Flame Blow-off Determination via Damkohler Number Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current combustion systems face challenges in accurately determining flame blow-off conditions, which are critical for designing efficient and environmentally friendly combustion systems, as they are sensitive to fuel-air mixtures and environmental variations, and existing methods oversimplify flow mechanics and chemical reactions.

Innovation Solution

The method involves selecting cells within a combustor using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and detailed combustion chemistry to calculate Damköhler numbers, which represent the ratio of chemical reaction time to residence time, allowing for precise assessment of flame stability and blow-off conditions by considering local turbulence and fuel mixture properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If existing methods are used to determine flame blow-off conditions, then the process is simpler, but the accuracy is insufficient due to oversimplification of flow mechanics and chemical reactions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of flame blow-off determinationVSAvoidcomplexity of combustion system analysis
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The combustor domain is divided into discrete cells, and the analysis is performed locally within each cell. This segmentation allows complex flow mechanics and chemical reactions to be modeled accurately in each region while maintaining computational efficiency. The Damköhler number is calculated separately for each cell, enabling precise identification of blow-off conditions without requiring overly complex global models.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The method employs cell-specific residence times and detailed combustion chemistry for each local region. Instead of using uniform global parameters, the analysis accounts for spatial variations in flow velocity, temperature, and fuel mixture composition. This local quality approach enables accurate determination of blow-off conditions in specific critical zones while simplifying less critical regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If detailed combustion chemistry and local flow analysis are performed, then the accuracy of flame stability assessment is improved, but the computational time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of flame stability assessmentVSAvoidcomputational time for blow-off determination
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing the combustor into discrete cells, the computational domain is managed in smaller, more manageable units. This segmentation allows detailed chemistry to be performed only in cells where it is most critical (such as near the flame front), while simpler models can be used in other regions, thereby reducing overall computational time while maintaining high reliability where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The method performs detailed combustion chemistry calculations selectively rather than uniformly throughout the entire domain. Detailed chemistry is applied partially to regions where flame blow-off is most likely to occur, while coarser models are used elsewhere. This partial action approach maintains sufficient reliability for safety-critical assessments while significantly reducing computational time compared to full detailed modeling everywhere.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach provides accurate and reliable determination of flame blow-off conditions, enabling better control of combustion systems and compliance with environmental regulations by accounting for spatial variations and turbulence effects, thus improving the prediction of pollutant emissions.

Implementation Method 1

calculate Damköhler numbers, which represent the ratio of chemical reaction time to residence time

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDamköhler number:

Implementation Method 2

considering local turbulence and fuel mixture properties

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Data Source

PatentEP2401554B1System and method for flame blow-off determination
Publication Date: 2016.05.18 REACTION DESIGN
  • EP2401554B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2401554B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2401554B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and Methods for determining flame blow-off conditions are disclosed. These methods provide efficient and reliable tools for determining the lean blow-off conditions for a variety of combustion system. By utilizing localized characteristics within a flame-holding region a user is enabled to assess the likelihood of flame blow-off with fine granularity within a combustor. The flame blow-out determination may be carried out with the aid of an output representation that provides a contour of likely blow-off cells within a combustor region.