Propagation and Extinction of a Cylindrical Premixed Flame Undergoing Equivalence Ratio Fluctuation Near the Lean Limit

Abstract

Experimental study was made to investigate the propagation and extinction characteristics of a stretched cylindrical flame undergoing periodic fluctuation of equivalence ratio near the lean limit. With a lean methane-air and a lean propane-air mixture, burning velocity, flame luminosity and flame stretch rate were measured or evaluated for the fluctuation frequencies of 5Hz and 20Hz. The results were summarized as follows: (1) In some part of a period, burning velocity and flame luminosity of the dynamic flame near the lean limit were possible to become lower than those at the lean flammability limit of the static flame. (2) At the high frequency of 20Hz, the burning velocity took a negative value in a certain time range. In spite of this loss of propagation ability, the flame was not extinguished but sustained, indicating the recovery of the flame intensity due to the dynamic effect of fluctuating flame. (3) Flame recovery phenomenon could occur more easily for the methane flame which was strengthened by the Lewis number effect than the propane flame which was weakened by that effect.

Keywords

• premixed combustion
• flammability limit
• extinction
• equivalence ratio fluctuation
• cylindrical flame
• burning velocity
• flame luminosity