The influence of large eddies on the structure of turbulent premixed flames characterized with stereo-PIV and multi-species PLIF at 20 kHz

Interactions between turbulent structures (eddies) and premixed flame fronts were characterized with simultaneous CH2O-/OH-PLIF and stereo-PIV at high framing rate (20 kHz). The high temporal resolution of these measurements permitted the tracking and subsequent characterization of the evolution of turbulence–flame interactions. Common events were identified and their effects on the flame structure were assessed, the first of these being that the flame front was locally broadened by large eddies (i.e. those larger than twice the laminar flame thickness). The results suggest that large eddies likely have a two-fold effect on the overall propagation rate, one linked to the increase in burning area (consistent with classical theories) and the other stemming from an enhancement in the local diffusivity experienced by the flame. While this latter point has not been predicted, it has been postulated that large eddies could convect preheated fluid upstream of the flame. To our knowledge the results presented here provide the first conclusive experimental evidence of this phenomenon. The second common event was the persistence of locally thin preheat layers through extremely turbulent flow fields (i.e. those possessing scales much smaller than the laminar flame thickness). Comparisons between sequences of such events and those where broadening occurred indicate that the latter is typically associated with elevated turbulent diffusivity, which supports arguments in favor of using a criterion based on a ratio of diffusivities rather than length scales to predict the onset of preheat-zone broadening.