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Quantification of extinction mechanism in counterflow premixed flames

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Abstract

The extinction mechanisms of stretched premixed flames have been investigated numerically for the fuels of CH4, C3H8, H2, CO and for the mixture fuels of CH4+H2 and CO+H2 by adopting symmetric double premixed flames in a counterflow configuration. The local equilibrium temperature concept was used as a measure of energy loss or gain in order to quantify the extinction mechanism by preferential diffusion and/or incomplete reaction. The energy loss ratio from preferential diffusion arising from non-unity Lewis number and the loss ratio from incomplete reaction were calculated at various equivalence ratios near flame extinction. The results showed that the extinction of lean H2, CH4, CH4+H2, CO+H2, and rich C3H8 premixed flames was caused by incomplete reaction due to insufficient reaction time, indicating that the effective Lewis number was smaller than unity, while the effect of preferential diffusion resulted in energy gain. However, the extinction of rich H2, CH4, CH4+H2, CO+H2, and lean C3H8 premixed flames was affected by the combined effects of preferential diffusion and incomplete reaction indicating that the effective Lewis number was larger than unity. In CO premixed flames, incomplete reaction was dominant in both lean and rich cases due to the effective Lewis number close to unity. The effect of H2 mixing to CO is found to be quite significant as compared to CH4+H2 cases, which can alter the flame behavior of CO flames to that of H2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Energy Systems Research Division, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, Daejeon, 305-343, Korea

    Sang Kyu Choi

  2. Boiler PLM Team, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, Changwon, 642-792, Korea

    Eun-Seong Cho

  3. Clean Combustion Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia

    Sang Kyu Choi & Suk Ho Chung

Authors
  1. Sang Kyu Choi
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  2. Eun-Seong Cho
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  3. Suk Ho Chung
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sang Kyu Choi.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Jeong Park

Sang Kyu Choi received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 2004, and 2010, respectively. Dr. Choi is currently a Senior Researcher in the Environmental and Energy Systems Research Division in Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM). His research interests are in the area of renewable energy, pollutant emission, and numerical simulation.

Eun-Seong Cho received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University in 1996 and 1998, respectively. He then received a Ph.D. from Seoul National University in 2005. He is currently in a Boiler PLM Team in Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction. His research interests are in the area of reduction of pollutant emission (Soot and NOx), and high temperature combustion.

Suk Ho Chung received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1976, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering in 1980 and 1983, respectively from Northwestern University. He is currently the Director of Clean Combustion Research Center and Named Professor of Mechanical Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). His research interests cover combustion fundamentals, pollutant formation, and laser diagnostics.

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Choi, S.K., Cho, ES. & Chung, S.H. Quantification of extinction mechanism in counterflow premixed flames. J Mech Sci Technol 28, 3863–3871 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-0850-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-0850-7

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