A numerical/experimental study of the dynamic structure of a buoyant jet diffusion flame (Q1331366)

An overview of a joint numerical/experimental investigation of the dynamic structure of a low-speed buoyant jet diffusion flame is presented. The dynamic interactions between the flame surface and the surrounding fluid mechanical structures are studied by means of a direct numerical simulation closely coordinated with experiments. The numerical simulation employs the full compressible axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations coupled with a flame sheet model. Counterrotating vortex structures both internal and external to the flame surface are seen to move upward along with flame sheet bulges. These buoyancy-driven dynamic features compare well with those observed experimentally by means of phase-locked flow visualizations over entire flame-flickering cycles.