2000/9/20

Chapter 1
Introduction, Fundamental Definition and Phenomena

1.1 Introduction

l Combustion: Oldest technology of mankind; provide 90% of energy support.

l Old view: Fluid Mechanics +Chemical Reaction +Heat (release) Transfer.

Fluid mechanics that included global heat release by chemical
reaction-thermodynamics with simple infinitely fast chemistry.
l Good for: designing stationary combustion processes
l Not good for: transient processes (e.g., ignition and quenching) and
pollution formation (-> central topic in the future)

l New view: Fluid mechanics and chemical reaction coupling; chemistry

topics: large reaction mechanisms, simplification of reaction mechanisms;
fluid topics: turbulent flow and generation of turbulence.

l Not treated in this course: theory & experiments determining chemical

reaction rate; details of turbulence theory.

1.2 Fundamental Definitions

l Chemical reaction: exchange and/or rearrangement of atoms-> atoms are

conserved and molecules are not.
l Table 1.1 (page 3 of W.M.D.) -> reactant molecules (fuels, oxidizers) are
rearranged to product molecules (CO2, H2O, CO, UHC, NOx etc.) ->heat of
reaction is the primary interest-> different from chemical engineering.
l Mole number: Avogadros constant. -> mole fraction: xI= nI /( ni ) .
l Mass fraction: wi = mi /( mi )
l molar mass: molecular weight. -> mean molar mass of a mixture M = xi M i
l Eqs. 1.1, 1.2 (of W.M.D.), of the definitions of percentage mass fraction and
molar fraction. Eq. 1.3 (of W.M.D.) of mass density and concentration (molar
density) and / c = m / n = M

M i Ni M i xi
wi = s
= s
(1.1)

=1
j
M jn j M j xj
j =1
 wi wi M i
xi = M= s
(1.2)

Mi
wj Mj
j =1

l Perfect gas equation of state, eqs 1.4 and 1.5 ( of W.M.D.)

pV = nRT (1.4)
p pM p
c= and = = s
(1.5)
w
RT i
RT RT
i =1 M i

1.3 Basic Flame Types

l Premixed and nonpremixed (diffusion): mixed (fuel and oxidizer) and then
burn; simultaneously mixing and combustion. Why make such
catagorization?
l laminar and turbulent: different effects on flames?
l Laminar premixed flames: flat flames and Bunsen flames. Stoichiometric,
(fuel) rich and (fuel) lean. x fuel,stoi. = 1 /(1 + ) where is the mole number of
O2., or ' = 4.762 for air as a oxidizer. Fuel equivalence ratio = 1 / , the
air equivalence ratio. Laminar burning velocity, vL (or SL).
vL >vu , vL = vu sin .
= (xair x fuel ) / (xair , stoich. x fuel,stoich. ) = (wair w fuel ) / (wair ,stoich. w fuel, stoich. )

l Turbulent premixed flames: if turbulence intensity is not too high, curved

laminar premixed flame fronts are formed -> an ensemble of many premixed
laminar flames, flamelet concept. Lean combustion -> lower temperature,
 lower NO, lower soot ( produced in rich flames).

l Laminar nonpremixed flames: more complex chemistry, large variation of

equivalence ratio. Rich combustion on the fuel side, lean combustion on the
air side and intense luminescent flame front near stoichiometric -> the triple
(tribrachial) flame. Nonpremixed flames do not propagate and can not be
characterized by laminar flame speed.

l Turbulent nonpremixed flames: flamelet concept can be used. Mostly used in

industrial furnances and burners. -> yellow luminescence of glowing soot
particles.

l Hybrid premixed-nonpremixed laminar flames: home heater or water heater

premixed slightly rich at = 1.4 , then burn as nonpremixed flame to
suppress soot.