Local flame displacement speeds of hydrogen-air premixed flames in moderate to intense turbulence

Comprehensive knowledge of local flame displacement speed, $S_d$, in turbulent premixed flames is crucial towards the design and development of hydrogen fuelled next-generation engines. Premixed hydrogen-air flames are characterized by significantly higher laminar flame speed compared to other conventional fuels. Furthermore, in the presence of turbulence, $S_d$ is enhanced much beyond its corresponding unstretched, planar laminar value $S_L$. In this study, the effect of high Karlovitz number ($Ka$) turbulence on density-weighted flame displacement speed, $\widetilde{S_d}$, in a H$_2$-air flame is investigated. Recently, it has been identified that flame-flame interactions in regions of large negative curvature govern large deviations of $\widetilde{S_d}$ from $S_L$, for moderately turbulent flames. An interaction model for the same has also been proposed. In this work, we seek to test the interaction model's applicability to intensely turbulent flames characterized by large $Ka$. To that end, we investigate the local flame structures: thermal, chemical structure, the effect of curvature, along the direction that is normal to the chosen isothermal surfaces. Furthermore, relative contributions of the transport and chemistry terms to $\widetilde{S_d}$ are also analyzed. It is found that, unlike the moderately turbulent premixed flames, where enhanced $\widetilde{S_d}$ is driven by interactions among complete flame structures, $\widetilde{S_d}$ enhancement in high $Re_t$ and high $Ka$ flame is predominantly governed by local interactions of the isotherms. It is found that enhancement in $\widetilde{S_d}$ in regions of large negative curvature occurs as a result of these interactions, evincing that the interaction model is useful for high $Ka$ turbulent premixed flames as well.