Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Flow characterization of diffusion flame oscillations using particle image velocimetry

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Experiments in Fluids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure velocity fields inside and around oscillating methane-air diffusion flames with a slot fuel orifice. PIV provided velocity and directional information of the flow field comprised of both the flame and air. From this, information on flow paths of entrained air into the flame were obtained and visualized. These show that at low fuel flow rates for which the oscillations were strongest, the responsible mechanism for the oscillating flow appeared to be the repetitive occurrence of flame quenching. PIV findings indicated that quenching appears to be associated primarily with air entrainment. Velocity was found to be considerably larger in regions where quenching occurred. The shedding of vortices in the shear layer occurs immediately outside the boundary of the flame envelope and was speculated to be the primary driving force for air entrainment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arai M, Sato H, Amagai K (1999) Gravity effects on stability and flickering motion of diffusion flames. Combust Flame 118:293–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azzoni R, Ratti S, Puri IK, Aggarwal SK (1999) Gravity effects on triple flames: flame structure and flow instability. Phys Fluids 11:3449–3464

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Bahadori MY, Zhou L, Stocker DP, Hegde U (2001) Functional dependence of flame flicker on gravitational level. AIAA J 39:1404–1406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckmaster J, Peters N (1986) The infinite candle and its stability: a paradigm for flickering diffusion flames, 21st international symposium on combustion. The Combustion Institute, Pittsburg, pp 1829–1836

  • Friedlander S (2000) Smoke, dust and haze, Oxford University Press, New York, p 50

  • Fristrom RM (1995) Flame structure and processes. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaydon AG, Wolfhard HG (1970) Flames, their structure, radiation, and temperature. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Gotoda H, Ueda T, Shepherd IG, Cheng RK (2007) Flame flickering frequency on a rotating Bunsen burner. Chem Eng Sci 62:1753–1759

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutmark E, Parr TP, Hanson-Parr DM, Schadow KC (1990) Coherent and random structure in reacting jets. Exp Fluids 10:147–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamins A, Yang JC, Kashiwagi T (1992) Experimental investigation of the pulsation frequency of flames. 24th international symposium on combustion, pp 1695–1702

  • Huang Y, Yan Y, Lu G, Reed A (1999) On-line flicker measurement of gaseous flames by image processing and spectral analysis. Meas Sci Technol 10:726–733

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katta VR, Roquemore WM (1993) Role of inner and outer structures in transitional jet diffusion flame. Combust Flame 92:274–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katta VR, Goss LP, Roquemore WM (1994) Effect of nonunity Lewis numbers and finite-rate chemistry on the dynamics of a hydrogen-air jet diffusion flame. Combust Flame 96:60–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lingens A, Reeker M, Schreiber M (1996) Instability of buoyant diffusion flames. Exp Fluids 20:241–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melling A (1997) Tracer particles and seeding for particle image velocimetry. Meas Sci Technol 8:1406–1416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papadopoulos G, Bryant RA, Pitts WM (2002) Flow Characterization of flickering methane/air diffusion flames using particle image velocimetry. Exp Fluids 33:472–481

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato H, Amagai K, Arai M (2000) Diffusion flames and their flickering motions related with Froude numbers under various gravity levels. Combust Flame 123:107–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stella A, Guj G, Kompenhans J, Raffel M, Richard H (2001) Application of particle image velocimetry to combusting flows: design considerations and uncertainty assessment. Exp Fluids 30:167–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi F, Linteris G, Katta V (2007) Vortex-coupled oscillations of edge diffusion flames in coflowing air with dilution. Proc Combust Inst 31:1575–1582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz N, Donaldson AB, Lucero RE (2008) Experimental study of diffusion flame oscillations and empirical correlations. Int J Energy Convers Manage 49:3287–3291

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Sandia National Laboratories under Purchase Order 380387. Support by Dr. James Allen with regard to equipment access, and technical advice on data acquisition and data reduction methodology for this study is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, 87801, USA

    Nadir Yilmaz

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA

    Ralph E. Lucero

  3. Sandia National Laboratories, Fire Sciences and Technologies, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA

    A. Burl Donaldson & Walt Gill

Authors
  1. Nadir Yilmaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ralph E. Lucero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Burl Donaldson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Walt Gill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nadir Yilmaz.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yilmaz, N., Lucero, R.E., Donaldson, A.B. et al. Flow characterization of diffusion flame oscillations using particle image velocimetry. Exp Fluids 46, 737–746 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-008-0605-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-008-0605-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation