Investigation of Pre-mixed Flame-Kernel/Vortex Interactions via High-Speed Imaging

To reduce cycle-to-cycle variations in SI-IC engines, knowledge of early flame kernel growth in a turbulent flow field is required. Understanding the interaction between a flame kernel and a vortex is an important fundamental step toward this goal. This paper presents high-speed movies of combustion luminosity during the interaction of a laminar vortex with a spark-generated pre-mixed flame kernel in a quiescent combustion chamber. The resulting time evolution of the perturbed flame kernel shows that laminar vortices of various sizes and vortex strengths can increase the kernel growth rate by at least a factor of 3 and significantly increase combustion reaction rates by involving additional highly curved and stretched flame fronts.

[1]  J. C. Rolon,et al.  Investigations of heat release, extinction, and time evolution of the flame surface, for a nonpremixed flame interacting with a vortex , 1999 .

[2]  T. Mantel,et al.  Fundamental mechanisms in premixed turbulent flame propagation via flame–vortex interactions: Part I: experiment , 1999 .

[3]  R. R. Maly,et al.  State of the art and future needs in S.I. engine combustion , 1994 .

[4]  T. Mantel,et al.  Fundamental mechanisms in premixed turbulent flame propagation via vortex–flame interactions part II: numerical simulation , 1999 .

[5]  G. Patnaik,et al.  A computational study of local quenching in flame-vortex interactions with radiative losses , 1998 .

[6]  C. Law,et al.  On the consumption of fuel pockets via inwardly propagating flames , 1998 .

[7]  J. Driscoll,et al.  A laminar vortex interacting with a premixed flame: Measured formation of pockets of reactants , 1991 .

[8]  S. Ishizuka,et al.  Measurements of flame speeds in combustible vortex rings: Validity of the back-pressure drive flame propagation mechanism , 1998 .

[9]  Ari Glezer,et al.  An experimental study of a turbulent vortex ring , 1990, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[10]  S. Candel,et al.  Dynamics of flame/vortex interactions , 2000 .

[11]  K. Bray,et al.  Vorticity and scalar transport in premixed turbulent combustion , 1998 .

[12]  Gretar Tryggvason,et al.  Dynamics of vortex interaction with a density interface , 1989, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[13]  W. Roberts,et al.  Effect of unsteady stretch on spark-ignited flame kernel survival , 1999 .

[14]  Charles J. Mueller,et al.  Local flame propagation speeds along wrinkled, unsteady, stretched premixed flames , 1998 .

[15]  W. M. Roquemore,et al.  Local extinction in an unsteady methane-air jet diffusion flame , 1998 .

[16]  T. Maxworthy.  The structure and stability of vortex rings , 1972, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[17]  Kazunari Kuwahara,et al.  REVIEW ARTICLE: Diagnostics of in-cylinder flow, mixing and combustion in gasoline engines , 2000 .

[18]  S. Candel,et al.  Vortex-driven acoustically coupled combustion instabilities , 1987, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[19]  J. Heywood,et al.  The effects of initial flame kernel conditions on flame development in SI engine , 1991 .

[20]  S. Candel,et al.  Extinction processes during a non-premixed flame-vortex interaction , 1998 .

[21]  J. C. Rolon,et al.  Wrinkling, pocket formation, and double premixed flame interaction processes , 1998 .

[22]  C. Law,et al.  On the nonlinear response of stretched premixed flames , 2000 .