Analytical and Computational Study of Flame Acceleration in Tubes: Effect of Wall Friction

Premixed flame acceleration is especially strong in the case of flame propagation in tubes or channels. Being a reasonably simple configuration to investigate fundamental flame properties, combustion tubes have numerous practical applications such as safety issues in mines, subways and power plants. This work is devoted to the analytical formulation and computational simulations of premixed flame acceleration induced by wall friction in tubes/channels. Specifically, the evolution of the flame dynamics and morphology is determined, and the main characteristics of the flame acceleration such as the flame shape and propagation speed, the acceleration rate as well as the combustion-generated velocity profile in the fresh premixture are quantified. It is shown that the flame acceleration is promoted with the increase in the thermal expansion in the burning process, whereas it weakens with the increase in the Reynolds number. The intrinsic accuracy and the limitations of the analytical theory are determined and validated by means of direct numerical simulations. Computational and analytical results are compared with recent experiments, and the numerical simulations bridge a certain gap between the experimental measurements and analytical formulations.

Name thesis:degree_name

MS

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2013

Author dc:creator

• Demirgok, Berk

Contributors dc:contributor

• Vyacheslav Akkerman
• Ismail B. Celik
• Hailin Li
• Scott W. Wayne

• Mechanical engineering

Identifier

https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/301

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-1304