Abstract
The purpose of this study has been to present an asymptotic approach to describe the structure and extinction of methane-air diffusion flames employing the mechanism in Table II of Chapter 1, to explore the effect of variable density in the interpretation of experimental results, and to make detailed comparisons with experiments and numerics. The present theory is seen to predict well the trend of the extinction scalar dissipation rates with dilution, while the alternative approach [16], in which the fuel-consumption zone is coupled to the rest of the structure, is seen to give better extinction predictions at higher dilutions.
The interpretation of experimentally measured strain rates is shown to depend on the method by which the integral I of Eq. (7.3) is evaluated. When the results for a variable-density mixing layer are used, the extinction scalar dissipation rates are increased by about factor of two over the values obtained with constant density. In addition, it appears that the detailed numerical predictions of scalar dissipation rates agree better with the experimental results when variable density is considered, if inaccuracies in currently available rotational-flow descriptions are taken into account.
It is very likely that rates of the fuel chemistry do influence extinction conditions but do not change the trend predicted here, which is seen to agree well with the numerical integrations. Based on present comparisons, the results suggest that the correct model lies between the two limiting cases considered here, and to confirm this asymptotic analyses of diffusion flames must be carried out for conditions Under which the parameter ω of Seshadri and Peters [19] is order of unity.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Liñán, A., “The asymptotic structure of counterflow diffusion flames for large activation energies”, Acta Astronautica, 1, (1974), p. 1007.
Krishnamurthy, L., Williams, F. A., and Seshadri, K., “Asymptotic theory of diffusion flame extinction in the stagnation-point boundary layers”, Comb. and Flame, 26, (1976), p. 363.
Williams, F.A., “A review of flame extinction”, Fire Safety Journal, 3, (1981), p. 163.
Peters, N., “Local quenching due to flame stretch and non-premixed turbulent combustion”, Comb. Sci. and Tech., 30, (1983), p. 1.
Tsuji, H., and Yamaoka, I., “The structure of counterflow diffusion flames in the forward stagnation region of a porous cylinder”, Twelfth Symposium (International) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, (1969), p. 997.
Tsuji, H., and Yamaoka, I., “The structure analysis of counterflow diffusion flames in the forward stagnation region of a porous cylinder”, Thirteenth Symposium (International) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, (1971), p. 723.
Ishizuka, S., and Tsuji, H., “An experimental study of effect of inert gases on extinction of laminar diffusion flames”, Eighteenth Symposium (International) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute,981), p. 695.
Puri, I.K., and Seshadri, K., “Extinction of diffusion flames burning diluted methane and diluted propane in diluted air”, Comb. and Flame, 65, (1986), p. 137.
Smooke, M.D., Puri, I.K., and Seshadri, K., “A comparison between numerical calculations and experimental measurements of the structure of a counterflow diffusion. flame burning diluted methane in diluted air”, Twenty first Symposium (International) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, (1988), p. 1783.
Dixon-Lewis, G., Fukutani, S., Miller, J.A., Peters, N., Warnatz, J., “Calculation of the structure and extinction limit of a methane-air counterflow diffusion flame. in the forward region of a porous cylinder”, Twentieth Symposium (International) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, (1985), p. 1893.
Miller, J.A., Kee, R.J., Smooke, M.D., and Grcar, J.F., “The computation of the structure and extinction limit of a methane-air stagnation point diffusion flame”, Paper WSS/CI 84-10, Western States Section of the Combustion Institute, April, (1984).
Dixon-Lewis, G., David, T., and Gaskell, P.H., “Structure and properties of methane-air and hydrogen-air counterflow diffusion flames”, Archivum Combustionis, vol-6 (1986), No. 1.
Puri, I.K., Seshadri, K., Smooke, M.D., and Keyes, D.E., “A comparison between numerical calculations and experimental measurements of the structure of a counterflow methane-air diffusion flame”, Comb. Sci. and Tech., 56, (1987), p. 1.
Bilger, R.W., and Kee, R.J., “Simplified kinetics for diffusion flames of methane in air”, Joint Conference Western States and Japanese Sections of the Combustion Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii, (1987), p. 277.
Peters, N., and Kee, R.J., “The computation of stretched laminar methane-air diffusion flames using reduced four-step mechanism”, Comb. and Flame, 68, (1987), p. 17.
Seshadri, K., and Peters, N., “Asymptotic structure and extinction of methane-air diffusion flames”, Comb. and Flame, 73, (1988), p. 23.
Treviño, C. and Williams, F.A., “An asymptotic analysis of the structure and extinction of methane-air diffusion flame”, Dynamics of Reactive Systems, Part 1. Flames, (A.L. Kuhl, J.R. Bowen, J.-C. Leyer, and A. Borisov, Eds.), Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, 113, AIAA, Washington DC, (1988), p. 129.
Chelliah, H.K., and Williams, F.A., “Aspects of the Structure and Extinction of Diffusion Flames in Methane-Oxygen-Nitrogen Systems”, Comb. and Flame, 80, (1990), p. 17.
Seshadri, K., and Peters, N., “The Inner Structure of Methane-Air flames”, Comb. and Flame, 81, (1990), p. 96.
Chelliah, H.K., Law, C.K., Ueda, T., Smooke, M.D., and Williams, F.A., “An experimental and theoretical investigation of of the dilution, pressure and flow-field effects on the extinction of methane-air-nitrogen diffusion flames”, to appear in the proceedings of Twenty-Third Symposium (Int.) on Combustion.
Williams, F.A., “Crocco variables for diffusion flames”, in Recent Advances in the Aerospace Science (C. Casci, editor), Plenum Press, New York, p. 415.
Williams, F.A., Combustion Theory, 2nd Ed., Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Menlo Park, CA, (1985).
Peters, N., and Williams, F.A., “The asymptotic structure of stoichiometric methane-air flames”, Comb. and Flame, 68, (1987), p. 185.
Kim, J.S., and Williams, F.A., “Theory of counterflow mixing of fuel with hot products”, Comb. Sci. and Tech., 73, (1990), p. 575.
Seshadri, K., and Williams, F.A., “Laminar flow between parallel plates with injection of a reactant at high Reynolds number”, J. of Heat Mass Transfer, 21, (1978), p. 251.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer-Verlag
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Chelliah, H.K., Treviño, C., Williams, F.A. (1991). Asymptotic analysis of methane-air diffusion flames. In: Smooke, M.D. (eds) Reduced Kinetic Mechanisms and Asymptotic Approximations for Methane-Air Flames. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 384. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0035369
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0035369
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-54210-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47496-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive