Limit of equivalence ratio on mixing enhancement near the tube exit in a tone excited rich flame

Abstract

An experimental investigation has been made with the objective of studying the limit of equivalent ratio (phi) on mixing enhancement in a tone excited jet rich flame. The jet is pulsed by means of a loudspeaker-driven cavity and experiments are limited to very rich flames(phi > 1 . 5). The excitation frequency is chosen for the resonant frequency identified as a pipe resonance due to acoustic excitation. Methane, propane and butane are used to examine the effect of mixture property on the limit of equivalence ratio. Mixing is always enhanced in a methane/air flame as the excitation intensity increases. In the case of propane/air and butane/air flames, mixing enhancement can be obtained only when the equivalence ratio lies in the range from a certain value (the equivalence ratio limit) to infinity (non-premixed flame), irrespective of mean mixture velocities. It is also found that the equivalence ratio limit is related to flame instability; the lower the Lewis number, the higher the equivalence ratio limit. As the excitation intensity increases, dame separation occurs below the equivalence ratio limit; an inner (premixed) flame is transformed into a cellular flame which then moves upstream, but the height of an outer (non-premixed) flame is not decreased. Acoustic pressure measurements using a microphone are made to quantify the oscillating velocity. The oscillating velocity amplitude at the cellular flame position is proportional only to mean mixture velocity regardless of fuel type. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.