Effects of the Magnitude and Direction of Gravity on the Structure and Morphology of Non-premixed Methane/air jet Flames
摘要
Previous investigations have demonstrated that gravity has a significant impact on laminar jet flames. While significant progress has been made, the effects of the magnitude and direction of gravity on laminar jet diffusion flames remain poorly understood. To this end, a series of laminar non-premixed methane/air jet flame simulations is conducted in this work, considering zero gravity, normal gravity, and supergravity in both positive and negative directions relative to the direction of the fuel jet inlet. The results indicate that both flame height and flame width decrease as the magnitude of gravity increases. Analysis of heat release rate and elemental reactions reveals that supergravity can enhance local reaction rates and heat release. The influence of gravity on the flames is further examined in the mixture fraction space. It is found that increasing the magnitude of gravity decreases the mixing time scale, resulting in some oxygen penetrating through the flame front into the interior of the flame. Furthermore, the results show that gravity primarily affects the radial (axial) direction of the jet flame under normal (negative) gravity conditions.