Basic study on lift-off characteristics of non-premixed flames of methane-air jet in a tube

Abstract

Flame lift-off conditions determine the operating conditions of burners. It is known that a flame can be lifted when the Schmidt number (Sc), which is the ratio of the dynamic viscosity to the mass diffusivity, is greater than unity. In this study, the flame lift-off characteristics of non-premixed flames of propane (Sc > 1) and methane (Sc < 1) in a coaxial outer air tube were experimentally compared. The experimental results indicated that stable lifted flames could be obtained even when Sc < 1 in a confined air tube. On the basis of the results of a simple numerical analysis, it was confirmed that a new flame stabilization mechanism exists in the tube. A velocity field is preferentially developed upstream of the flame, and it results in a new stabilization condition. This result can be very useful in explaining the stabilization of the flames of ordinary burners in which a flame is produced in a confined space. © 2011 The Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers.