Prediction and Validation of Blowout Limits of Co-Flowing Jet Diffusion Flames—Effect of Dilution

Abstract

The blowout limits of a co-flowing turbulent methane jet diffusion flame with addition of diluent in either jet fuel or surrounding air stream is studied both analytically and experimentally. Helium, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide were employed as the diluents. Experiments indicated that an addition of diluents to the jet fuel or surrounding air stream decreased the stability limit of the jet diffusion flames. The strongest effect was observed with carbon dioxide as the diluent followed by nitrogen and then by helium. A model of extinction based on recognized criterion of the mixing time scale to characteristic combustion time scale ratio using experimentally derived correlations is proposed. It is capable of predicting the large reduction of the jet blowout velocity due to a relatively small increase in the co-flow stream velocity along with an increase in the concentration of diluent in either the jet fuel or surrounding air stream. Experiments were carried out to validate the model. The predicted blowout velocities of turbulent jet diffusion flames obtained using this model are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data.