensity u’/S_L, but also there is a significant enhancement due to the increasing hydrogen ratio. At large turbulence intensities for lean combustion, more elongated flame folds are formed and small scale structures are generated inducing flame pockets detaching from the main flame, which may largely due to the strong thermo-diffusive effect. However, when fixing S_L ≈ 40 cm/s, the flame front shows cusp structure with large negative curvature at high hydrogen ratio when u’/S_L is low, which mainly result from Darrieus-Landau instability in influencing the flame-turbulence interaction. Moreover, hydrogen addition apparently enhances turbulent burning velocity and the enhancement is more evident for higher intensities. S_T/S_L seems to follow the power law relation for lean flames while showing a quadratic relation for flame of S_L ≈ 40 cm/s. The PDF profile widens encompassing a larger range with increasing hydrogen ratio, indicating that the scale of wrinkled structure is getting smaller. This can be further verified by the profile of local radius of curvature. Hydrogen has an evident effect in enhancing flame surface density which may connect to turbulent burning velocity. And a slightly decreasing trend is found when ZH2 is beyond 0.6 at high u′/S_L.     

Applications of direct numerical simulation to premixed turbulent combustion

This paper describes recent progress in the field of Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) for premixed turbulent combustion. A classification of Computational Fluid Dynamics techniques used in reacting flows is first proposed. Numerical methods and problems specific to DNS of combustion like grid resolution or boundary conditions treatment are discussed. The presentation of DNS results is done in the framework of flamelet modeling. The domain of validity of the flamelet assumptions is studied with simulations of flame vortex interactions. The local structure of flamelets in premixed turbulent combustion is investigated using two and three-dimensional DNS with simple chemistry models. Effects of complex chemistry are considered through recent two-dimensional DNS performed with realistic chemical schemes. Flame surface densities, flame strain and curvature statistics obtained from various three dimensional simulations are given and implications for modeling are presented. DNS is also exploited to deal with some specific problems like turbulent flame ignition or flame-wall interactions. This review is concluded with a discussion of current limitations and a list of future challenges.     

Detailed numerical simulation of syngas combustion under partially premixed combustion engine conditions

Two-dimensional detailed numerical simulation is performed to study syngas/air combustion under partially premixed combustion (PPC) engine conditions. Detailed chemical kinetics and transport properties are employed in the study. The fuel, a mixture of CO and H₂ with a 1:1 molar ratio, is introduced to the domain at two different instances of time, corresponding to the multiple injection strategy of fuel used in PPC engines. It is found that the ratio of the fuel mass between the second injection and the first injection affects the combustion and emission process greatly; there is a tradeoff between NO emission and CO emission when varying the fuel mass ratio. The ignition zone structures under various fuel mass ratios are examined. A premixed burn region and a diffusion burn region are identified. The premixed burn region ignites first, followed by the ignition of mixtures at the diffusion burn region, and finally a thin diffusion flame is formed to burn out the remaining fuel. NO is produced mainly in the premixed burn region, and later from the diffusion burn region in mixtures close to stoichiometry, whereas unburned CO emission is mainly from the diffusion burn region. An optimization of the fuel mass in the two regions can offer a better tradeoff between NO emission and CO emission. The effects of initial temperature and turbulence on the premixed burn and diffusion burn regions are investigated.     

Analysis of flame surface density measurements in turbulent premixed combustion

In premixed turbulent combustion, reaction rates can be estimated from the flame surface density. This parameter, which measures the mean flame surface area available per unit volume, may be obtained from algebraic expressions or by solving a transport equation. In this study, detailed measurements were performed on a Bunsen-type burner fed with methane/air mixtures in order to determine the local flame surface density experimentally. This burner, located in a high-pressure combustion chamber, allows investigation of turbulent premixed flames under various flow, mixture, and pressure conditions. In the present work, equivalence ratio was varied from 0.6 to 0.8 and pressure from 0.1 to 0.9 MPa. Flame front visualizations by Mie scattering laser tomography are used to obtain experimental data on the instantaneous flame front dynamics. The exact equation given by Pope is used to obtain flame surface density maps for different flame conditions. Some assumptions are made in order to access three-dimensional information from our two-dimensional experiments. Two different methodologies are proposed and tested in term of global mass balance (what enters compared to what is burned). The detailed experimental flame surface data provided for the first time in this work should progressively allow improvement of turbulent premixed flame modeling approaches.     

The structure of partially premixed methane flames in high-intensity turbulent flows

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are conducted to study the structure of partially premixed and non-premixed methane flames in high-intensity two-dimensional isotropic turbulent flows. The results obtained via “flame normal analysis” show local extinction and reignition for both non-premixed and partially premixed flames. Dynamical analysis of the flame with a Lagrangian method indicates that the time integrated strain rate characterizes the finite-rate chemistry effects and the flame extinction better than the strain rate. It is observed that the flame behavior is affected by the “pressure-dilatation” and “viscous-dissipation” in addition to strain rate. Consistent with previous studies, high vorticity values are detected close to the reaction zone, where the vorticity generation by the “baroclinic torque” was found to be significant. The influences of (initial) Reynolds and Damköhler numbers, and various air-fuel premixing levels on flame and turbulence variables are also studied. It is observed that the flame extinction occurs similarly in flames with different fuel-air premixing. Our simulations also indicate that the CO emission increases as the partial premixing of the fuel with air increases. Higher values of the temperature, the OH mass fraction and the CO mass fraction are observed within the flame zone at higher Reynolds numbers.     

Scalar dissipation and mean reaction rates in premixed turbulent combustion

A general equation for a variance parameter, appearing as a crucial quantity in a simple algebraic expression for the mean chemical rate, is derived. This derivation is based on a flamelet approach to model a turbulent premixed flame, for high but finite values of the Damköhler number. Application of this equation to the case of a planar turbulent flame normal to the oncoming flow of reactants gives good agreement with DNS data corresponding to three different values of the Damköhler number and two values of the heat release parameter.     

Finite rate chemistry and presumed PDF models for premixed turbulent combustion

The sensitivity of the prediction of mean reaction rates in turbulent premixed flames to presumed PDF shape is studied. Three different presumed PDF shapes are considered: (i) a beta function PDF, (ii) a twin delta function PDF, and (iii) a PDF based on unstrained laminar flame properties. The unstrained laminar flame has the same thermochemistry as the turbulent flame. Emphasis is placed on capturing the finite rate chemistry effects and obtaining a simple expression for the mean reaction rate. It is shown that, as the PDFs approach their bimodal limit, the mean reaction rate expressions obtained using the above three PDFs reduce to a common form. These expressions differ only in the numerical value of a multiplying factor. Predictions are compared with DNS data. Under the conditions of this comparison, the beta function and twin delta function PDFs lead to significant errors, while the PDF based on properties of an unstrained laminar flame gives good agreement with the DNS.     

Flame front surface characteristics in turbulent premixed propane/air combustion

The characteristics of the flame front surfaces in turbulent premixed propane/air flames were investigated. Flame front images were obtained using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) of OH and Mie scattering on two Bunsen–type burners of 11.2-mm and 22.4-mm diameters. Nondimensional turbulence intensity, u′/S_L, was varied from 0.9 to 15, and the Reynolds number, based on the integral length scale, varied from 40 to 467. Approximately 100 images were recorded for each experimental condition. Fractal parameters (fractal dimension, inner and outer cutoffs) and corresponding standard deviations were determined by analysis of the flame front images using the caliper technique. The fractal dimensions derived from OH and Mie scattering images are almost identical. However, inner and outer cutoffs from OH images are consistently higher than those obtained from Mie scattering. The self-similar region of the flame front wrinkling is about a decade for all flames studied. In the nondimensional turbulence intensity range from 1 to 15, it was found that the mean fractal dimension is about 2.2 and it does not show any dependence on turbulence intensity. This contradicts the findings of the previous studies that showed that the fractal dimension asymptotically reaches to 2.35–2.37 when the nondimensional turbulence intensity u′/S_L exceeds 3. It is shown that the reason for this discrepancy is the image analysis method used in the previous studies. Examples are given to show the inadequacy of the circle method used in previous studies for extraction of fractal parameters from flame front images. The fractal parameters obtained so far, in this and previous studies, are not capable of correctly predicting the turbulent burning velocity using the available fractal area closure model.     

Dynamics and stability of lean-premixed swirl-stabilized combustion

Combustion instability remains a critical issue limiting the development of low-emission, lean-premixed (LPM) gas turbine combustion systems. The present work provides a comprehensive review of the advances made over the past two decades in this area. Recent developments in industrial dry-low-emission (DLE) swirl-stabilized combustors are first summarized. Various swirl injector configurations and related flow characteristics, including vortex breakdown, precessing vortex core, large-scale coherent structures, and liquid fuel atomization and spray formation, are discussed. Nonlinear behaviors of combustion processes observed in combustors are described. The influence of fuel preparation, combustor geometry, and operating conditions on combustion characteristics in swirl-stabilized combustors is examined. The mechanisms driving combustion instabilities, including hydrodynamic instabilities, equivalence ratio fluctuations, flame surface variations, and oscillatory liquid fuel atomization and evaporation are investigated. Instability stabilization methods, including both passive and active control techniques, are also reviewed. Finally, recent progress in both analytical modeling and numerical simulation of swirl-stabilized combustion are surveyed.