Publications

Direct numerical simulation of a three-dimensional spatially developing turbulent slot-burner Bunsen flame has been performed with a new reduced methane-air mechanism. The mechanism, derived from sequential application of directed relation graph theory, sensitivity analysis and computational singular perturbation over the GRI-1.2 detailed mechanism is non-stiff and tailored to the lean conditions of the DNS. The simulation is performed for three flow through times, long enough to achieve statistical stationarity. The turbulence parameters have been chosen such that the combustion occurs in the thin reaction zones regime of premixed combustion. The data is analyzed to study possible influences of turbulence on the structure of the preheat and reaction zones. The results show that the mean thickness of the turbulent flame, based on progress variable gradient, is greater than the corresponding laminar flame. The effects of flow straining and flame front curvature on the mean flame thickness are quantified through conditional means of the thickness and by examining the balance equation for the evolution of the flame thickness. Finally, conditional mean reaction rate of key species compared to the laminar reaction rate profiles show that there is no significant perturbation of the heat release layer.

Abstract not provided.

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) with complex chemistry was used to study statistics of displacement and consumption speeds in turbulent lean premixed methane-air flames. The main focus of the study is an evaluation of the extent to which a turbulent flame in the thin reaction zones regime can be described by an ensemble of strained laminar flames. Conditional averages with respect to strain for displacement and consumption speeds are presented over a wide range of strain typically encountered in a turbulent flame, compared with previous studies that either made local pointwise comparisons or conditioned the data on small strain and curvature. The conditional averages for positive strains are compared with calculated data from two different canonical strained laminar configurations to determine which is the optimal representation of a laminar flame structure embedded in a turbulent flame: the reactant-to-product (R-to-P) configuration or the symmetric twin flame configuration. Displacement speed statistics are compared for the progress-variable isosurface of maximum reaction rate and an isosurface toward the fresh gases, which are relevant for both modeling and interpretation of experiment results. Displacement speeds in the inner reaction layer are found to agree very well with the laminar R-to-P calculations over a wide range of strain for higher Damköhler number conditions, well beyond the regime in which agreement was expected. For lower Damköhler numbers, a reduced response to strain is observed, consistent with previous studies and theoretical expectations. Compared with the inner layer, broader and shifted probability density functions (PDFs) of displacement speed were observed in the fresh gases, and the agreement with the R-to-P calculations deteriorated. Consumption speeds show a poorer agreement with strained laminar calculations, which is attributed to multidimensional effects and a more attenuated unsteady response to strain fluctuations; however, they also show less departure from the unstrained laminar value, suggesting that detailed modeling of this quantity may not be critical for the conditions considered. For all quantities investigated, including CO production, the R-to-P laminar configuration provides an improved description relative to the twin flame configuration, which predicts qualitatively incorrect trends and overestimates extinction.

Three-dimensional direct numerical simulation of a spatially developing slot-burner Bunsen flame has been performed. The simulation is aimed at better understanding the dynamics of turbulent premixed flames in the thin reaction zones regime. A reduced chemical model for methane-air chemistry consisting of 13 resolved species, 4 quasi-steady state species and 73 elementary reactions has been developed specifically for the current simulation. Using the new chemical model a lean premixed methane-air flame at preheated conditions and ambient pressure is simulated. The simulation is performed long enough to achieve statistical stationarity. The data is analyzed to study possible influences of turbulence on the flame thickness. The results show that the average flame thickness increases, in agreement with a few, although not unanimous, experimental results.

Abstract not provided.

The influence of thermal stratification on auto-ignition at constant volume and high pressure is studied by Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) with complex H{sub 2}/air chemistry with a view to providing better understanding of combustion processes in homogeneous charge compression ignition engines. In particular the dependence of overall ignition progress on initial mixture conditions is determined. The propagation speed of ignition fronts that emanate from 'hot spots' given by a temperature spectrum is monitored by using the displacement velocity of a scalar that tracks the location of maximum heat release. The evolution of the front velocity is compared for different initial temperature distributions and the role of scalar dissipation of heat and mass is identified. It is observed that both deagrative as well as spontaneous ignition front propagation occur depending upon the local temperature gradient. It is found that the ratio of the instantaneous front speed to the deflagrative speed is a good measure of the local mode of propagation. This is verified by examining the energy and species balances. A parametric study in the amplitudes of the initial temperature fluctuation is performed and shows that this parameter has a significant influence on the observed combustion mode. Higher levels of stratification lead to more front-like structures. Predictions of the multi-zone model are presented and explained using the diagnostics developed.

Abstract not provided.