Mechanical Engineering Seminar

Static and Dynamic Stability of Bluff-body Stabilized Premixed

Flames

Baki M. Cetegen, Ph.D.

 

Mechanical Engineering Department

University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Abstract

 

Stability characteristics (blowoff, flashback and flame response to flow oscillations) are important considerations in the design and operation of highly energetic combustion devices such as gas turbine combustors, afterburners, furnaces and rockets.  Of particular interest is the flame behavior under fuel lean combustion conditions since many pollution reduction schemes are based on fuel lean combustion.  Under such conditions, flames are susceptible to external perturbations and they can detach from flame holders and extinguish.  In this presentation, a detailed experimental study of bluff-body stabilized premixed flames will be described in three parts.  In the first part, the flame blow-off conditions will be characterized for steady and periodic flow conditions upstream of the flame.  These results will be interpreted in the context of detailed measurements of velocities and flame front strain rates in the flame holder wake region utilizing particle image velocimetry.  In the second part, results from ongoing experiments with imposed fuel-air mixture gradients upstream of the flame holder will be described. Finally, the spectroscopic temperature measurements in the bluff-body flame stabilization zone will be presented to help in understanding of the flame blow-off characteristics under different conditions.


Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 10:30 am


3540 Engineering


Refreshments served at 10:15 am

 

Biography

 

Prof. Cetegen received his B.S. ME degree with minor in Physics (1978) from Bosphorus University in Istanbul Turkey.  He obtained his M.S. ME (1979) from UC, Berkeley followed by his Ph.D. in ME (1982) from Caltech.  After working at Energy and Environmental Research Corporation for five years, and a brief stint as a post doctoral fellow at UC, Irvine, he joined University of Connecticut faculty in 1987 where he is currently serves as professor and department head of Mechanical Engineering.  His research has spanned topics such as fluid mechanics of buoyant plumes and flames, detonations, combustion and plasma synthesis of ceramics and ceramic coatings, experimental studies of vortical mixing and vortex-combustion interactions, optical diagnostics for combustion systems and fuel cells.  He is a fellow of ASME and serves on the executive board of the Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute as its treasurer.