Effect of interactions on impingement heat transfer in odd and even element linear arrays of co-axial flames.

Experimental and numerical study of linear arrays of co-axial flames impinging on a flat quartz plate have been performed and interactions and heat transfer characteristics are analyzed. High resolution inverse heat conduction procedure (IHCP) has been employed for determining local heat flux distribution. Strong interactions developed amidst adjacent flames led to asymmetric interactions. Combustion simulations revealed differences in the flow structures of four and five element arrays. Asymmetric interactions resulted in bending of all of the inner flames in four element array whereas central inner flame remains undeflected in five element array. Same has also been observed for six and seven element arrays too. Tilted columnar flows have been identified in even as well as odd numbered linear array of co-axial flames. These tilted flow structures resulted in distortion of recirculation zones (RCZ) of all the flames. Impingement heat flux contours are studied for various impingement spacings (H/D h = 3, 5 and 7). At smallest impingement spacing, these contour maps revealed footprints corresponding to central inner flame due to symmetrical interactions. Thermal efficiency and heat transfer uniformity of four element array has been observed to be higher than five element array at all impingement spacings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]