• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.399-408
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• 2010

The characteristics of lifted laminar propane flames diluted with nitrogen have been investigated experimentally to elucidate self-excitation and the effects of flame curvature. Flame oscillation modes are classified as follows: oscillation induced by heat loss, a combination of oscillations induced by heat loss and buoyancy, and a combination of the oscillations induced by heat loss and diffusive thermal instability. It is shown that the oscillation induced only by heat loss is not relevant to the diffusive thermal instability and hydrodynamic instability caused by buoyancy; this oscillation is observed under all lift-off flame conditions irrespective of the fuel Lewis number. These experimental evidences are displayed through the analysis of the power spectrum for the temporal variation of lift-off height. The possible mechanism of the oscillation induced by heat loss is also discussed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.309-319
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• 2011

We experimentally investigated lifted propane jet flames diluted with nitrogen to obtain flame-stability maps based on heat-loss-induced self-excitation. We found that heat-loss-induced self-excitations are caused by conductive heat loss from premixed flame branches to trailing diffusion flames as well as soot radiation. The conductive-heat-loss-induced self-excitation at frequencies less than 0.1 Hz is explained well by a suggested mechanism, whereas the oscillation of the soot region induces a self-excitation of lift-off height of the order of 0.1 Hz. The suggested mechanism is also verified from additive experiments in a room at constant temperature and humidity. The heat-loss-induced self-excitation is explained by the Strouhal numbers as a function of the relevant parameters.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2012

Laminar lifted propane coflow-jet flames diluted with nitrogen were experimentally investigated to determine heat-loss-related self-excitation regimes in the flame stability map and elucidate the individual flame characteristics. There exists a critical lift-off height over which flame-stabilizing effect becomes minor, thereby causing a normal heat-loss-induced self-excitation with O(0.01 Hz). Air-coflowing can suppress the normal heat-loss-induced self-excitation through increase of a Peclet number; meanwhile it can enhance the normal heat-lossinduced self-excitation through reducing fuel concentration gradient and thereby decreasing the reaction rate of trailing diffusion flame. Below the critical lift-off height. the effect of flame stabilization is superior, leading to a coflow-modulated heat-loss-induced self-excitation with O(0.001 Hz). Over the critical lift-off height, the effect of reducing fuel concentration gradient is pronounced, so that the normal heat-loss-induced self-excitation is restored. A newly found prompt self-excitation, observed prior to a heat-loss-induced flame blowout, is discussed. Heat-loss-related self-excitations, obtained laminar lifted propane coflow-jet flames diluted with nitrogen, were characterized by the functional dependency of Strouhal number on related parameters. The critical lift-off height was also reasonably characterized by Peclet number and fuel mole fraction.