LES/PDF modeling of swirl-stabilized non-premixed methane/air flames with local extinction and re-ignition

Turbulent non-premixed flames with local extinction and re-ignition exhibit multiple combustion modes including ignition waves, diffusion flames, partially premixed flames, and ignition-assisted partially premixed flames. The mechanisms of local extinction and re-ignition are not well understood and numerical modeling of multi-mode combustion is a challenging task. In this work, a specially designed swirl-burner was used to study local extinction and re-ignition of non-premixed turbulent methane/air flames. High speed Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and laser induced fluorescence of OH radicals (OH-PLIF) measurements along with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) were carried out to investigate the mechanisms of extinction and re-ignition processes in the burner. LES is based on a transported probability density function model within the framework of Eulerian Stochastic Fields (PDF-ESF). It is found that local extinction occurs when the scalar dissipation rate around the stoichiometric mixture fraction is high. The characteristic time scale for local extinction and re-ignition in the present flames is an order of magnitude longer than the characteristic time scale of diffusion/extinction of laminar flamelets. There are two mechanisms for flame hole re-ignition in the present flames. First, under low degree of local extinction conditions (i.e., for small flame holes surrounded by flames) the flame hole re-ignition is due to the mechanism of turbulent flame folding. Second, under high degree of extinction conditions (i.e., with large regions of extinction and lifted flames), re-ignition of the locally extinguished flame is due to the mechanism of ignition assisted partially premixed flame propagation. The results show that the PDF-ESF model is capable of simulating the quenching and re-ignition process found in the experiments.