Proceedings of PowerMEMS 2008+ microEMS2008, Sendai, Japan, November 9-12, (2008)

PREMIXED FLAME PROPAGATION CONSIDERING RADIATIVE HEAT

TRANSFER IN NANO LYCOPODIUM PARTICLES

M.Bidabadi, S.Montazerinejad, A.Rahbari

Department of Mechanical Engineering; Iran University of Science and Technology;
Combustion Research Laboratory

Abstract: In order to better understand the combustion phenomenon of the nano organic dusts, it is needed to
perform some experimental investigations and present some numerical and asymptotic models according to
the empirical correlations. In order to investigate the structure of the premixed flames in the combustible
systems, containing uniformly distributed volatile fuel particle, in an oxidizing gas mixture, it is assumed that
the nano fuel particles vaporize first to yield a gaseous fuel of known chemical structure, which is
subsequently oxidized in the gas phase. In this research, a mathematical model for the combustion process of
nano organic dusts is presented and solved by using the appropriate asymptotic model. This model is based on
the common assumptions in the dust combustion and the crucial impact of radiation on the combustion
phenomenon. Consequently, the impression of radiative term on the burning velocity and flame temperature
has been presented in nano scale. It must be said that considering the radiative term results to increase in the
amount of burning velocity and flame temperature.

Key words: Radiation, Burning Velocity, Nano Lycopodium Particles, Mathematical Model , Flame Temperature

1. INTRODUCTION Han et al. [7, 8] observed some downward

propagating flames in the lycopodium particle behind
Knowledge of organic dust particles combustion the upward propagating flame.
needs to be improved and developed both in In this paper, the structure of premixed flames
experimental and theoretical approach due to its propagating in a uniform cloud of fuel particles is
importance in science and engineering specially in considered. A general treatment of flame propagation
critical issues of fuel and energy and explosion hazard. supported by volatile fuel particulates should consider
Combustion of cloud particles due to complexity of its both radiative and molecular transport mechanisms.
mechanism is relatively underdeveloped in compare Hence, the radiation term is added and its effects on
with homogenous combustion. . Thus, it is necessary the combustion of fine lycopodium particles are
to utilize a model which can be simple and can be investigated. Radiative heat transfer plays an important
readily verified. The theory of flame propagation in role in the flame propagation. Consequently, this
uniformly dispersed, quiescent, gravity free, particle analysis shows that radiative heat transfer is significant
clouds has been developing for decades [1-3]. Many in the burning velocity.
aspects of these theoretical models closely parallel
those for premixed gaseous systems. Uniform 2. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
dispersion of particulates is generally assumed in these The analysis is performed in the asymptotic
models. Some researches have been carried out approach, where the value of the characteristic
according the crucial impact of modeling the dust Zeldovich number, based on the gas phase oxidization
particles. To investigate the burning velocity of of the gaseous fuel is large and for rich mixture of fuel.
laminar flames of lycopodium Kaesche-krische and The flame structure consists of a broad preheat-
Zehr [4] fed lycopodium into the lower end of a vaporization zone < y < 0 in this zone, Z e is
vertical 2 cm diameter tube. Mason and Wilson [5],
considered to be large so chemical reaction between
who also studied the burning velocity of stationary
the gaseous fuel and oxidizer is negligible. And a thin
flames of lycopodium. A valuable model of the
lycopodium particles combustion was developed by reaction zone 0 < y < 0 + , and a broad convection
Seshadri et al. [1] with approximations introduced zone 0 + < y < + .
were that heat transfer by radiation was neglected.
Proust [6] described other experimental studies of
3. GOVERNING EQUATION
laminar burning velocities and maximum flame
The general equation of radiation transfer is:
temperature in clouds of starch, lycopodium and
sulfur in air.

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 Proceedings of PowerMEMS 2008+ microEMS2008, Sendai, Japan, November 9-12, (2008)

dI Ks (1) 4. NONDIMENSIONALIZATION OF
= +Ka I + K s I K a I b I ( )P( , )d GOVERNING EQUATIONS
dx 4 4
The nondimensional parameters are as follow:
The terms on the right of equation (1) are radiation T Tu Ts Tu Y
intensity caused by absorption, scattering, emission = , s = , yf = F
T f Tu T f Tu YFC
and incoming scattering brought by other particles
respectively. K s , K a and I are scattering coefficient, C (10)
m= ,z = u u
x
absorption coefficient and radiation intensity u u u

respectively. P ( , ) is phasic function of scattering. The quantity YFC is described as:

The absorption coefficient may be related to the C
YFC = (T Tu ) (11)
particles size (of diameter d p ) and to particles density Q
f

(by number n p ); it as supposed that the fraction Where u is the burning velocity in the above
absorption of monotropic radiation passing through a equation. So if these parameters are introduced in
very thin element of the cloud is the ratio of project equations (6) , (7) , (8) , (11), the following equations
solid area of particles to the total area of the containing can be rewritten:
element. Therefore for the absorption coefficient of CZ
gas and particle the following expressions can be d d2 B Vu (12)
written: m = 2 + u
+ e q ys2 / 3 n

dz dz Vu2
The absorption coefficient for gas:
dy F d 2 y F (13)
K ag =
1
Ln(1 ) (2) m = u
+ ys
2/3
( )n
g dz dz 2
The absorption coefficient for particle: dy
m s = ys ( )n (14)
2/3
3 (3) dz
K a = Qa
2 d
p p The above equation ys is described as
And if the scattering of light is done only by 4 r ns 3
ys =
(3 YFC )
. Some parameters such as
s
particles then, it concludes to:
3 (4)
K s = Qs , , q, K , Le are defined as:
2 pd p
For low Mach number flow and by considering the wF 4.836 Anu
1
3
u (T f Tu )
= u
, =
role of radiation as a mechanism of dust flame ( u vu ) CY FC
2
vu
2 4
3 CYFC
1
3
2
3

propagation, governing equations can be written as

u s
(15)
Q
follows: q= v , = b Pe 2
, Le = u

Mass conservation Q u CDu

v = const (5) It is assumed that chemical reaction between the
gaseous fuel and oxidizer in the reaction zone is
Energy conservation
negligible. Therefore this assumption is considered in
dT d 2T
vC = u + wF u
Q w u
Q the energy equation and the following expression for
dx dx 2 (6) the nondimensionalized temperature is derived:
+ u
K a I f exp(K t x ) B / Vu2
0
= 1+ 2 2
eZ
Gaseous fuel conservation (C / Vu ) (C / Vu )
(16)
dY d 2 YF (7) B / Vu2
CZ
v F = u Du wF u
+w u
e Vu
dx dx 2 2 2
(C / Vu ) (C / Vu )
The equation governing the mass fraction of the Where parameters C , B are described as follow:
particles neglecting diffusion can be written as:
dYs Ka I f u (17)
= w u (8) B = 2
dx u C (T f Tu )
Equation of state: Kt (18)
T = const (9) C = u

u C

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 Proceedings of PowerMEMS 2008+ microEMS2008, Sendai, Japan, November 9-12, (2008)

Using equation (16), boundary condition in the Figures (3) and (4) present the effect of radiative
reaction zone 0 < z < 0 + is defined as: heat transfer in preheat zone on burning velocity and
flame temperature respectively. Figure (5) illustrates
d xC
= (1 + x ) (19) the comparison between the obtained results for two
dz z 0 Vu cases: considering the effect of radiative heat transfer
Substituting the nondimensionalized temperature in the preheat zone and without considering the heat
expression, solving equation (14), integrating equation (13) radiation. As perceived, decreasing the radius values
from in the limit z = to z = 0 and satisfying the into nano scales results to increase the rate of burning
matching conditions in the limits z = 0 to z = 0
+
yield: velocity and also it is observed that by considering the
radiative term in preheat zone, the value of burning
3 Vu a x (1 + x)
2 2
3Vu a x (1 + x )
2 2
4axVu (1 + x) 1/ 3
velocity rises in comparison with the case in which the
+ +
2C + Vu 2Vu + C Vu + C radiation term is neglected.
( ) (20) Figure (6) shows the variation of flame
2/3
a 2 x 3Vu
((1 + x ) 2/3
) Vu x
+ 1 / 3(1 + x ) a 2
3
temperature as a function of equivalence ratio for
C 3C
different radiuses for two cases determined above. As
(a(1 + x ) ) ax 2 1/ 3
2 Vu xC
1/ 3
(1 + x ) + =0 seen in this figure, the flame temperature shoots up by
C Vu
increasing the radius values from 250 nm to 100 µm.
Also this figure elucidates that the higher flame
5. BURNING VELOCITY temperature is gained when the radiation term is
Consequently solving the energy equation in the included in the preheat zone. It must be said that some
flame zone, where the rate of heat vaporization of fuel radiative energy from post flame zone is added to the
particles is presumed to be zero, and considering the preheat zone and this matter causes to increase the
boundary condition in the interface, z 0 , temperature in the preheat zone which in turn increases
+ the burning velocity.
z 0 culminate in burning velocity correlation as;
E

2 (b + 1 ) 2 RT
B B e f
(21)
Vu = + f u

C u C
If the effect of heat vaporization of fuel particles is
considered in the burning velocity equation, then the
burning velocity equation is followed by:
qZ e
(22)
Vv = Vu e 2

The obtained equations are extracted in order to

demonstrate the effect of radiative heat transfer on the
important parameters of combustion phenomenon in
the organic dust and finally these equations are utilized Fig, 1: The variation of burning velocity
and plotted as a function of equivalence ration in the with equivalence ratio
following figures.

6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figure (1) shows the variation of burning velocity
with equivalence ratio while the effect of radiative heat
transfer isn’t considered in the preheat zone. As seen
in this figure, decreasing the radius of the particle into
the nano scale leads to increasing in the burning
velocity quantity. Figure (2) illustrates the calculated
value for adiabatic and flame temperature as a function
of equivalence ratio for different radius of particle
without the influence of radiation. Similarly, the same
trend can be seen for flame temperature which means
that the value of burning velocity for nano particles is Fig. 2: The variation of flame temperature
more than micro particles. with equivalence ratio

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 Proceedings of PowerMEMS 2008+ microEMS2008, Sendai, Japan, November 9-12, (2008)

7. CONCLUSION
This article concentrates on the effect of radiative
heat transfer on the combustion characteristics of
organic dust particles. Lycopodium particles are used
in this research as a reference organic fuel which has a
great flammability. In order to clarify this effect, firstly
the flame structure is obtained. Then the governing
equations and boundary conditions for each zone are
extracted and consequently the novel analytical
approach is utilized for solving these equations. From
this investigation, following conclusions are derived:
1. The value of burning velocity in nano particles is
Fig. 3: The variation of burning velocity much higher than micro particles.
with radiation in preheat zone 2. Flame temperature dramatically increases while the
radius of particle decreases.
3. Considering the radiative heat transfer culminates to
increase in the amount of burning velocity.
4. The higher flame temperature is observed while the
radiation effect is taken into account.

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