230

Laminar Nonpremixed Flames

ame thickness is alternately dened as the full width at 25 percent and 75 percent
of the maximum temperature. It is also seen that there is a slight decrease in the
constant value at higher strain rates, up to the state of extension. This is due to
the reduction in the maximum temperature with increasing strain rate (Figure 6.5.4).
This in turn is a consequence of the reduced residence time within the ame, and,
hence, an increased amount of the reactant leakage, indicating departure from the
reaction-sheet behavior.
PROBLEMS

1. Rework the chambered ame problem of Figure 6.1.1 using the coupling function
formulation, allowing for nonunity Lewis numbers for all species.
2. Rework the chambered ame problem of Figure 6.1.1, allowing for a constant
mass ux m = u and constant values of ( DF ) , ( DO)+ , cp and . Derive
and discuss the solution for very small ow rate m.
3. Show that for the chambered ame problem of Figure 6.1.1 with constant mass
ux m = u, the nal results should be identical to the m = 0 case if we identify a new spatial coordinate = (em x 1)/(em 1), which replaces x,
where
m = (u
)/( D).

4. For a second-order ordinary differential equation with linear differential

operator,
a1 (x)

d2 f
df
= a3 (x, f )
+ a2 (x)
2
dx
dx

and with boundaries at (x1 , x2 ), show that the transformation of the independent
variable to
 x
 x2


=
F(x )dx /
F(x )dx
x1

x1

eliminates the rst-order differential such that the transformed equation is

2

 x2
d2 f
1


=
F(x
)dx
[a3 (x, f )/a1 (x)],
d 2
F(x) x1
and the boundaries are now at (0,1). The function F(x) is
  x

a2 (x )
F(x) = exp
.
dx

x1 a1 (x )
Relate this result to Problem 3.
5. In the presence of Soret diffusion, with appropriate simplications the conservation equations for the species i and enthalpy can be expressed as


vYi Di Yi Di T,i Yi lnT = w


vT (/c p ) T = qc w,
where T,i = DT,i /( Di ) and DT,i is the thermal diffusion coefcient. For the
chambered ame problem of Figure 6.1.1, derive expressions for the ame

Problems

231

YF,o

O2
Y F ,o
2

F2
0

FO

FO
x f ,1

FO

YO 2 ,

FO
x f, 2

Figure 6.P.1 Flame structure for Problem 6.

temperature, ame location, and the fuel consumption rate in the limit of
ame-sheet combustion. What can you say about the change in the burning
characteristics in the presence of Soret diffusion when the oxidizer is air, and
the fuel is: (a) hydrogen, and (b) heptane.
6. For the one-dimensional chambered ame problem, let the fuel and oxidizer
gases be respectively represented by F2 and O2 , which undergo a two-step reaction
F2 + O F O + F

F + O2 F O + O

occurring at two distinct innitesimally thin ame fronts as shown in Figure 6.P.1.
Consider initial dissociation of F2 occurs so that both F2 and F exist with known
mass fractions at x = 0. Derive the fuel burning rate f F2 , the ame locations x f,1
and x f,2 , and the ame temperatures Tf,1 and Tf,2 . Assume Le = 1.

7. For the BurkeSchumann ame: (a) Show that if Le O = Le F = Le = 1, the

nonunity Lewis number effect on the species proles and the ame shape is
equivalent to modifying the Pe by a factor Le for the situation of Le = 1.
(b) Show that as Pe , the height of the BurkeSchumann ame scales
with Pe, and that as Pe 0, the height becomes independent of Pe, as shown
in Figure 6.2.1.
8. For the BurkeSchumann ame, the initial condition for the species concentrations, at y = 0, while correct, are not predictive because Yi,o is not the mass
fraction of i, Yi, , in the supply. With the porous plate dening the nozzle exit,
the proper initial condition for the species concentrations should be
vYi (/c p )

Yi
= (v)i ,
y

where (v)i is the mass ux of i in its supply. Solve this problem in the same
manner as that in the text.
The ame also loses heat to the porous plate. Derive an expression for the
heat-loss rate.
9. Solve the BurkeSchumann ame in cylindrical coordinate. Use r and z to represent radial and streamwise coordinates, and rin and rout for the inner and outer
tube radii.

232

Laminar Nonpremixed Flames

10. Show that for Le = 1 systems the relation given by Eq. (6.3.16)
c p (T
To)
Y1,o Y1,

=
1 Y1,o
qv
is geometry independent and holds for the general vaporization problem described by
(vYi DYi ) = 0

(vc p T T) = 0,

subject to the boundary conditions

x = xo :
x = x
:

Y1 = Y1,o,

T = To,

Y1 = Y1,
,

T = T
;

T = f qv ,

f Y1 DY1 = f ;

where 1 is the vaporizing species and xo the location of the vaporizing surface.
From this problem we can also conclude that the wet-bulb temperature To determined in conjunction with the ClausiusClapeyron relation is also a general
result. (Hint: Review Section 5.5.2 on the general result for Tad .)
11. Derive a relation that is analogous to that of Problem 10 but for the case of
nonpremixed burning.
12. This is a variation of the Stefan ow problem treated in Section 6.3. Here the liquid in the container is a low-molecular weight, volatile, alcohol (say methanol)
that tends to absorb water. Hygroscopic chips are placed in the alcohol to absorb the dissolved water such that the water vapor concentration at the alcohol
surface is zero. A moist air with water vapor concentration YW,
breezes over
the container. Because of the high volatility of alcohol, it vaporizes with f A and
also maintains a low temperature To. The water vapor in the air, then, will tend
to condense onto the alcohol surface with a rate fW because of the low To and
the presence of the chips. Determine f A, fW , and T o, where fi = fi /( D/
).
Discuss the conditions determining whether f = f A + fW > or < 0. Assume
Le = 1 for simplicity. This is an interesting heat transfer system in that part of
the heat needed for alcohol vaporization comes from the condensation heat
release of the water vapor.
13. Show that for slow rates of droplet vaporization:
(a) The mass vaporization rate mv is almost independent of the specic heat c p ,
provided Ts is given. Explain why this is so by considering the energy conservation equation.
(b) The effect of nonunity Lewis number (Le) on the liquid temperature To is
equivalent to a modication of the specic heat c p by a factor Le.
14. For a water droplet vaporizing in dry air with T = 372 K and Y1, = 0, what
is the droplet temperature Ts and the nondimensional vaporization rate m v if

Problems

233

the pressure is 1 atm? 5 atm? What is the boiling point at 5 atm? Take qv = 540
cal/gm, c p = 0.3 cal/gm-K, and Wair = 29.

15. A gasoline droplet is inducted at the beginning of the intake stroke into the
cylinder of a four-stroke single-cylinder engine running at 1,000 rpm. The droplet
subsequently vaporizes. Calculate the initial radius of the droplet that can just
achieve complete vaporization at the end of the compression stroke. Assume
for simplicity that the cylinder temperature and pressure remain constant at
1,500 K and 1 atm, respectively, and that the droplet temperature is at its
boiling point of 370 K. Take = 103 gm/cm3 ,
= 0.8 gm/cm3 , D = 1 cm2 /sec,
c p = 0.3 cal/gm-K, and qv = 70 cal/gm.

16. Show that the droplet combustion problem can be reformulated from the very
beginning by dening a scaled temperature T = T (T s q v ) such that T s and
q v do not appear explicitly in the governing equations and boundary conditions.
Then state the entire problem, that is, the governing equations and boundary
conditions, in terms of the new coupling function = T + Y i .
17. Consider a fuel droplet burning in a reactive environment consisting of both an
oxidizing gas and the fuel gas with concentrations YO, and Y F, , respectively.
Assume Y F,  YO, and that the ambient temperature is very low such that
reaction is still conned at a reaction sheet. Derive the burning rate and the
ame size, and discuss their dependence with increasing Y F, .

18. When the reaction rate is not innitely fast, a diffusion ame is broadened and
both fuel and oxidizer will leak through it and remain unreacted. For the droplet
problem this leakage will result in a nite oxidizer concentration at the droplet
surface, Y O,s , contrary to the boundary condition (6.4.27) used to derived the
ame-sheet solution. With increasing leakage the reduction in the burning rate
will eventually lead to ame extinction. Show that for small amount of leakage,
Y O,s  1, the reduction in the burning rate is given by
Y O,s
m
oc m
c
,
q v
where m
oc is the ame-sheet solution.
19. For the stagnation ame studied, show that in the limit of Y O,  1, the ame
is located at

y f 2ln .