A numerical study on diffusion H2/air flames in Y-shaped mesoscale combustors. (1st September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xiang, Ying; Fan, Aiwu
• Is Part Of: Fuel. Volume 275(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09-01
• Subjects: Mesoscale combustor -- Diffusion H2/air flames -- Flame inclination -- Edge flame -- Flame length -- Heat loss ratio; Fuel -- Periodicals; Coal -- Periodicals; Coal; Fuel; Periodicals; 662.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2020.117935
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-2361

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Numerical study was performed on diffusion H2 /air in Y-shaped mesoscale combustors for. After the ignition of fuel/air mixture at the combustor exit, the flame propagates towards the intersection, first in premixed flame mode in downstream and shifts to edge flame mode in the upstream. During the transition of flame propagation modes, the change of flame inclination direction was observed. Highlights: Flame propagates first in premixed flame mode and later shifts to edge flame mode. The propagation speed of edge flame mode is faster than that of premixed flame mode. The direction alters in upstream if the flame inclines to the air side in downstream. The edge flame length decreases as the channel width is reduced. In fuel lean cases the edge flame length is much shorter in the longer combustor. Abstract: Recently, we experimentally investigated the combustion characteristics of non-premixed H2 and air in Y-shaped mesoscale combustors. In the present study, we aim at numerically explaining some experimental phenomena and tendencies, and revealing more details of flame propagation which cannot be well captured in the experiments. The numerical results show that the flame propagates in premixed flame mode in the downstream and shifts to edge flame mode in the upstream, which is a result of the fuel/air mixing effectiveness associated with the longitudinal distance. The inclination direction of flame might change during the propagation process, depending on its original direction after ignition. Moreover, the flame propagates faster in edge flame mode than in premixed flame mode. In addition, the edge flame length increases with the increase of combustor width because a longer distance is needed for a well mixing in the wider channel. Furthermore, the edge flame in the combustor of L = 100 mm is evidently longer compared to that of L = 200 mm when the nominal equivalence ratio is below unity (e.g., ϕ = 0.7). This is because the heat loss ratio under L = 100 mm is less than that of L = 200 mm.