High Resolution Measurements of Mixing and Reaction Processes in Turbulent Flows

Abstract

High resolution multi-dimensional imaging measurements were reported of the detailed structure of mixing and combustion processes in turbulent flows. These measurements are unique because they provide the first fully-resolved quantitative data on scalar dissipation rate field structure in turbulent reacting flows. These molecular mixing rate data were coupled with a two- parameter non-equilibrium reaction chemistry formulation to generate instantaneous maps of combustion species concentration and reaction rate fields in turbulent flames under varying degrees of chemical non-equilibrium. Results showed that the reaction zone structure transitioned smoothly from a thin layer- like structure to broad distributed reaction zones as the flame extinction limit was approached. Additionally, fully-resolved four-dimensional spatio-temporal imaging measurements were used to measure the larger scale topology of these scalar dissipation layers. Results showed that the distribution of layer separations is very nearly lognormal. This finding verified a recent analytical model of the multiplicative character of the repeated stretching and folding processes leading to this layer-like structure in the scalar dissipation fields in turbulent flows. This model, coupled with this two-parameter non-equilibrium reaction chemistry formulation, provides a simple approach for predicting the fine structure of molecular mixing and non-equilibrium reaction chemistry in turbulent combustion.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 10, 1992
Accession Number
ADA259952

Entities

People

  • Werner J. Dahm

Organizations

  • University of Michigan

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Reactions
  • Chemistry
  • Combustion
  • Engineering
  • Far Field
  • Flow
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Flow
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • High Resolution
  • Laser Induced Fluorescence
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Reynolds Number
  • Turbulence
  • Turbulent Diffusion
  • Turbulent Flow
  • Turbulent Mixing

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry
  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.