Nonlinear effects in the extraction of laminar flame speeds from expanding spherical flames

Various factors affecting the determination of laminar flames speeds from outwardly propagating spherical flames in a constant-pressure combustion chamber were considered, with emphasis on the nonlinear variation of the stretched flame speed to the flame stretch rate, and the associated need to nonlinearly extrapolate the stretched flame speed to yield an accurate determination of the laminar flame speed and Markstein length. Experiments were conducted for lean and rich n-butane/air flames at 1 atm initial pressure, demonstrating the complex and nonlinear nature of the dynamics of flame evolution, and the strong influences of the ignition transient and chamber confinement during the initial and final periods of the flame propagation, respectively. These experimental data were analyzed using the nonlinear relation between the stretched flame speed and stretch rate, yielding laminar flame speeds that agree well with data determined from alternate flame configurations. It is further suggested that the fidelity in the extraction of the laminar flame speed from expanding spherical flames can be facilitated by using small ignition energy and a large combustion chamber. (C) 2009 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.