Electrical perturbation of cellular premixed propane / air flames

• Published in: Combustion and flame 1994-06, Vol.97 (3), p.435-439
• Main Authors: Maupin, Christine L., Harris, Harold H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 03 NATURAL GAS; 034000 - Natural Gas- Combustion; ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY; ALKANES; Applied sciences; CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS; COMBUSTION KINETICS; Combustion of gaseous fuels; Combustion. Flame; DEFORMATION; ELECTRIC FIELDS; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; FLAMES; HYDROCARBONS; KINETICS; MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICES; MAGNETIC TAPES; MEMORY DEVICES; MORPHOLOGY; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PROPANE; REACTION KINETICS; SPECTROSCOPY; Theoretical studies. Data and constants. Metering; VIDEO TAPES
• ISSN: 0010-2180; 1556-2921
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-2180(94)90034-5

The phenomenon originally called polyhedral flame structure was first reported 100 years ago. Subsequent investigations showed that polyhedral structure was only one example of a more general phenomenon known now as cellular flame structure, and the range of combustion mixtures that produce them has been broadened to include lean mixtures of H[sub 2]/air, lean H[sub 2]/Br[sub 2], and rich mixtures of hydrocarbons from ethylene to octane with air. Of particular interest to the authors is the role of charged species in flames, and especially in flames that exhibit cellular structure. The electrical aspects of combustion has a long and distinguished history and this subject has been the subject of a classic monograph by Lawton and Weinberg. Electrical perturbation has been reported to affect the temperature of flames, to stabilize them at high flow rates and, in the absence of gravity, to change the speed of flame propagation, and to affect the amount of soot produced. The authors report here that premixed propane/air flames exhibiting cellular structure are quite susceptible to perturbation by electric fields. Since only charged species in the flame would be affected by the potential, and a small current would not modify transport properties of neutral species appreciably, this observation suggests that studies of this type may be useful in helping to further elucidate the role of charged species in flames.