An Experimental Investigation of Flame Propagation Downstream of a Cylindrical Flameholder

Citation

Satre, Robert Scott (1959) An Experimental Investigation of Flame Propagation Downstream of a Cylindrical Flameholder. Engineer's thesis, California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/6BCM-YC54. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-01052006-153127

Abstract

Flame propagation downstream of a 1/8 inch circular cylindric flameholder was studied experimentally. The effects on flame spreading of the fuel-air mixture velocity and such chemical parameters as fuel-air ratio, mixture temperature, and fuel composition were determined. Combustion wake widths were determined from measurement of spark Schlieren photographs. The data indicate that flow was laminar up to a critical velocity corresponding to a Reynolds number of 0.9 x 10^4, and turbulent for super critical velocities. The experiments were restricted to the turbulent flow regime. In this regime, the wake width was velocity independent and fuel-air ratio had only a slight effect. There was a small, and nearly linear, decrease in wake width as the temperature was increased. The effect substitution of hydrogen gas for hydrocarbon fuel revealed that turbulent wake spreading was independent of fuel composition. Comparison of the experimental results with theoretical treatments of flame spreading showed that none of the existing theories was satisfactory.

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