1

Non-Premixed (Diffusion) Flames

IIT Kanpur
At critical temperature: wax molecules
(~C31H64) breaks
frees carbon atoms

Incandescence (radiation)

yellowish

1g
yellow
luminous
region

Candle flame

Most burning in blue reaction zone and blue

on surface of flame
region
Chemical reaction time scale <<
diffusion time scale (diffusion is rate
controlling)

Due to natural convection

flame has elongated shape

Wax melts due to heat radiated from the flame

Liquid wax is drawn up the wick by capillary action
Liquid wax on the wick vaporizes by the heat transported (mostly radiation) from flame
Wax vapor diffuses outward to make contact with oxygen diffusing in from surrounding air
Chemical reaction occurs when fuel and oxygen mixes and temperature is high enough

Common Diffusion Flame Configurations

IIT Kanpur
Oxidizer

Oxidizer

Oxidizer
Fuel (vapor)
drop

Fuel
Fuel
Jet diffusion flame

Counter flow diffusion flame

Spherical diffusion flame

Safer
fuel and air are not premixed

Wider range of operation
not restricted by flammability limits
We will focus on laminar flames only

Non-Reacting Jet
IIT Kanpur
Non-reacting laminar fuel jet flowing into infinite reservoir of
quiescent oxidizer
Oxidizer
r

jet
edge

x
potential
core
2R
Fuel

Understand basic flow and diffusional process

No effect of chemical reaction
Circular fuel port, assume uniform (top hat) velocity profile at
tube exit
Initial jet momentum is conserved (jet velocity decreases,
mass flow increases due to entrainment)
mass flow rate

axial (x)


 2   =    
momentum
area
Initial jet fuel mass is conserved

 2   =    ,

jet fuel mass

Assumptions
IIT Kanpur
2D-axisymmetric, steady flow
Constant (uniform) pressure (P)
Constant (uniform) temperature (T)
Same molecular weights for fuel and oxidizer (MWfuel = MWoxidizer)

uniform density ()

Simple binary diffusion of species (diffusivity: DAB or D)

Momentum and species diffusivities are equal or Schmidt number,

Sc = /D = 1
Only radial diffusion (species and momentum) is important, axial
diffusion is neglected

solution valid some distance downstream of nozzle exit

Non-Reacting Jet (Mass Conservation)

( )

 + 

IIT Kanpur

Mass conservation:
( ) ( ) +( ) ( ) = 0
area

( )

( )

( )

 2  +      2  

+  2    2   = 0

divide by (rx), arrange

 
 

 +   = 0

uniform density
 !


  "


+

=0

mass conservation equation

r+r

Area (A):
2rr
2(r+r)x
2rx

Non-Reacting Jet (Species (fuel) Conservation)

Volume (V):
(, )
### 2

IIT Kanpur
 + 

Species conservation (fuel
F)

(, ) (, ) +(, ) (, )
= ### 2
area

##
##
(,
) 2  +   (,
) 2
##
##
+ (,
) 2 (,
) 2 = ### 2

axial:
radial:

##
,

## 

%&
$ %'

##
,
= ##  $

##  $
(##  ) 

%&'
+
% 
= ### 

%&'
%

0, axial diffusion
neglected
&'


  ##  $

axial:

## = 

radial:

## = 

(, )

r

&'


r+r
%&'
% 

(, )

(, )

Area (A):
2rr
2(r+r)x
2rx

 + (##  ) 

Non-Reacting Jet (Species (fuel) Conservation)

IIT Kanpur
%&
  $ %'



 +     $

        = ### 

divide by (rx), arrange
 
 

 

 

  +       $

&'


%&'
% 

 +

= ###

mass flow of F by mass flow of F by mass flow of F by net production of F by

radial convection axial convection radial diffusion
chemical reaction
uniform density and diffusivity, no reaction


&
 '

&'


=0

&
 '


$ 

&
 '

  +    $  

+ 

  "



 !

0, mass conservation


&'


+ 

&'


 

= $   

) = 1 
oxidizer

fuel

&'


Mass conservation
=0

 !


  "


+

  "


+

 !


Species (fuel) conservation equation

=0
=0

Non-Reacting Jet (Axial-Momentum Conservation)

Volume (V):
2

IIT Kanpur

Momentum conservation
(  )    + (  )   
= +,  +,  + - ,  - ,  ./

(  )


(+,)

(- ,)
(  ) g

(- ,)
(  )

(  ) (+,)
 2      2    
+  2  +        2    
= +  2 +  2

+ -  2  +   (- ) 2 2/
Area (A):
2rr
2(r+r)x
2rx

r
divide by (rx), arrange



r+r


  +    =  + +  - /

- = 0
dynamic
viscosity

 !


 "


- = 20

0, neglected
 !


 "


 1"!


 !

 1!!


Non-Reacting Jet (Axial-Momentum Conservation)

Order of magnitude analysis:

IIT Kanpur

2

2

 
 

45 6788

2:








,  

radial-momentum equation

=  /

 

 

  +     =   0

axial-momentum axial-momentum
flow by axial
flow by radial
convection
convection

 !


+   /

viscous force

buoyant force

uniform density and viscosity (no buoyancy)




  +




  =




 !


Mass conservation
 !


kinematic viscosity


 !


+  

 !


  "


+ 

 !





 !


  "


=0

  "


=0

+

 !


0, mass conservation


 !


+ 

 !


 

=   

 !


axial-momentum conservation equation

10

Summary
 !


IIT Kanpur

  "


=0

 

&'


+



&'


+ 

&'


= $   



 !


+ 

 !


 
 

 !


Unknowns:  ,  ,  ,  7;  , 

mass conservation equation

species (fuel) conservation equation
axial-momentum conservation equation
If we divide by  (replace  by  / )
then species and momentum equations
are identical (Sc = /D = 1)

Along jet centerline (r = 0):

 0,  = 0
no source or sink along jet centerline
 !

&'


0,  = 0
0,  = 0

symmetry

Large radius (r
):
 ,  = 0
 ,  = 0

Jet exit (x = 0):

  , 0 = 
  > , 0 = 0

stagnant fluid

  , 0 = , = 1

no fuel

  > , 0 = 0

top hat profile

11

Solution
IIT Kanpur


 !


+ 

 !


 

=   

 !


axial-momentum conservation equation

 2   =    

axial-momentum is constant

Take similarity variable: = @ 

constant







= @  B

A



Stream function: = C
 


 = 

 


 = 



% 
 %  

=    + C = @

+C =@
@ B = @ 
 % 
%

 
 

 %   % A
%
=
=
@
 % 
 % 
 %

%
%

12

Solution
IIT Kanpur
 !


=  @

%

= @ 
 %

   %
@ D B

  %

 %
 %

 %B 
 %B


@ D  B

 %B 
 % B

 %
+
%

=  @

@ D B

 %
 %

%

= @ 
 %

%  %
% %

= @ D B


B


B


 % 
  % 

 %B 
 %B


@ D B



@ D B


 !


= @

 %
 %

+
+

 % 
% 

= @

= @ 

%  % 
% % 

 %B 

%

+
B
%B %


 %
  %

 %
%

@  B

 
 B 

B

A

 %
%

  %
 %


B


= @

%B 

B

= @D

= @ 

 B

%B 
B

%  %
% %
 %
%

A


13

Solution
IIT Kanpur

 !



 !

@E

B
F

%
%

B
= @ F



 !


 %
B
%


 !


%B 

%

@  B
 %

@E

%B 

 %

B
F

 %
%

 %
B
%

@ E

 %B 

%B

@E

 %
%

% %B 
% %B

B
F
B
F

% %B 
% %B

 %B 

%B

% %B 
% %B

 % %
% %

 %B 
B

 %
B
%

14

Solution
IIT Kanpur
 
 


 !

B
= @ D B
B
= @ F

E

A 
 

 
 


A

  %
A r %

@D

%B 

 B

 %

B
%
%

%B 
B

 %
%

%B 

B
%

= @E

 %
%

B
F

B
= @ F

E

B  
D
@  B  

%B 

 
A 

%
%

%B 
B

 %
%

 %
%

%B 

 %

%B %

15

Solution
IIT Kanpur
 %
B
%
%
%

 %
%

 %

 %B 
B

%B 

%
%

%B 

%
%

 %
%

 %
%

axial-momentum conservation equation

integrate
 %

%
%
C
%

=
=

%B 

 %

%
%

%B 

B
%
%

= 0, C = 0,
solution:
B

C=
B



CC # = C # C ##

%
%

= 0, C = 0, C # = 0

=0

 =

H =

@ 


B B



 = @ 

 2   =     = @
@=

DJKL / 
IM
N



G
B B



I

D

16

Flow Field
IIT Kanpur

 =

D KL
OM N
DKL
IMJ

 =
!
! (Q
)

1+

/ 


= ]()

F
PG
B
B


G

H =  
similarity
variable

Centerline velocity (vx(r=0)):

DJKL /  
IM
N

=
! (Q
)
L

 P
0.3754V W

4V =

J LW
N

solution not valid near


nozzle ( < 0.3754V )
W

jet Reynolds number

Decay is more rapid for low Re jets

Jet half-width (r1/2): (radial location

where the jet velocity has decayed
to one-half of centerline value)
Spreading angle (
):

Y/B


= 2.97 4V

[=

Y/B
\7;P 

P

Low Re jets are wider

17

Species Field
IIT Kanpur

&'
&' (Q
)

As: Sc = 1
YF and vx/ve are same

= ]()

 =

D ^'
OM _

` =  

1+

volumetric flowrate of fuel

similarity
variable

Centerline fuel mass

(vx(r=0)):

 P
0.3754V W

 ( = 0) =

solution not valid


near nozzle: (W <
0.3754V )

Decay is more rapid for low Re jets

Jet half-width (r1/2): (radial location
where the fuel mass fraction has
decayed to one-half of centerline value)
Spreading angle (
):

Y/B


= 2.97 4V

P

Low Re jets are wider

[=

Y/B
\7;P 

18

Species Field
IIT Kanpur

Jet decay

19

Jet
IIT Kanpur