Dynamical behavior of small-scale buoyant diffusion flames in externally swirling flows

Abstract

This study computationally investigates small-scale flickering buoyant diffusion flames in externally swirling flows and focuses on identifying and characterizing various distinct dynamical behaviors of the flames. To explore the impact of finite rate chemistry on flame flicker, especially in sufficiently strong swirling flows, a one-step reaction mechanism is utilized for investigation. By adjusting the external swirling flow conditions (the intensity 𝑅 and the inlet angle 𝛼), six flame modes in distinct dynamical behaviors were computationally identified in both physical and phase spaces. These modes, including the flickering flame, oscillating flame, steady flame, lifted flame, spiral flame, and flame with a vortex bubble, were analyzed from the perspective of vortex dynamics. The numerical investigation provides relatively comprehensive information on these flames. Under the weakly swirling condition, the flames retain flickering (the periodic pinch-off of the flame) and are axisymmetric, while the frequency nonlinearly increases with the swirling intensity. A relatively high swirling intensity can cause the disappearance of the flame pinch-off, as the toroidal vortex sheds around either the tip or the downstream of the flame. The flicker vanishes, but the flame retains axisymmetric in a small amplitude oscillation or a steady stay. A sufficiently high swirling intensity causes a small Damköhler number, leading to the lift-off of the flame (the local extinction occurs at the flame base). Under the same swirling intensity but large swirling angles, the asymmetric modes of the spiral and vortex bubble flames were likely to occur. With 𝑅 and 𝛼 increasing, these flames exhibit axisymmetric and asymmetric patterns, and their dynamical behaviors become more complex. To feature the vortical flows in flames, the phase portraits are established based on the velocity information of six positions along the axis of the flame, and the dynamical behaviors of various flames are presented and compared in the phase space. Observing the phase portraits and their differences in distinct modes could help identify the dynamical behaviors of flames and understand complex phenomena.