• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.48-60
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• 2016

Experimental and numerical studies were conducted to investigate flame behaviors near flammable limits for downstream-interacting SNG-air premixed flames in a counter-flow configuration. The SNG fuel consisted of a methane, a propane, and a hydrogen with volumetric ratios of 91, 6, and 3%, respectively. The most appropriate priority for some reliable reaction mechanisms examined was given to the mechanism of UC San diego via comparison of lean extinction limits attained numerically with experimental ones. Flame stability map was presented with a functional dependencies of lower and upper methane concentrations in terms of global strain rate. The results show that, at the global strain rate of $30s^{-1}$, lean extinction boundary is slanted while rich extinction one is relatively less inclined because of the dependency of such extinction boundary shapes on deficient reactant Lewis number governed by methane mainly. Further increase of global strain rate forces both extinction boundaries to be more slanted and to be shrunk, resulting in an island of extinction boundary and subsequently one flame extinction limit. Extinction mechanisms for lean and rich, symmetric and asymmetric extinction boundary were identified and discussed via heat losses and chemical interaction.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.3286-3297
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• 2021

The released hydrogen can be ignited even with weak ignition sources. This emphasizes the importance of the hydrogen flammability evaluation to prevent catastrophic failure in hydrogen related facilities including a nuclear power plant. Historically numerous attempts have been made to determine the flammability limit of hydrogen mixtures including several diluents. However, no analytical model has been developed to accurately predict the limit concentration for mixtures containing radiating gases. In this study, the effect of H₂O and CO₂ on flammability limit was investigated through a numerical simulation of lean limit hydrogen flames. The previous flammability limit model was improved based on the mechanistic investigation, with which the amount of indirect radiation heat loss could be estimated by the optically thin approximation. As a result, the sharp increase in limit concentration by H₂O could be explained by high thermal diffusivity and radiation rate. Despite the high radiation rate, however, CO₂ with the lower thermal diffusivity than the threshold cannot produce a noticeable increase in heat loss and ultimately limit concentration. We concluded that the proposed mechanistic analysis successfully explained the experimental results even including radiating gases. The accuracy of the improved model was verified through several flammability experiments for H₂-air-diluent.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.93-101
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• 2003

The extinction of unsteady diffusion flame was experimentally studied in an opposing jet counterflow burner using diluted methane. The stabilized flame was perturbed by linearly varying velocity change that was generated by pistons installed on both sides of the air and fuel stream. As the results, the extinction of unsteady flame is dependent not only on the history of unsteadiness, but also on the initial condition. We found that there are several unsteady effects on the flame extinction. First, the extinction strain rates of unsteady cases are extended well beyond steady state extinction limits. Second, as the slope of the strain rate change increases, the unsteady extinction strain rate becomes larger. Third, the extension of unsteady extinction strain rate becomes smaller as the initial strain rate increases. We also found that the extension of the extinction limit mainly results from the unsteady response of the reaction zone because there is no retardation effect of a mixing layer for our experimental condition.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.195-200
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• 2003

A two-dimensional "twin-jet counterflow" burner has been designed for the better understanding of the stability of turbulent flames. This flow system enables one to systematically investigate various effects on non-premixed flames, including the effects of curvature, negative strain, and non-premixed flame interactions. The objective of this study is comparing characteristics of extinction of non-premixed methane flames with that of non-premixed propane flames investigated previously. The extinction limit of non-premixed methane and propane flames can be extended compare to that for the conventional counterflow non-premixed flame because of the existence of petal shaped flame and have same structure. The hysteresis in transition between the petal shaped flame and the curved two-wing flames could be observed. We could find differences between non-premixed methane flame and non-premixe propane flame such as the position of one wing extinction and the regime of one wing extinction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.33-40
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• 2005

The propagation rates of advancing and retreating non-premixed edge flames in a slot-jet counterflow were measured as a function of strain rate for varying jet spacing, mixture strength, stoichiometric mixture fractions $(Z_{st})$ and Lewis numbers (Le). Methane and propane fuels were tested and nitrogen and carbon dioxide were used as inerts. As results, we could identify igniting fronts, retreating fronts, two total extinction limits, and short-length edge flames. A burner separation affected to a low extinction limit only. Regimes for advancing and retreating edges together with total extinction were mapped in terms of normalized flame thickness and heat loss factor for $CH_4/O_2/N_2$ mixtures. Edge flames for $Z_{st}$ > 0.5 behaved like a stronger mixture while for $Z_{st}$ < 0.5 showed deteriorated feature, because of relative locations of a non-premixed flame and intermediate species such as CO and $H_2$. Furthermore, due to the relative importance of heat loss, propagating speeds of edge flames were significantly enhanced in $CH_4/O_2/CO_2$ mixtures (Le < 1) demonstrating increasing stability limits. However $C_3H_8/O_2/N_2$ mixtures (Le > 1) showed opposite result.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.29 no.9 s.240
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• pp.997-1005
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• 2005

The extinction characteristics of low strain rate normal gravity (1-g) nonpremixed methane-air flames were studied numerically and experimentally. A time-dependent axisymmetric two-dimensional (2D) model considering buoyancy effects and radiative heat transfer was developed to capture the structure and extinction limits of 1-g flames. One-dimensional (1D) computations were also conducted to provide information on 0-g flames. A 3-step global reaction mechanism was used in both the 1D and 2D computations to predict the measured extinction limit and flame temperature. A specific maximum heat release rate was introduced to quantify the local flame strength and to elucidate the extinction mechanism. Overall fractional contribution by each term in the energy equation to the heat release was evaluated to investigate the multi-dimensional structure and radiative extinction of 1-g flames. Images of flames were taken for comparison with the model calculation undergoing extinction. The two-dimensional numerical model was validated by comparing flame temperature profiles and extinction limits with experiments and ID computation results. The 2D computations yielded insight into the extinction mode and flame structure of 1-g flames. Two combustion regimes depending on the extinction mode were identified. Lateral heat loss effects and multi-dimensional flame structure were also found. At low strain rates of 1-g flame ('Regime A'), the flame is extinguished from the weak outer flame edge, which is attributed to multi-dimensional flame structure and flow field. At high strain rates, ('Regime B'), the flame extinction initiates near the flame centerline due to an increased diluent concentration in reaction zone, which is the same as the extinction mode of 1D flame. These two extinction modes could be clearly explained with the specific maximum heat release rate.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.857-864
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• 2012

A linear stability analysis of a diffusion flame with radiation heat loss is performed to identify linearly unstable conditions for the Damk$\ddot{o}$hler number and radiation intensity. We adopt a counterflow diffusion flame with unity Lewis number as a model. Near the kinetic limit extinction regime, the growth rates of disturbances always have real eigenvalues, and a neutral stability condition perfectly falls into the quasi-steady extinction. However, near the radiative limit extinction regime, the eigenvalues are complex, which implies pulsating instability. A stable limit cycle occurs when the temperatures of the pulsating flame exceed the maximum temperature of the steady-state flame with real positive eigenvalues. If the instantaneous temperature of the pulsating flame is below the maximum temperature, the flame cannot recover and goes to extinction. The neutral stability curve of the radiation-induced instability is plotted over a broad range of radiation intensities.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1557-1566
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• 2004

A flame extinction phenomenon is a typical unsteady process in combustion. Flame extinction is characterized by various physical phenomena, such as convection, diffusion, and the production of heat and mass. Flame extinction can be achieved by either increasing the strain rate or curvature, by diluting an inert gas or inhibitor, or by increasing the thermal or radiant energy loss. Though the extinction is an inherently transient process, steady and quasi-steady approaches have been used as useful tools for understanding the flame extinction phenomenon. Recently, unsteady characteristics of flames have been studied by many researchers, and various attempts have been made to understand unsteady flame behavior, by using various extinction processes. Representative parameters for describing flame, such as flame temperature, important species related to reactions, and chemi-luminescence of the flame have been used as criterions of flame extinction. In these works, verification of each parameter and establishing the proper criterions of the extinction has been very important. In this study, a time-dependent flame temperature and an OH radical concentration were measured using optical methods, and the instantaneous change of the flame luminosity was also measured using a high-speed ICCD (HICCD) camera. We compare the unsteady extinction points obtained by three different methods, and we discuss transient characteristics of maximum flame temperature and OH radical distribution near the extinction limit.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.232-240
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• 1986

Extinction characteristics of the two interacting premixed flames are analyzed for the effects of flame stretch and preferential diffusion using large activation energy asymptotic analysis by adopting counterflow system as a model problem. Results show that the flammable limit of the thermally interacting premixed flames is extended compared to the single flame, and the extinction mechanism is classified into weak and strong interactions. As the lewis number of the deficient species increases, the region of strong interaction diminishes which can explain the different characteristics of the extinction boundaries of the lean (rich) methane/air and butane/air flames. The influence of the flame stretch to the interaction boundaries is also studied.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.155-171
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• 1988

We have examined how sensitively the extinction value determined by the method of star-count depends on such factors as the plate limit, the size of counting reseau, the non-linearity in the number distribution of stars with magnitude, and the angular resolution demanded by the given problem. We let the Poisson distribution portray the statistical nature of the countings, and chose the region containing the globule Barnard 361 as an example field. Uncertainties due to various combinations of the factors are presented in graphic forms: (1) Dynamic range in the extinction measurements is evaluated as a function of reseau size for varying plate limits. (2) Statistical errors involved in the star-count are analized in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio, the plate limit and the reseau size. (3) Systematic error due to the non-linearity in the number distribution are thoroughly analized. (4) Finally, a methodology is presented for correcting the systematic error in the observed radial density gradient. These graphs are meant to be used in selecting proper size of the reseau and in estimating errors inherent to the star-count analysis.