Quasi-steady flames on an envolving atmosphere (Q1072396)

By setting up equations for the differences between local values of temperature and concentration, and values appropriate to a spatially uniform, but temporally evolving, reactive atmosphere, the propagation of a plane quasi-steady combustion wave (flame) can be studied in an unbounded atmosphere. Confining attention (arbitrarily) at this stage to waves of low speed, comparable with generally accepted thermal flame- speed values, it is found that a continuous spectrum of quasi-steady wave speeds is possible. The structures of these waves are dependent on their speed, and are similar to the ones recently found for half-space burner flames. The actual speed of wave propagation in any particular case must depend upon details of the larger disturbance field into which the quasi- steady flame must fit, with obvious implications for flame acceleration and related matters.