Comparison of the flame characteristics of turbulent circular and elliptic jets in a crossflow

This study was directed to understand the coupling effects of the noncircular geometry of the burner and a crossflow on the combustion of gas jets. This paper compares the characteristics of turbulent propane jet flames from circular (diameter=0.45 cm) and elliptic (major axis/minor axis=3) burners of equivalent exit area in a crossflow. The elliptic burner was oriented with its major axis or minor axis aligned with the crossflow. Experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel provided with optical and probe access and capable of wind speeds up to 12.5 m/s. The burners were fabricated with metal tubes. Instrumentation included a Pt-Pt/13% Rh thermocouple, a quartz-probe gas sampling system, chemiluminescent and nondispersive infrared analyzers, a video-recorder and a computer data acquisition system. The measurements consisted of the upper and lower limits of jet velocity for a stable flame, flame configuration, and visible length. Flame structure data including temperature profiles and concentration profiles of CO2, O-2, CO, and NO were obtained in a two-Zone flame configuration (at jet to crossflow momentum flux ratio=0.11), where a planar recirculation exists in the wake of the burner tube followed by an axisymmetric tail. The relative emission indicators of CO and NO were estimated from the composition data. Results show that the upper and lower limits of the fuel jet velocity increase with the crossflow velocity for all burners, and the rate of increase is highest for the elliptic burner with its minor axis aligned with the crossflow. That burner configuration also produces the longest flame. The relative emission indicators show that the CO production is lower and NO production is higher with elliptic burners than with circular burners in crossflow.