Unsteady Features of Laminar Spray Flames
Experimental studies of laminar spray flames under certain steady operating conditions have revealed unsteady combustion features that are a direct result of the presence of the collection of droplets comprising the spray. The unsteadiness is absent if equivalent gas flames are under consideration, and, consequently, steady state combustion ensues. Furthermore, under unsteady operating conditions sprays of droplets can exhibit special behavior that can potentially have an influence on combustion characteristics. These spray induced phenomena may lead to flame instability and/or extinction. Some of the pertinent material from the literature will be surveyed and past and ongoing mathematical/numerical modeling affording an insight into the underlying mechanisms at work will be discussed.
J. Barry Greenberg, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Israel